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Monday, October 08, 2007

Completed Item No. 37

I started this TNT 4 gore skirt during my September sewing vacay. Since I struggled to get the S3631 dress to fit and spent much quality time on the details and structure of the Jackie O Retro Suit, I thought this skirt would be a quick and easy sew...yeah right!

Two weeks later it was still hanging on the closet door waiting for a hem. Now time is wearing out on my ability to wear this skirt...whether it seems like it or not fall is coming! And this medium weight linen skirt is not going to be wearable too much longer!

Last night at 11:00 p.m. EST, I finally forced myself to press up the hem and add the 1/4" stitch witchery to the hem to finish it off. That's right! You heard me ~ there isn't any hand or machine stitching involved in the hem...AT ALL! It's fused! And it's fused because I didn't want to stitch through any of the border print.

Anyway, here is how I wore "Completed Item No. 37 ~ The Border Print Linen Skirt" today...


And one of the fused hem...


So has this ever happened to you? Has a really simple thing or technique caused you not to finish a garment? And if the technique is really so simple, what actually prevented you from finishing the piece? Or was it just not time for the garment? Finally the $25,000 question ~ how many garments do you have hanging around that just need one or two things finished on them to make them wearable?

22 comments:

  1. My husband did/does 2 things for me: a few years back, he bought me my first machine with the blind hemmer, and second, he bothers/encourages me to finish things. He's actually been known to try to press in hems (and he is not competent with an iron). I've gotten to the point that I won't start a project before I finish the previous one, because I lose interest in the previous one. All I can allow myself to do is pile my "inspiration" fabric & drool until I finish what's in the machine....

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  2. I generally try to completely finish a project before going to the next. But I confess--I've got a skirt in the closet from the 2007 Timmel SWAP that still needs a simple hem to be complete. I try not to do this very often, but there you are.

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  3. If I don't complete as I go....it will sit FOREVER waiting on something....normally a hem! LOL

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  4. I have a skirt hanging on the door in my sewing room. It just needs it's hem done....and it has been there a loooong time. I suppose I am not feeling any love for it. Well done on finishing yours!

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  5. I haaate hemming. So I understand where you were coming from. What a beautiful border print, btw. Maybe I need to look into a blind hemmer!

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  6. I have 2 skirts that need hemming. I have stitch witchery. Hmmmm. I think I hear the iron calling me:) Love the skirt by the way.

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  7. Okay, you have obviously been looking in my closets. I have many simple things to do on many items. But I have a dress that I was making for me 7 year old step-daughter (who is now almost 18). I only needed to hem this dress in order to be done with it, but for some reason, I just couldn't do it. I kept reassigning the dress to other young girls in my family, but still never finished it. Granted the hem is pretty elaborate, but come on, I've had over ten years to do it. Maybe talking about it is the first step to actually finishing it. Thanks for your help.

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  8. Beautiful skirt! Love the border. It is so feminine.

    I have a couple unfinished garments. In both cases, they are garments I spent LOTS of time on and which ended up not working out. I was so frustrated I just hid them away and I'm not thinking about them too much.
    On the other hand, I have too many unfinished embroidery projects and that is bothering me.

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  9. What a lovely skirt!

    I am pleased to say I have no unfinished garments! That's because I force myself on finishing the current project before moving to the next; I have no dedicated sewing space and also limited storage problems so having more that one project hanging around to be finished would be unpractical. There are times when I wish I could put a garment aside to finish it up later and start on the next project though: when, for some reason, I lose the initial enthusiasm on the current project and the next garment is somehow "calling my name"!

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  10. Beautiful skirt! I'm glad you've finished it, because it would have been a pity not to wear it before it gets colder! Love how you paired it with the red top and cardi, great outfit!
    I only have one item hanging around because I cannot decide if I like the sleeves or not. Usually I push myself to finish before starting a new project, for about the same reasons that Tany mentioned. However, I have a huge pile of things waiting for little alterations - I absolutely hate alterations.

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  11. very cute and it looks great on you

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  12. Great border print skirt! Aren't you glad you completed it in time to wear it yet this season?

    Do I have to be honest in answering how many items are waiting to be finished? Because its rather embarrassing - I tend to get bored with what I'm working on about half-way through the process and start something new. Or I get frustrated with the fit or outcome and put it aside to "think about it".
    I do try to at least complete it to the hemming stage.

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  13. Really lovely skirt - whatever use you don't get out of it now, you will get next spring as part of your winter to spring transitional wardrobe. How great would it be to pull out those lovely flowers from your wardrobe long about mid to late March?

    No UFO's. I make it, finish it, wear it. Things not yet started, don't even ask!

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  14. I like your skirt and I understand not wanting a machine stitch to run through the border print. I have a blouse that only needs buttonholes and then of course the buttons and it'll be complete. I will have to finish it now. :) Do you have more than one project cut and ready to sew?

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  15. Lovely print for your skirt. Enjoy wearing it.
    I don't have many things unfinished, it's either completed or it is a wadder and I throw it away.
    But don't ask about things that need to be altered! Many clothes for my children were too small by the time I finally got to the changing, so no need to change anymore :-)
    And I always say that I prefer to make new pants above changing a zipper!

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  16. Your new skirt looks great! I still feel like I'm getting back into sewing so I don't have anything 'hanging around' yet.

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  17. I have many things that are sitting around waiting to be finished. At this point, some of them are waiting to be turned into other things, as they're no longer part of what I would wear anymore! I imposed a moratorium on further fabric purchases some time ago for financial reasons (there are limitations when it comes to a choice between food or rent and fabric, sadly), and my reward has been digging through the stash and the discarded projects for bits and pieces to use as other things.

    So far I've re-purposed several cotton skirts and dresses as baby clothes for a friend's daughter, a satin dress that needed weight-related adjusting turned into the lining of a cute jacket made with gifted wool fabric, and an unflattering velvet skirt that was waiting to have new elastic almost turned into a new, more attractive skirt!

    It's rewarding, but not as fun as new things, of course. :)

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  18. What a pretty skirt!

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  19. I wish this weren't true, but I have more things sitting around waiting for that last something, than I have finished items. I'm dreadful...

    Love the skirt. I should look into hem tape, since I loathe hemming...

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  20. The border print fabric, made into a skirt-stunning. Too many UFO's to think about-I am trying to get a little more disciplined.

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  21. that came out v nice.
    Beautiful fabric. I'm coming to the conclusion that I need Tany's motivation - no space - to finish things up. Don't even ask how many I have sitting around, waiting for finishing. Some are involved, some aren't. I'm convinced I'm more of a process person than a Finished Object person.

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  22. Until I found the UFO section on sewer's guild at Artisan's square, I had 3 dresses, 1 jumper and 3 skirts that needed either slight alterations or hemming or both. They motivated me to get going and currently I'm down to 4 items- half way there! I love the skirt!!

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