Friday, May 7, 2010

Tulle Time - Part Deux

At the end of the last post for this dress, I was just starting to make the skirt lining.  Lia wanted a very full skirt and some colorful tulle that would peek out.

So after a lot of stitching, I had about 8 rows of various colors of tulle gathered onto the skirt lining.  I didn't take a photo, but for the top row nearest the waist,  I used net instead of tulle as it is much stiffer and gives the skirt that ballet tutu quality she was looking for.

To keep the hem crisp and stand out I used horsehair braid, which is such a funny name for this product.  I picture something from past centuries and I am sure it was originally made from horsehair.  Now it is entirely plastic, and probably a lot longer lasting.  But the package still says horsehair braid.  It is a really useful hem for a lot of different fabrics.

I created the hem fold, pressed it, and then machine sewed the horsehair braid onto the inside of the hem fold, so the stitching would not show.  On past occasions I have hand sewn this in, but I didn't see any reason for that, especially on a busy print where the maching stitches on the inside of the hem would not show. 

Here is a photo of the braid, this is not
the dress but a sample of the method used.
The braid is pliable but just springy enough to give a nice hem. If I were using a really delicate fabric like a satin or silk I would probably interline the hem to keep the braid from showing on the right side.

Here is the dress all finished.



and back.



It was a great project, and I love this fabric, wish I had more.

Today's SunnyGal garden photo, Pink Jasmine in bloom.

3 comments:

  1. Gorgeous dress! I love the style and the fabric is wonderful. What a perfect dress for summer!

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  2. This is a wonderful dress, I would love to wear it. You did a lovely job.
    And sewing for the tropics is a must for me I live in La Paz, on the beach.
    Please take a moment to visit my blog.
    www.susansewsdaily.blogspot.com
    I have followed you as well.
    Where are you in California? I moved here from San Jose, and I miss it.

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  3. I meant to say: Congratulations on being featured on PR!

    ReplyDelete