hemming | sixty six stitches

I’m a convert to slips. They’re highly functional but also make me feel like a grown up lady. I made these using some rayon from Spotlight, and the free Vera Venus bias slip pattern. It only goes up to a size 39″bust/41″hip, so I had to grade up, but it worked well. The rayon is perfect: sturdy, no special washing needed, but still light. And, since it’s a natural fibre, it breathes well and doesn’t get stinky.

For the top front edge, you can add lace or finish with a decorative stitch; the pattern suggests a shell stitch. For a laugh, here’s the black one I did by hand, compared to the white one I did by machine (using a blind hem stitch).

Oh dear. Remind me not to take up embroidery.

And, just for the record, some fun PJ pants made out of Spotlight flannelette, and a basic self-drafted pattern. Judging by the selvedge, the print seems to have been made by a student at RMIT.

Can you see the animals hiding badly? Aren’t they gorgeous?

(These have been worn a bit already; sorry about that! I love them.)

I’ve always been a bit scarf-wary. Not the long snuggly woolly ones (what’s not to love?) or the nice soft cotton ones (I’m ready for you, weather), but the square-silky variety loved by grandmothers worldwide.

Or so I thought, until I worked with a lady who knew how to Wear A Scarf. She looked so good that I decided I had to learn, starting with this youtube video: 25 ways to wear a scarf.

Naturally, I wanted to look like this:

There’s still some way to go, but the scarf is sorted! I spent a whopping $4.50 at Spotlight on three of their best polyester chiffons, which matured in a drawer for several weeks pending hemming.

First I considered buying a special foot for the machine. Then I considered looking up techniques on Google. In the end, I just had a play, and magically it worked. Makes up for all those zippers I’ve botched EVEN THOUGH I’VE DONE IT A THOUSAND TIMES.

First, I zig-zagged the raw edge (this adds a bit of weight to the edge, and stabilises it).