Easter Dress 2010~Complications

I really had expected to have Laurel’s dress finished by this afternoon.  But, as so often happens, complications have arisen.  The placement of the fancyband was too high.  It just hurt my eyes. 

Frankly, I gave serious through to calling Mildred Turner or Judy Day for advice and inspiration, but even such true and faithful friends as they are deserve more respect than a 2:30 a.m. phone call that really could wait.  I could finish off the sleeves and think about it while I worked.  Instead, I just thought about it,  evaluating different techniques and strategies to fix this.

Finally, I had a plan. I decided to add another row of insertion 1 1/2″ above and below the band.  The insertion is a scant 1/2″ wide but with the  hemstitching and placement 1 1/2″ away would make the band wider.  It also would reduce the gap between the band and hemline, both visually and actually.  But that alone was not enough.  I had to eliminate some of the fabric below that band.  I set to work.

I pulled a thread 1 1/2″ below the hemstitching of the fancyband and then 3″ below that.  Every 6 ” a vertical line was drawn.  The insertion footing lace was straight stitched, through the tiny header, to the first pulled thread closest to the fancyband.  Then the fabric was cut away, 1/2″ below the lace and pressed up, away from the lace.

This left a loop of skirt.  The upper skirt and the lower piece were pinned together, matching the marked lines.  The lace insertion was then straight stitched to the pulled thread in the lower skirt, 3″ further down, then pressed away from the lace.  It will be pinstitched in place.

To make up for the reduced skirt length, three pieces of lace, stitched together, will be joined to the hemline.  The skirt will be 1″ shorter than planned, but that initial measurement was very generous.

This is probably too tedious for anyone to read.  But at least, the process is recorded for my own use if I make this same mistake again.  Actually, I think I like the skirt better this way than as originally planned.  So often, the fix is an improvement.  I hope that is the case with this dress.