Christine Sews

This Kameez style blouse is worn by a very petite woman.  The sleeves were too long.  And she is not comfortable sewing with this sheer fabric.

The design of the blouse has what I would typically think of as the outer fashion fabric on the inside, with a sheer fabric overlay.  The sleeves are made of the same sheer, synthetic fabric, with heavy embroidery and sequin trim.

To maintain the design and keep the trim I removed one inch of fabric above the trim and a few of the embroidery motifs, moving the trim upward.  I reattached it with a straight stitch.

Then I trimmed it a little and folded it open, pressing on a very low heat.  And then sew again over the joined fabric with a narrow zig-zag, creating a felled style seam.  It looks natural on the finished garment.  (First photo.)

Sewing Tips and Notes:

•  When working with embroidered garments, plan carefully where to cut and how much embroidery will need to be moved, or removed.
• Press synthetics on very low heat, or not at all.
• Do not cut or sew too close to sequins or they will snag, jam the sewing machine, or fall off.
• Tension may need adjusting to accommodate special fabrics.
• Use a brand new needle to avoid snags and pulls.
• Sew as straight and perfectly as you can. When you are finished, step back and see how it looks.  If you use a machine, this sort of alteration will not line up exactly if you examine it up close.  You’re looking for it to blend in with the design.  If it must be perfect and invisible, do it by hand.

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