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From: Melanie T
Date: 05-02-2006, 03:00 PM (1 of 3)
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My boys have big heads, but even so, some of the ribbing on ready to wear clothing is riduclously tight. This morning I replaced the ribbing on several nice (obvioulsy never used, wonder why?) shirts that were given to me. The boys picked out the ribbing they wanted from my stash and are thrilled with their new shirts. I used a straight edge razor blade to cut the stitches between the ribbing and shirt fabric after reading Katherine Spike's book about how professionals never use seam rippers. It went very fast compared to normal, in fact that tip was why I even dared to tackle the project. I then cut 1/4" deeper into the neckline of the shirt. I measured the cut off ribbing and made the new ribbing the same width for each shirt and and 1" or 2 longer, depending on the stretch. I simply serged the new necklines on and that was it. Done and easy. 
Melanie
4 little sewing machine mechanics (6, 4, 2, Born June 14) Ontario Canada |
User: Melanie T
Member since: 09-21-2004 Total posts: 155 |
From: Sancin
Date: 05-02-2006, 04:36 PM (2 of 3)
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Melanie -I had never heard that about not using seam rippers - I guess I will never be a professional - I use them but replace them very frequently and some are better than others. I also use surgical suture blades when I can find them (retiring has limited my sources!). My children also had/have large heads as do I. I guess I was/am lazy. As children outgrow their clothes so quickly I didn't consider the time to replace the binding worth while. I did what I do to my own shirts and sweaters when a little tight. As the stitching around the binding is usually stretchy, I make tiny clips into the fabric every now and then around the circle. It gives more or less depending on how stretchy the fabric is initially and how tight the neck is. I only once have had anything run and I think it would have run anyway as it also ran up from the bottom. The only reason I now replace binding is if the binding is too high on the neck, which is a frequent problem for me.
*~*~*~* Nancy*~*~*~* " I try to take one day at a time - but sometimes several days attack me at once."
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User: Sancin
Member since: 02-13-2005 Total posts: 895 
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From: stephi
Date: 05-03-2006, 03:13 PM (3 of 3)
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Wow melanie, thats interesting. I hate when the neck of a shirt comes up and rubbes my neck in the front. I have very sensative skin and it will drive me nuts some times, but I just take scissors to them and cut straight down then finish the cut edge with a zigzag in a coordinating colour. I might have to try your way sometimes. Stephi Stop strangling me!! 
Stephi
"No body knows what it is that I do until I dont do it" "if you do what you have always done you will get what you have always gotten" |
User: stephi
Member since: 03-17-2006 Total posts: 361 
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