Distinctive Prints: Part 3

My extra fabric arrived last Friday so I’m finally able to work on my dress this week (make sure you hit the back button to come back here). I didn’t have much sewing time today but I was able to assemble the front and back pieces and bind the neckline.

It’s been said before but I’ll say it again: the neckline is very low even for someone like me who likes a very open neck (this is the HP Cosmopolitan Dress – a favorite). I raised it up by 1″ at the center front and added a ribbing-style finish and it’s perfect. Had I wanted to use a facing, a binding or simply turn in and topstitch it would have been too low. Remember too that a heavy knit will drag the neckline down even more. Best to make it higher and then trim off the excess later.

I am off teeny bits here and there with my pattern matching but overall I am very happy with the way this is turning out. The print is so busy that I doubt anyone will notice my little 1/8″ flubs. I am very annoyed that the binding is not centered! I was very careful to align everything but the fabric must have shifted and I did not notice until I was finished serging. No way was I going to take all that stitching out! My fault for not machine-tacking it.

Hopefully I will have some time tomorrow to get to work on those ties. There will be some piecing involved and I want to make sure it is perfect. Then I just have the sleeves, side seams and the hem – woohoo!