The Necessity of the Seam Ripper

For my birthday I bought myself a sewing machine from eBay. Of course, the feeder dogs were mis-aligned and it cost twice the purchase price to fix them. Still to celebrate, I decided to make a pretty, simple summer skirt. I bought this vintage-looking simple cotton print from the local Hancock Fabrics on super-sale, it's magenta with tiny white leaves. The printing pools a little, I wouldn't use it for a large flat design (a straight skirt, the back of a shirt) but in a pleated design, it's great.
I'm working off Simplicity 2698 Skirt H, Yoke B in size 12. I'm a 4 or 6 off-the rack. To give you an idea, the finished yoke will be about 27.5in. and sit at the waist (when I suck in my breath). The cutting, skirt sewing, even pockets & pleating are very straightforward and easy.

My headache came when I started to fit the waistband. After staring at the instructions for entirely too long, I realized it's a paper-bag waist, the kind where the pleated section fits in front of the waistband. EWWW. Not for cotton print. Not for work-wear. So I ripped out the zig-zag edging on the band, ripped out the basting, and the side seams and started reworking a band that would fit over the pleat lines. Mind you, I was using thread scissors and straighpins as I have yet to invest in a proper seamripper -- only people who make mistakes need seamrippers. So I hand-stitched my now separated waistband over the pleating with a blind hem stitch on top. It's a snug fit, but the stitching feels stiff and secure, so i'm lookin' good. Next time, I might try a frayed waistband, or adding a ribbon or embellishment at the waist.



Tonight I tackle my first invisible zipper. You see the unfinished floppy pocket area on my hip--that's where the zipper will live. Except you won't be able to see it, because it will be invisible.




There's also a lingering question of how to hem it. Regular blind-stitched straight hem would be classy. But a bubble-hem might minimize my pleated butt protruding in back. Hmm...


I'm off to buy a seamripper.