It's a tuck lace, same fabric type as in the Moonstone Sweater but a new stitch pattern that I'm very excited about! Though I was happy, in general, with the way Moonstone Sweater turned out, I wanted to learn another way to do the seams with openwork fabric, something that was possible on a sewing machine. And that is the reason this hat gets a mid project post!
Here are the best of my various sewing experiments and why I rejected them (so I remember next time!)
The yellow one on the bottom is my current favorite sewing machine seam, which I'm calling a covered seam. Though I love it for more substantial fabrics, even if I were to use a binding that was an exact match in color, the seam is much, much too heavy for an openwork fabric.
The blue one in the middle is a standard 4-thread overlock seam, which I've used many times. In fact, that's a practice scrap from the Blue Moon Renfrew. Eventually, I upped the differential feel to get a flatter seam on that one.
The top example, seen from the right side, is similar to what I decided to use for the hat. The seams were sewn with a regular sewing machine set for a very narrow zigzag. The seam allowances were steamed open and then topstitched with a stretch stitch. The one on the left was topstitched separately on each seam allowance. The one on the right was topstitched down the center. The stitches blend in with the fabric. You wouldn't be able to see the stitches, if I'd been using white thread.
What I (re)learned is that, of course, there isn't a way to hide seams when sewing openwork or lacy or sheer fabrics. It's best to make sure the seams work with the design of the garment or accessory. In the end, I didn't use any of the above. I did use a topstitched flat seam but with a 3-step zigzag for the topstitching.
Here's a peek at the hat so far, looking somewhat like a sea slug in this shot.
Modeled pics are coming soon. It's just a few minutes a way from finished!
O!
I'm new to sewing and am really enjoying your blog. I also love your fabrics! I hope one day to be able to sew a sweater. Maybe I'll start small with a hat, but I think I'll use less fancy material to begin. :-) Thanks for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteMara, thanks so much and I'm glad you're enjoying the blog. A hat is a good first project when working with sweater knits. All the best with your sewing!
Delete