All Bound Up

After a couple of hours of procrastination, I decided to work on the 1931 dress for a change.  It has been in the same state for a month.  Next up is the neckline.  Bias binding required.

Now, I have a love/hate relationship with bias binding.  I love it when it is done.  I hate it when I have to make the strips and sew them together.  Why you ask?  Well because I have to go back to my sewing books each time to figure out how to sew the strips together.  This time was no exception.

The pattern instructions make the binding of the neckline sound so very easy but really it was a foreign language I don’t speak.  The first bit was fine:  Hold binging toward you and stretch binding around curve.”  Ok, will do but my binding is not stretching.  I know it should but its not!

 

Second bit is in another language:  “Roll binding to inside, miter at point, turn in raw edge and fell to position.”  Hmmm think I get what the intent it, but fell to position?  What in the world does that mean?  I tried to miter at point and failed miserably.

The bias binding is pinned in even though I don’t know how to finish it off.

Then the sewing commenced.  First seam in after pinning it twice.  Ironing, check.  Folded it over to make a teeny tiny facing.  But now because my bias binding seems to be of different sizes and because I fail miserably at bias binding creation, I am not going to be able to finish it off on the machine.  What you will see is a seam with its passport in hand traveling all over the bodice.  To say it would look wonky would be an exaggeration.

Thus, more hand sewing commenced.  It was quick this time and really does the trick.   My failure at the miter means I have more of a scoop neck now rather than a “v’ neck but hey I can definitely live with that adjustment.  Overall, I do like how it turned out particularly given the flimsy nature of the fabric.