“Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.” I heard this on a sports program last weekend and it resonated perfectly with regards to Maddie’s slip. Because there were quite a few stages. Or should I say “stages” – with five s’s at the end.
Stagesssss.
As in, two skirts and three bodices.
The first bodice was too large. Sadly, inexplicably, I didn’t realize this until after I’d remade the skirt and reattached it.
This was not an experience I felt I needed.
The second bodice fit better. The length was correct and it was no longer too big around. But it wasn’t perfect.
*RATS!!!
At this point, I knew I’d invested too much emotional energy to be satisfied with anything but my best effort. I hate that point. Nevertheless, I made the adjustments and started again.
There was a fair amount of kicking and screaming along the way.
Thank goodness bodice number three fit. And it was so much better (see below) that I forgot immediately about all the pain and pouting and whining it took before I finally had success.
As an extra bonus, I also got to improve the finish on the arm holes. I hadn’t been happy with the first ones, due to my inability to slipstitch as well as eight-year-old girls during the Civil War.
To be clear – Sheryl’s pattern is perfect – but I am not. I needed to find a way around exposing my ugly stitches to the world.
The original instructions have you sew the fronts to the backs at the shoulders, then do the neckline and center back. The arm holes are finished by turning 1/8” to the inside of the bodice and lining, then matching them and slip stitching them together. Unfortunately, my slip stitching skills are not up to this. No matter how careful I tried to be, the stitches showed.
My solution was to leave the shoulder seams for last. First, I pressed under 1/4” at the shoulders of the lining. Then I stitched the lining to the bodice along the neckline, arm holes, and center back.
When I turned and pressed this, I continued turning under the seam allowances along the neckline and armhole edges of the remaining shoulder portion.
The last step was to stitch the shoulder seams, being careful not to catch the linings in. Then I tucked the seam allowances under the lining and slip stitched the openings together. Worked like a charm! And now I can finally announce, “C’set Fini!”
*Actual word choice may have varied.
To look at more pretty pictures of Maddie’s new slip, click HERE.
To read about Maddie’s complete underthings project, from start to finish, click HERE.
To see all of Maddie’s wardrobe projects so far, click HERE.
And if you’d like to learn my secret to creating crisp turned edges, check out my latest sewing tutorial HERE.