I consider myself a quilter mostly because I prefer sewing in two dimensions. Other than dabbling in children’s clothes, which are basically flat because kids don’t have curves, I am really quite terrified of sewing clothing. I also have good reason; just about every garment I’ve tried to construct for myself has turned out lumpy here or gappy there, with laughably uneven hems or shoulders that look like something out of 1992 Star Trek reruns.
So naturally, I decided last week that quilting with Nani Iro double gauze (my favorite fabric under the sun) just wasn’t challenging enough. Straight lines and flat surfaces, at $22/yd? CHILD’S PLAY. Sure, double gauze is so soft and delicate, what with being sourced from the discarded free-range gossamer of baby angel wings, that it just slips around under my pressure foot, eventually disintegrating into the air like harp music. So why not attempt something hardy and wearable like the Wiksten Tova? With my mad sewing skillz, how about a placket and an inset and set-in sleeves and a collar? WHAT COULD GO WRONG?
A: A lot. But miraculously, nothing really did.
BEHOLD:
I’m not going to say it wasn’t challenging. The double gauze did start to unravel as I was pinning and pulling my gathering stitches, and it also didn’t do particularly well with the inset corners. If you look closely (PLEASE DON’T LOOK CLOSELY), you’ll probably notice my “corners” are a bit more rounded than they should be, and that’s because of the fraying. (Truth be told, this was my first attempt at an inset seam using the double gauze, so let’s attribute some of this to operator error as well.) I think that if I were to try this pattern again with double gauze, I would definitely serge/zigzag some of the edges before sewing the seams, just to make them a bit more durable when I’m manipulating the fabric.
But look! A garment I made! That’s pretty! And it’s soft and comfy and completely wearable and isn’t sticking out in weird places! I feel like a million bucks!
If you haven’t attempted the Tova yet (which is probably unlikely), you must. It’s a great pattern, very clearly written and easy to understand with lovely pictures. Get it now. Overall, the double gauze was a bit of a challenge for this pattern, but I’ve ended up with a top that is perfectly lightweight for hot Colorado summers and drapes beautifully. Score!
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