Almost ...

Yippie! I'm almost done with the world's longest A-line skirt project. Now I just have to wait for the bias to settle. It may or may not get hemmed soon.

No, it's not a high-low hemline. That's about what I need to make the back hemline even with the front, LOL! I love this little ribbon loop Carolyn put in the back of her skirt. Because of the added length in the back of my skirts, I don't need anything to tell back from front.

Now that I see the skirt hanging, I'm starting to understand the power of how different fabrics behave. The lining, my lovely Bemberg rayon from Mood, was cut 1 3/4" shorter than the cotton fashion fabric. The cotton is definitely heavier and has less drape. There seems to be less than 1 3/4" between the edges now. Maybe I shouldn't have steamed the skirt before hanging? Or, I stiffened the lining with starch before cutting. The last steaming seems to have removed the starch, could that be the cause?

Speaking of steam, see that diagonal streak going across the top of my skirt? My iron has taken to spitting more and more these days. *sigh*

Well, no time to rest. I want to get started on a maxi dress!

Almost forgot! So I am kinda new to the world of wovens and the required seam finishes. I did French seams on the lining, but the fashion fabric has 5/8" unfinished seams. They are unsightly only when I look at them :-) I've heard two theories: fabric cut on the bias doesn't fray. If you line, you don't always have to finish the seams of the fashion fabric because the lining protects them from wear. What say you?

Biased Coverage

Yep. I am STILL working on this Simplicity bias skirt. I could have finished a few by now, if I would get out of my own way. I had to start over on the pattern alts. I winged raising the back waist and high hip alts. I have since learned that winging it ain't so great. I will not scare you with the picture of how bad the fit was at the back waist. However, it's now all good using the seam method.

Really proud of this high hip alt

Then there's my obsession to add lining to this skirt...The lining and my decision to use French seams late at night comprised my next oops. This is my first time using Bemberg rayon (thanks Mood!) It is not to be toyed with. Between some very suspect cutting, sewing the first seam of the the French seam on the orginal 5/8" stitching line, ripping it out and finally finishing the French seams Lord knows what seam allowances, my lining was bigger than my skirt.

For the life of me, I can figure out why it's so short!

The dashed line is supposed to be the cutting line!

I was going to cut new lining, but cheap me said hell-to-the-naw. I went to bed around 2:30 a.m. after deciding to cut the seams out of the current lining and seeing what happens. It will obviously be shorter than a traditional lining, but I do not care.

To help me help myself, I added seam lines for French seams to the lining side of the pattern pieces. I'm kinda proud of that idea. I had already marked a shorter hemline on the pattern piece to accommodate 3/4" hem lace. My brilliance is so spotty.

Seam line for French seams in red

I am also watching Craftsy's Sewing on the Bias with intense interest. Click here for a 50% off coupon from Sandra Betzina's site. I don't know when the coupon will expire.

*Sigh* All I really wanted was  two skirts, two simple tops and perhaps a maxi dress or two by July. Things have certainly not gone to plan. I broke down on Friday and headed to Nordstrom. I purchased two dresses, which were extremely reasonable at $70 each. Alterations totaled $142. That's just so wrong. This is why I am learning to sew.