Craft, stitchin' and sustainable living

Friday, June 10, 2011

The Evil Purple Top


See this top? You think it's a nice top, don't you? Well you're wrong. It's evil - pure evil - I tell you.

What might look like a pretty top in the picture has actually caused me weeks of nightmares. I bought the fabric for $3 per metre from Reverse Garbage because I liked the colour and, as it is a crape, I figured it wouldn't need ironing. Well, wasn't I sucked in by vanity and laziness? This fabric has been nothing but trouble since I first started to cut it.

This fabric is the kind that:
- frays like crazy
- if you put it on a table, it slinks off onto the floor by itself
- doesn't hold pins because the weave it too loose
- once cut, will never sit the same way again


The pattern I used, Simplicity 2586, is a good one - easy, straightforward, fits nicely. Unfortunately, it has taken a lot of battling with the fabric to get the top to this point. And to make matters worse, my overlocker died halfway through the making, so I had to use a friend's overlocker to finish the job. The top might look presentable from a distance, but check out this neck binding...


The stitching is wonky, and sections of the underside didn't catch. I am going to unpick it, tack it, and try again.

Lesson learnt: Cheap, slinky fabric is nothing but trouble. Never again!

2 comments:

  1. Hi Britt! Despite what you say about this dreaded fabric, the top is beautiful and looks great on you! And such a great colour, even if it was a total nightmare to make. P.S. Thanks so much for coming to the Etsy party, your blog is awesome. Looking forward to seeing you again soon xx

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