05 December 2013

A rookie mistake


Chemise seams
Originally uploaded by Catrijn.
I'm working on a matching chemise for the black transitional kirtle - a pretty simple piece of untailored, geometric cut sewing. That didn't stop me from making a really brain-dead mistake.

I had made a mock-up based on measurements, sewed it quickly by machine, and everything was fine. Cut the real one to be hand sewn to the same measurements, starting sewing, and what do you know, the sleeves don't fit at all (too tight in the elbows). Because I had used french seams with very scant seam allowance on the machine sewn one, and had given a more generous allowance on hand sewing, to make turning the edges for false-french finishing easier. And that was the difference between a sleeve that lets me bend my elbow and one that doesn't.

So... move all the seams out that quarter-inch, and deal with very scant allowances for turning. And feel like you really ought to be past this sort of mistake.

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