I have a second hand Ann Balon three-piece outfit (bought on eBay) with a long skirt. I love it. I have worn it all week. Standing around at a meeting, or walking slowly at home, the tight skirt was no trouble. However, when I travelled into London, galloping after companions who raced for trains, I found the skirt was too tight around the ankles.
It was an annoying nuisance. More importantly, I was in danger of falling.
I had to pull it up to my knees to climb steps on the London underground stations. Most inelegant.
I worried that I would fall into the gap we were told to mind as I ran towards the train. It was equally stressful when I rushed to get off a train before the doors closed.
I nearly fell over trying to step off a bus in Singapore. I nearly didn't make it, leaping from the bus platform onto the pavement a foot or two away.
I had looked at the inside seam several times. It was very highly sewn. The edges were overlocked. The seam had two rows of very tight and short stitches. You could hardly prise the tip of a pair of nail scissors underneath. I could not find my seam ripper.
My initial preference was for cutting the original seam. The part you haven't yet cut is strongly sewn together. You might sew a horizontal stitch across it, plus some reinforcing if you like upwards, vertically, following the original sewing.
I considered the alternative. Cutting with pinking shears along the material beside the seam.
Disadvantages? The stretchy crochet might fray. I might end up with a wobbly line instead of the original edge cut by the garment maker.
In the end I gave up trying to prise open the original seam. I had delayed days, now hours. Minutes were ticking past. Nothing was happening. I had to start. It was quicker to grab my pinking shears and make a small exploratory cut.
No instant disaster and fraying. So I cut a bit further. To my surprise, although I'd had to pull my skirt up to knee level to climb up steps, a mere hand width slit, to my lower calf, was enough to enable me to climb steps. I tested walking up steps in my home.
What if you don't have indoor steps because you live in a one storey bungalow or ranch house or flat? I considered using a step stool. Even climbing up to a dining chair. (I wouldn't want to risk falling off. I visualised what I or you should do. We must have somebody nearby to grab or do it beside a table with a cushion on the floor and no sharp edges nearby. I had steps to both the back and front of a one story bungalow. Amazing. The small cut is sufficient. Maybe the garment is stretchier or wider higher up, once you have released the tight horizontal hem.
I had considered preserving the elegance of an ankle length skirt by inserting an A shape plaque of matching material. The technical term for this is a godet.
I looked at my ribbons for edging. Shiny brightly coloured ribbon looked out of place against the matt crochet. I looked at paler bias binding. Could I dye it? My dyes were not a good match.
What if the garment had colours which run? Eventually, after washing once or several times, the leaking colours of the garment would run onto the upside down V shape patch.
In the end I found in my jars of ribbons and bias binding an edging strip of bias binding.
Now the great news, the good news. The part I had cut had only one seam needing overstitching with the bias binding. Because I had cut close to the original vertical seam, the original strong maker's stitching was sufficient and neat enough to hold the left hand seam. Only one cut edge to bind!
Also, your eye does not look too closely at the hem of a skirt when you are standing nearby. Especially if the garment has eye-catching detail at the top. The skirt has an inset of crochet lace on the opposite side.
I have now learned a new trick for making a slit. Cut next to the original vertical hem. You have only one edge to bind.
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker.
Please follow me on Facebook. Like my pages. I'm on LinkedIn.Many more amusing and useful blogs and posts to read. Books on Lulu.com with free excepts to entertain you.
It was an annoying nuisance. More importantly, I was in danger of falling.
I had to pull it up to my knees to climb steps on the London underground stations. Most inelegant.
I worried that I would fall into the gap we were told to mind as I ran towards the train. It was equally stressful when I rushed to get off a train before the doors closed.
I nearly fell over trying to step off a bus in Singapore. I nearly didn't make it, leaping from the bus platform onto the pavement a foot or two away.
I had looked at the inside seam several times. It was very highly sewn. The edges were overlocked. The seam had two rows of very tight and short stitches. You could hardly prise the tip of a pair of nail scissors underneath. I could not find my seam ripper.
My initial preference was for cutting the original seam. The part you haven't yet cut is strongly sewn together. You might sew a horizontal stitch across it, plus some reinforcing if you like upwards, vertically, following the original sewing.
I considered the alternative. Cutting with pinking shears along the material beside the seam.
Disadvantages? The stretchy crochet might fray. I might end up with a wobbly line instead of the original edge cut by the garment maker.
In the end I gave up trying to prise open the original seam. I had delayed days, now hours. Minutes were ticking past. Nothing was happening. I had to start. It was quicker to grab my pinking shears and make a small exploratory cut.
What if you don't have indoor steps because you live in a one storey bungalow or ranch house or flat? I considered using a step stool. Even climbing up to a dining chair. (I wouldn't want to risk falling off. I visualised what I or you should do. We must have somebody nearby to grab or do it beside a table with a cushion on the floor and no sharp edges nearby. I had steps to both the back and front of a one story bungalow. Amazing. The small cut is sufficient. Maybe the garment is stretchier or wider higher up, once you have released the tight horizontal hem.
I had considered preserving the elegance of an ankle length skirt by inserting an A shape plaque of matching material. The technical term for this is a godet.
I looked at my ribbons for edging. Shiny brightly coloured ribbon looked out of place against the matt crochet. I looked at paler bias binding. Could I dye it? My dyes were not a good match.
What if the garment had colours which run? Eventually, after washing once or several times, the leaking colours of the garment would run onto the upside down V shape patch.
In the end I found in my jars of ribbons and bias binding an edging strip of bias binding.
Now the great news, the good news. The part I had cut had only one seam needing overstitching with the bias binding. Because I had cut close to the original vertical seam, the original strong maker's stitching was sufficient and neat enough to hold the left hand seam. Only one cut edge to bind!
Also, your eye does not look too closely at the hem of a skirt when you are standing nearby. Especially if the garment has eye-catching detail at the top. The skirt has an inset of crochet lace on the opposite side.
I have now learned a new trick for making a slit. Cut next to the original vertical hem. You have only one edge to bind.
Angela Lansbury, author and speaker.
Please follow me on Facebook. Like my pages. I'm on LinkedIn.Many more amusing and useful blogs and posts to read. Books on Lulu.com with free excepts to entertain you.
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