Well, Low and behold, I got a lesson in ribbing today. (Ribbing is the stuff around the edges of T-shirts and sweatshirts that make the opening "hug" the body by being really stretchy. (Here's a sample of some that I have, but it doesn't match color wise what I am working on)
First thing I learned... They no longer make ribbing tape like they used to. When my mom was sewing, way back in the day :0), the T-shirts were not as cheap at Walmart as they are now. Apparently as T-shirts became cheaper, less people needed ribbing for sewing projects so they no longer make a ribbing bias tape. Either that or just can't find it. So instead nowadays, you got to make it yourself... using material off a bolt and folding it like bias tape. Then you got to stretch some parts of it but not others as you are maneuver it around the neck opening so that it will lay flat when worn. Pain in the butt!!!!! (If this last paragraph doesn't make much sense to you, don't worry, working with ribbing doesn't make much sense to me either...)
Here is the problem though. No one told me I could make the ribbing myself until after I was home from the fabric store with no fabric in which to make it.... Ugh!!! So you know what I did? I bought a clearance rib tank top at Michael's while I was there to get the material I needed and am just going to cut up the shirt rather than drive all the way back up to Joann Fabrics. Think it will work??? We shall see.
Okay, I am done with my rant about ribbing. I am off to make my first attempt. I'll let you know how it worked out when I am done.
9 comments:
huh?
There, I added some information hopefully it makes a lot more sense now.
yes, yes it does. good luck with that.
here's a song for you and me meagan: "i think we're alone now, there doesn't seem to be anyone around". what do you think? appropriate?
You know, that is a great song, but unfortnately I wish it wasn't true. It was a lot of fun to have everyone contributing. Oh well, business of life I guess.
LOL!!! Yes, you have been quite alone. I will post tomorrow though. Today was the first day I have even logged onto this site in over 5 days!! Shocking, I know. I will have something, though quite small, to report after tonight though.
awwww... that's so sad. i could post but i don't think you guys would be interested. all we've been doing is packing up the house and i'm trying to deal with not having caleb. it's been a week and i don't know how i will live without him for 5 more weeks. and what's worse is that there was confusion with my work schedule which led to some shifting of assignments and now i will probably be travelling somewhere the week after we get caleb back. so i will see him for 2 days then go away. but atleast it is only for one week. previously, i was scheduled to be gone for two weeks. anyways, i've been thinking about starting some other project once we settled in because i have zero motivation to make the second glove. i was thinking a sweater for caleb using bulky weight yarn so that it will be a quick project.
it occured to me: i was watching sewing with nancy once and she was putting a neck on a shirt out of ribbing and she said that a double needle will keep the ribbing from stretching while you sew. i went out and bought a double needle but i haven't used it so i don't know if this actually works from personal experience. but come on it's nancy zeiman! she knows what she's talking about!
But her is the thing... I think it NEEDS to be stretched so that it works to go around the neckline. But the double needle does make sence for making it more secure. Maybe I will just mail the project to you and you can do it with your double needle... hehehe. Just kidding.
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