You could practically sweep the dust bunnies out of here; it has been too quiet in this blog space. I know everyone is busy and life is crazy for many, but................. life around here feels like it is flying by at warp speed. I seem to say that a lot don't I? A friend and I often make snarky remarks about people who post the SAME THING on Facebook every.day.of.their.life! I seem to be of the same ilk, I complain about the busyness around here all the time it seems. Must get a handle on that. Or hush about it. Which ever comes first. I am stitching, I just don't have something to show for it yet.
So on to a new year. As promised, when I posted the kids Christmas outfits
here, I will address the piped back yoke on Master Hank's romper.
Have you ever tripped in the parking lot in front of all your friends or co-workers? You quickly look around to see if anyone saw you and then try to nonchalantly stroll to the car. Never mind that your face is burning bright after you tried your Dick Van Dyke trick of tripping over your own feet. Well that is what this is all about.
As I had shared with you, I had
reduced the number of smocked rows I used from the original smocking design. This caused a needed change in the depth of the front yoke. I don't know about you, but I stink at math! I am a visual person, so the math part stumps me every time. After much "cipherin" I altered the depth of the front yoke successfully. I KNEW that it meant I would have to change the depth of the back yokes as well. I lined them up several times before I cut it out. Several. I was positive I had it right this time.
WRONG! The back yoke was an inch and a half too short. It couldn't have been too long. That would have been too easy. Add to that, we are talking about $26 a yard fabric, two weeks before Christmas. This couldn't be scrapped and started over. Nor did I have enough fabric to re-do. We won't even discuss the fact that the collar was already on it when I discovered the glitch. I wasn't re-doing that either. What is that saying about necessity and invention? Well it came to my rescue.
I thought there has to be some way to add to this back yoke that would be acceptable. Finally after much swearing and fretting it came to me. Piping!
I decided to pipe the section I added to make it look intentional. And as the angels would have it, it was just the right width to put the button on to make it look like a little faux belt. Whew! Saved from myself.
Here is the inside of the yoke. I just cut a strip on the fold the width of the yoke bottom, piped both the top and bottom edges and then attached the romper bottom as usual.
I have to say, after all was said and done, I really like the way the back looks. It gives more visual interest to the back besides just the red buttons. I may do this again, on purpose this time.
Moral of the story: check your pieces before you try to sew them together and know that there is always a way out of almost every predicament.
