Jersey how quickly it can all go wrong? {Blogtoberfest day 17}

A couple of weeks ago I stumbled across this beautiful piece of black and avocado jersey (when I say stumbled I do mean in the sense drove 8kms to a fabric shop and looked for half an hour). The beautiful drape and slightly abstracted tulip motif looked perfect for a skirt. I decided to use my new self-drafted knit skirt pattern and set to cutting out the two yoke and skirt pieces.

The fabric was lovely to work with.

The pieces sat obediently flat as I cut - there wasn't even so much as hint of a curl at the edges. It pinned together and machined like a dream. I gazed at the soothing green print. I began to think it was the nicest fabric I had ever used. In fact - I loved it.

That was until the incident.

Now as you might be aware, that most sewing events that are classed as an incident, involve an overlocker. And this was no different.



As I tried to make unfinished edges look pretty, something alarming happened. Nom, nom, nom said the overlocker as it took saw-toothed bites out of the fabric and then vomited thread everywhere.

As I was at my dressmaking class, my teacher came to see what was happening and gently explained that overlockers don't much care for single layers of jersey. Being as its so slinky.

Argghh. I felt like a tight-rope walker who had happily made it half way across the highwire. Before looking down. Whoa - whoa - whoaaaaaaa. I lost it. I took the skirt back to sewing machine to finish the waistband and hem. Suddenly the fabric was a slippery, stretchy nightmare. I was swerving all over the place. I lost the motivation to finish - it was hideous to work with.



As you can see I did eventually complete the skirt. But you know what? I hate* jersey. It can jolly well go and live with velvet.


* I mean "hate" in the sense of I will never use it again until the next time I see it on special


See more of Blogtoberfest right here.