Monday 8 June 2015

On Running Before I Can Walk.

I have news. This might come as a bit of a shock, but Jersey and I have decided to go our separate ways. We need some time apart. We're just not compatible right now. It's not Jersey, it's me - I wasn't ready for such a big commitment. I thought I could handle it, but I was wrong. Maybe if I was a bit older, a bit wiser, a bit more patient... 

Oh god! I've been such a muppet. I did always know that stretchy Jersey would be a different beast to the cotton I have been sewing with until now, but I fell in live with the stripes. And the colours. Oh those colours!  I didn't really think it through when I bought it and by the time I realised what I'd done it was too late. So that's when I started lying to myself. How hard could it be?

Even after I'd started sewing I had myself convinced it was going fine. And maybe it was for a while. I merrily sewed away, all the while thinking to myself 'what's all the fuss about?' ... and ... 'It's no different to cotton'!!! I'll say it again- I'm a muppet. But to be fair to myself, the darts did go in fine, and the side seams were fine (if a little curled around the edges). See - it looks pretty good from the front (except for the creases - I did press it. Promise!):



But then came the bloody zip.

How could I be so naive?! After two attempts I basically gave up. It's so lumpy you could mistake it for the Pennines. I could have tried inserting it again. And again. And again. But to be honest I knew how it would turn out. No matter how many times I tried it was destined to be lumpy!


And that's not even the worst of it.

Look at this!!!

The neckline has been so stretched out of shape by my butchering that it sits about 3 miles away from the back of my neck. I have got absolutely no idea how this happened, but it looks ridiculous! I can't wear it like this, so I'm going to have to find it in myself to go back, and make some changes. I am envisaging taking the zip out all together and sewing up the centre back seam. The neck line's certainly big enough to get over my head. It will probably only make it worse, but what have I got to lose?!












Ps. I can't imagine why you'd care, but the shift dress pattern I used was Simplicity New Look 6176, and the fabric is this Ponte Roma Jersey from Backstitch.