I only had a sliver of actual sewing time today, but getting a few things done feels good. One armband and lining are now attached to the bodice. I made the decision to finish the seams of Vogue 1859 with a zigzag stitch instead of Hong Kong binding.
I priced ready made double fold bias binding at Hobby Lobby, and the cost for this project came to about $8.00 US. I decided to pass, since my project is a trial run of the pattern. I still have plenty of this wild print yardage to make my own bias binding but again, trial garment. I have my eye on another Vogue pattern to use up the remaining fabric.
Today I want to write about understitching. Here’s an example from my current project:
Understitching is underrated. Even though it is recommended by pattern sheet instructions, sewing books, and magazine articles it is oftentimes skipped during garment construction. It is viewed as a pointless waste of time and thread and therefore totally unnecessary.
But once you understitch a facing, the magic happens! The seam rolls effortlessly in the correct direction and lies smoothly on the interior or underside of the garment. It simply behaves in a way that no amount of pressing, pulling, or ironing can achieve on its own. In the photo above you can see how beautifully the armband seam has rolled to the inside of the garment. I took this photo before I pressed the seam.
Here is a photo of a RTW garment collar from my closet. This is the right side of the collar:
And here is a picture of the understitching on the reverse side. Notice that the seam was understitched as far as possible into the corner.
Sewing factories use understitching during garment construction to achieve control of fabric and beautiful finishes. So can we!
Sewing Magic!
Sewing In Circles 