Hoppo Bumpo (n): A children's game. Played by folding one's arms and hopping on one leg. Aim is to bump opponents, so that they lose their balance. Last person standing wins.


October 17, 2010

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.

14 comments:

  1. Oh no...it was all going so well. I too had a hatred towards jersey till I did the sewing knits class at C.A.E it has helped immensely. Side seams and basic construction is a breeze, it just the finishing that kills us all....Don't give up ( :
    p.s I luv the way you say you'll never use it again ....till the next time you see it on special, so cute

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  2. The finished skirt looks great though!

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  3. LOL @ sending something to go live with velvet. I know exactly what you mean!

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  4. Oh dear. The finished skirt looks wonderful though.

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  5. I love how you write about the love/ hate relationship between sewing, over locking, fabrics, it's all so perfect to read, nodding my head, "yeah, my over locker nom nom noms" & i'm terrified of rethreading it, such a pain!! I'd like an overlocker which changes colour of the thread with a button push or glare + a built in vacuum to suck up all those tiny strips it chops off but doesn't catch in the hook on catcher properly. Love Posie

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  6. Slinky can be a bear to sew but the skirt looks lovely.

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  7. Oh no, I hope you can bring yourself to wear it without flinching every time! It does look lovely.

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  8. That is indeed an incident. One day I may sew an item of clothing without an incident. and I don't even have an overlocker...

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  9. Gawd. But at least you finished what you started!! Enjoy wearing it... I hope!

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  10. It does look pretty but after reading this, I think if I ever want a jersey skirt I'll buy one ready-made

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  11. oh you crack me up! laughing away here in the UK. i too have incidents with my overlocker. We have known each other for about 4 or 5 years now but still mere aquaintances.
    What offspring would velvet and jersy make?! Stretch velvet I suppose. i have made a skirt for dd with that. Twas a slippery road.

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  12. My personal grievance is crepe de chien, she says, remembering a similar incident in home ec at the age of 15... I have stayed away from it ever since. *shudder*

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  13. I hate jersey knits too. But I also love them and am addicted to buying and making things with them, despite all their unfavourable personality traits. So I know exactly what you mean about the 'until next time'. Lovely skirt (well worth the stumbling trip over!) - do we get to see it on?

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