mini bloomer project [step two]

"it's just fabric. you get to tell it what to do!" ~rachel rector

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colette patterns knickers project continues! while the other pdx ladies garden clubers were on the back deck nurturing seedlings, i was hard at work in rachel's sewing room [re]familiarizing myself with her machine after a nearly twenty year hiatus from needle crafting of any kind. thankfully, rachel is both an enthusiastic and very patient teacher!

here's what i accomplished:

step one: 

• pin the pattern to the fabric, right sides together making sure the grainline arrow is parallel to the selvedge.
• cut out the pattern using a sharp pair of sewing scissors. rachel's are gingher, just like my grandma alice always used!

after a few practice runs both straight stitching and zigzagging on scrap fabric, i was set to go on to the next step:

step two: 

• with right sides pinned together, sew seams of both the front and back panels. 
• once sewn, i had to cut back the 5/8 seam allowance and iron them flat, so that i could then zigzag and finish them to prevent raveling. 

• with right sides together, i then stitched the front and back panels together at the crotch seam. 
• this is the tricky part. you have to be really precise when you match up a seam like this, or it will come out seriously wonky. i thought i had it spot on, but turns out it was just enough off once i finished stitching, that i had to use a seam ripper to remove what i'd done and start over.

on the second pass, the crotch seam was a lot better than the first go-round, but still not 100% perfect. but one of the biggest lessons i learned was to remember it's just fabric, and we have the power to control how we want it to move and where it goes in the machine. also: you will make mistakes! it's ok, you can always rip a seam out and start over.

i'm a self-professed perfectionist. but i have to try to remember: no one, or thing, is perfect. not even these mini bloomers!

next up: finishing the rest of the seams, and casings for the elastic and ribbon!