Woohoo! Both Simplicity 3775 dresses are done and ready to pop into the mail this week. I originally blogged about these dresses last week when the basic construction was completed; they were just needing the finishing touch on the neckline, armholes, and hem.
For the black and white polka dot version I decided to use the narrow binding specified in the pattern. This knit fabric is rather thin and soooo slippery that keeping the binding an equal width all the way ’round was a bit of a challenge. I stitched it on my serger, and found that lining up the fold edge of the binding alongside the edge of my foot was the best way to keep things even. (And yes, I did need to re-stitch one section that was too wide! 😉 )
Here is the full view of the completed dotty dress.
The red dress got one of my favorite binding treatments for knits: foldover velvet elastic. I think I bought mine from M & J Trimming in NYC, but I noticed a similar looking velvet elastic ribbon on Etsy.
I used my coverstitch function on my serger to hem both dresses—fast and easy on the red dress and a bit more of a struggle on the thinner knit of the black dress. Applying a narrow strip of fusible interfacing on the edge of the hem really helps minimize the tunneling that can occur, and saying a little prayer while stitching also can make a difference. 😉
I used the same process to apply the velvet foldover elastic on this dress as I did for the 1-Hour Skirt waistband. I love how you can barely see the final zig-zag stitching!
It is always a bit of a miracle if I complete sewing projects in time for the actual event, so I am especially glad my DS’s girlfriend will have her law school graduation present prior to commencement.
Happy sewing!
Maris