Well I am pleased to report I have now finished my second sewing piece. Today I worked on the toddler halter top and I am really pleased how it has turned out, although I did have a couple of hiccups along the way due to my absolute beginner sewing skills.
I started trying to attach the bias straps first which was a little interesting. I hadn’t looked very closely at the width of the bias in the tutorial which was my undoing. I bought the bias not really realising what I was going to be doing with it, or that I would be sewing it at half the width (Did I mention I am a complete novice at this?) So of course when it came time to attach it I could see that there was not much room for error, but I figured I could just sew it really carefully and it would be ok. Apparently not, because this happened:
Oops #1 – bias coming apart and causing material to fray.
I started trying to attach the bias straps first which was a little interesting. I hadn’t looked very closely at the width of the bias in the tutorial which was my undoing. I bought the bias not really realising what I was going to be doing with it, or that I would be sewing it at half the width (Did I mention I am a complete novice at this?) So of course when it came time to attach it I could see that there was not much room for error, but I figured I could just sew it really carefully and it would be ok. Apparently not, because this happened:
Oops #1 – bias coming apart and causing material to fray.
Now in my long history of sewing (yes, two whole terms in high school) this would usually be the point where I would panic and still continue against all odds in the hope that somehow the sewing fairy would make it all ok in the end. The sewing never did find the address of my Home Economics though.
So I decided to take a more adult approach, realise that sewing fairy or not this was not going to work, and headed back to Spotlight to get some wider bias. Once that was done and I had zig-zagged the edges to be on the safe side, things started working again, and I really like the look of the bias across the top and up the sides, ending as the halter straps.
Bias neckline and straps
So I decided to take a more adult approach, realise that sewing fairy or not this was not going to work, and headed back to Spotlight to get some wider bias. Once that was done and I had zig-zagged the edges to be on the safe side, things started working again, and I really like the look of the bias across the top and up the sides, ending as the halter straps.
Bias neckline and straps
I now had my two pieces ready to go, and was all set to sew them together, until this happened:
Oops #2 – Hmmmm does anyone else see a gap?
Officially the material was meant to meet the bias without a space I think, but considering I made the pattern myself with some guesstimation to try and downsize it for the pixie child, it obviously, most certainly didn’t!It was decision time it seemed – run some more bias down the gap and leave the hemline as is or move the back piece up and chop of the excess at the bottom. Considering the top already had a decent length to it I went with option two.
The good thing was, that even with these amateur mistakes this was a really easy top to make and I love the look of it. I am waiting to pick the Monkey up from childcare tonight so I can snap a photo of her in it, so will update that soon.
But for the moment here is the finished product.
Front
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