I solved my yucky neckline finish but caused another mishap in the same garment. It is not completed yet so be not afraid; there’s potential for more (insert sarcastic emoji here).

First mishap mend: tackle the neckline slit puckers.

There were some options here. It just came down to how much time I wanted to spend on camouflaging the puckers. Picking your battles and all that….

Option 1:

I mulled on a velvet flower appliqué or other doodad on the puckers; actually there was a flower pattern included in the pattern envelope! I pulled out coordinating silk velvet (leftover from an old project) and silky rayon twill (meant for lining) which would have worked. This option needed careful work; in the end, I decided that the weight of the velvet may pull down on the sheer, lightweight fabric.

Option 2 (preferred choice):

Then, I pulled out some lengths of lacy crotchet edging; this was the easiest and most straightforward option for the very sheer and VERY synthetic fabric. It was a gift from my dear friend who loved the fresh, daffodil print — I, too, love the print. I might have spent more time “mulling” if this was, say, a silk chiffon or georgette or another natural fiber. But I chose the path of least resistance and sewed on the lacy edging you are seeing. Again, pick your battles.

The other mishap — in the same garment — was entirely due to the very synthetic nature of the fabric!

I conscientiously used a press cloth through the entire process to avoid scorching and melting. Until the point of the iron erroneously hit the fabric directly. Bad iron. Of course the fabric melted in spots on the back side shoulder.

Normally, I would have wadded the whole thing but I did not. To solve the scorch issue, I used a scrap to match the flower print in that area and just hand sewed a patch — so there’s a visible seam in a weird place and that is OKAY. Probably very few nosy people will notice.

I will thank you to send good vibes this way so this tunic can be finished without further mishaps. Then, I am moving on — ever get that feeling?

See you soon in this space 🙂

Samina