I’m craving a tanktop out of my leftover patterned jersey from my first Frankie Tee. Behold this wonderful free pattern from Itch to Stitch with amazing instructions. Just one problem (that has now multiplied into several problems): not enough fabric.
What is one to do?
Well, being so patterned, I figured a few extra seams along the back of this fabric wouldn’t look overwhelmingly stupid, specifically along the waist and down the middle between the shoulders. That’s pretty much the only way I’d be able to cut out the entire back piece.
Off we go! As I carefully make sure to add a seam allowance at the extra seams I’ll have to sew, I’m feeling pretty good.
Until I realize after cutting that I’ve ended up with two identical shoulder pieces rather than mirror images.
When You Think It’s Unsalvageable…
I’m learning that’s the beauty of sewing: very rarely is something unsalvageable as long as you’re willing to adapt your vision to account for whatever mistake you’ve made, and put in a little extra time to make it work. And then be willing to try the whole project again to accomplish your original idea, learning from your mistakes.
So, how can I possibly salvage this? I literally do not have enough fabric to try to cut out a mirrored shoulder piece. Adding more seams is just going to look ridiculous.
My solution: a trip to the fabric store. Check out the remnant bins for some jersey fabric. I don’t need a lot, and a solid color would look completely fine as the back piece; either white or blue, or even something else if I wanted to embrace some funky pop of color. Depends what I can find.
You can fix this.
Maybe you’ve run into a similar situation and you’re a little psyched out: “Can I try this? Is that wrong?”
Who’s to say if what you want to try is wrong or not? If it works, then it isn’t wrong. And you won’t know if it works until you try. Sewing is just all about trying things and seeing what you end up with. The only wrong thing you can really do in sewing is give up.
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