Now I'd like to share with you my recent 'Sheer Experience'. The same details from the first article still apply, but this time I DIDN'T LINE THE DICKENS OUT OF IT!
I needed a new ‘something’ to go over top of a sleeveless
tank top. (I next to NEVER wear anything
sleeveless for numerous vain reasons).
And my girl friend had sent me bundles of this red, black and white
floral sheer. Sheers are the other thing
I’d likely not buy or wear comfortably.
But here it was (the gift of a netting type of sheer fabric) and I’d
just completed the black slinky tank top as a style example for the hands-on bodice
fitting classes. Kelly, my office assistant,
took one look at the sheer and suggested I sew the diagonal hem cardigan to go over it. This is actually
Style #4 in Beyond Bodice Basics, and I added sleeves to the design. What a perfect suggestion!
Here are the finished garments:
This is the 'Slinky Tank Top'.
Back View - Diagonal Hemmed Cardigan
¾ Length Sleeve with 4” of shirring in the center of the
sleeve
Close-up of the shawl style of collar
Hemming was easy!
Since this sheer net fabric wouldn’t ravel or fray, I left the cut hem edges
untreated. This again is something I
wouldn’t generally think of doing, but numerous tests including clean
finishing, zigzagged edge, serged edge and the rolled edge all proved
unsuitable for this sheer netting that had many diagonal edges. All of these techniques simply pulled the
edge out of shape. Thank goodness my
friend sent lots of yardage – I needed it for these tests.
Here’s what Style #4 from Beyond Bodice Basics looks like
minus the sleeves. Fabric choice sure
makes an impact as we all know.
