This is kind of what I’m trying to make; a multi-tiered
petticoat for my 1853 dress.
I really want this, with the high dome shape at the waist,
but they weren’t wearing hoop skirts at this time yet. So they did it with multiple
layers of petticoats, corded petticoats, and quilted petticoats. I needed to
make a petticoat.
I always turn the top edge under a 1/2 inch that will be
gathered and sewn onto the petticoat. The bottom edge I have to turn under and
hem it. *double bleh* This usually means turning it under a 1/2 inch, ironing it, and turning that under a 1/4
inch, pinning it, and sewing it. That’s a lot. No wonder I was procrastinating
on this. After a bit of whining on Facebook, one friend reminded me about using
a rolled hem foot on my sewing machine instead of all that turning under mess. :) I had one but I didn’t know where my
instruction book was. So here you have my guinea pig attempt at using one
without a clue. I taught myself how to do it in a couple minutes, with some
cheering and hints from my fellow Facebook seamstresses.
A rolled hem foot: mine snaps onto the shank. There’s a
little curled metal thingie that rolls into itself that your fabric is supposed
to go into. You can see that better in the second photo looking down at the
foot.
Ok, so you have to help it a bit. I’m turning under a 1/4 inch
edge. The width of the right side of my foot is 1/4 inch. So I put my needle
down into the fabric near the back to hold it (but make sure there’s enough
fabric that it doesn’t jam it into the hole), then I lifted up the foot,
folding that edge in the 1/4 inch and pulled it into that first curl. And it
will be fiddly. I folded it just slightly over the inside edge of the left
side, but barely because it will be too bulky if you go over it. Slowly start
stitching, holding that 1/4 inch under with your fingers, and just lightly
pulling the fabric behind the needle so it doesn’t bunch up. Basically what it’s
doing is turning a tiny edge under with an even tinier edge under it, rolling
it as it sews.
And suddenly, Magic!
On my first attempt my beginning edge was a little rough.
Someone suggested I try using another bit of fabric for the needle to go into
that pulls the main fabric in. I was even sent a photo of directions from a
book on clipping the corner first.
I tried those a few times with no luck. Another suggestion
was to put the fabric in at an angle and push until it got far enough for the
needle to catch. I got that to work but it was still a bit messy. But hey, those
parts are going to be in the seams when I sew them all together, so who cares?
So here’s my first strip. A teeny tiny little hem. But see
that bit sticking out from the edge? That’s what happens when my 1/4 inch gets
a little too wide. It also makes my needle go clunk clunk because it’s so
thick. But don’t freak out. It’s OK! No one’s going to see it. But if it really
bothers you, get out your little manicure scissors and trim it off.
This is still going to be long and tedious, and boring,
making all these tiers. And I’m procrastinating by writing this. I don’t know
how many I have to make yet. I still have to measure the width of my skirt to
see how wide to make the petticoat. My thoughts about how to sew the tiers on
evenly is to lay the panels flat, draw a straight line in pencil of the rows across
each one, then sew the side seams together, making sure the pencil marks line
up at the seams. I’m hoping this makes it easier to sew them on. I know there’s
a mathematical way to figure this out but I’m lazy, and I failed algebra.
~~VAL~~
