Slapdash and Stashoholism Confessional

I gushed about the combination underlining/faux Hong Kong finish on my Simplicity 2827 '50s dress. However, nothing gets by my amazing readers!!!!

CJ asks:
I have a "slapdash" question. I love interior finishes like this, but how did you take the side seams in 1.5 inches after you did the underlining? Did you tear the whole thing apart after sewing it, and then re-underline it? Or did you test fit by basting the fabric before you sewed the underlining in? Or do you just have almost 2 inch seam allowances at the sides? It's alterations like this that always make me afraid of doing a nice interior finish. Thanks!

Ha! You totally caught me! Actually, Elizabeth did too over email. You all are too smart! You know I don't usually muslin but just adjust as I go, so it definitely is a danger if I've done a nice seam finish before construction that I will have nicely finished but unattractively enormous seam allowances.

In this instance, it actually worked out OK, just by happenstance. Because the bodice has a cut-on sleeve, the side seam kind of morphs into the sleeve's seam allowance. The pattern was drafted with much longer sleeves--low bicep or thereabouts--which just did not look modern or attractive. I shortened them considerably, when meant essentially eliminating the bend at the underarm. Because of that, I was able to fold up that extra side seam allowance into the hand hem (catching in only the underlining for a completely invisible hem on the outside) of the sleeve and it is not noticeable or unduly attractive that I have extra seam allowance in there. There have certainly been times I've not been so lucky! And just to answer your next question, I did not do the lower hem by hand! It is over 100 inches wide, are you crazy?!?! I used my machine blind hem.

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I finally made it out to G Street Fabrics' new Rockville, MD location at 5520 Randolph Road. They used to be sort of catty-corner to the metro, but moved to a new spot further away. I had been meaning to get out there and make sure it is still walkable.

Bottom Line: I still consider it walkable, but it will be a 20-30 minute walk, depending on your speed.

Short directions:
Exit White Flint Metro and make a 180 degree turn to turn around.
Right on Old Georgetown.
Left on Nebel.
Left into Montrose Plaza.

Long directions with details and landmarks:
Come out of the White Flint Metro stop and make a 180 degree turn (turn around to face the opposite direction you got off the escalators).
Walk along Rockville Pike, the large main road that will now be running along your left side.
Make a right at the first street you come to, which is Old Georgetown Road. You will walk a fair distance on Old Georgetown (my random guess is a little under half a mile) down a hill, passing large apartment/condo complexes on your left. The road curves to the left at the Harris Teeter grocery store; stay on it. Old Georgetown dead ends at Nebel Street.
Make a left on Nebel and walk about 4 blocks through a complex of warehouse and retail space. On the way, you will pass Accents Beads on your left. If you have any interest in beads or jewelry you should try to fit in a visit.

Finally, you will come to a large traditional (as opposed to warehouse-y) shopping center on your left. It's called Montrose Plaza. You can't see the G Street at first, but you will see a Gold's Gym. Make a left into the shopping center and G Street will be on your left.

The store is slightly smaller than the old location, but it is definitely not tiny or cramped, and it does not appear that they reduced the breadth of the stock. I went because I was desperate for zippers, but I just *had* to cruise past the $2.97/yd table (hey, it was near the bathroom!). I found the knit print above, and couldn't pass it up. Love hot pink, love graphic prints, it is all me.


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I have plans to make several solid colored straight or pencil line skirts using the stretch wovens I got from Kashi when I went to NYC last month. I have finally come to acknowledge that you really need a slippery lining in a skirt--whether separate skirt or skirt half of dress--because if you ever wear tights with it a cotton-y interior with catch the tights and look horrible while you walk. However, I am planning to make the skirts snug to take advantage of the stretch, so I need silky stretch woven linings.

I checked out the usual suspects, Fabric.com and Fabric Mart. Neither had any kind of stretch woven lining, or silky wovens with lycra that are not officially lining but could work as such. Crazy! So I went to Fashion Fabrics Club, which not only had some great poly/lycra prints (when did I ever think I'd say that?) but also a wide color spectrum of stretch lining. I ordered the two prints above and 6 yards of a light colored stretch lining.

After a long delivery saga, imagine my dismay when the solid colored lining turned out not to have any stretch! It is listed as 2% lycra, which I know is not much, but it is seriously the most stable silky polyester I have seen. Ugh. I am negotiating with them now on the return--I do NOT think I should have to pay return shipping for a fabric that was misdescribed on the website and therefore useless to me when I received it. I really wish Fabric.com had something that would work! Fabric Mart now has a cool gray-tone Pucci-esque poly/lycra print, but I really need a solid, light color to use under non-opaque fabrics. Grrr. However, I think I have enough of the two prints above to line my skirts, and I'll be on the lookout at PR Weekend.