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how do I sew a ribbon to a dress? (Moderated by EleanorSews)
Posted on: 5/14/10 7:30 PM ET
... Still sewing my three-year old daughter's dress!! I sewed the ribbon (width 1-1/2'') along the hemmed edge of the skirt (satin fabric). It does not look that good because the ribbon is fine but the satin fabric underneath is a little wrinkled. I'm afraid that if I use the sewing machine to sew the upper edge of the ribbon, something similar will happen. I was thinking about sewing it by hand but I guess that's gonna take for ever. Should I adjust the thread tension in my machine? How do I properly sew I straight-shape ribbon to a round edge as the one of the skirt of my dress? So difficult to explain the problem!!!
Thanks for your knowledgeable advice?
Thanks for your knowledgeable advice?
Posted on: 5/14/10 9:30 PM ET
Unless the curve of the hem is very gradual, you'll find it difficult to sew the ribbon around it and have it all look perfectly smooth. Ribbons, or any other strips of fabric cut on a straight grain, will not curve overly well. Even with a narrow ribbon, the circumference of the curve will be bigger at the bottom of the ribbon than at the top, so you are going to get wrinkled bits. Some times with much pinning and careful easing it will look fine once you give it all a good iron. No one should be looking that closely at your childs hem anyway.
Next time try making strips of bias cut fabric for your ribbon as this will curve and sit much neater.
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Next time try making strips of bias cut fabric for your ribbon as this will curve and sit much neater.
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Sew Much Fabric, Sew Little Time
Board Moderator
Member since 7/1/08
Posts: 5331
Member since 7/1/08
Posts: 5331
Massachusetts USA
Skill: Advanced
Skill: Advanced
Posted on: 5/14/10 10:08 PM ET
I agree it's hard to sew ribbon onto any curved shapes. Ribbon is not on bias and does not curve well. You're better off doing a bias strip of fabric.
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Sewing: A creative mess is better than tidy idleness. ~Author Unknown
Posted on: 5/15/10 7:38 PM ET
This might require going back a step or two, but I wonder if it would work to use ribbon that was gathered down the middle into kind of a double ruffle...any wrinkles that showed up that way would look like they were just part of the ruffling that's supposed to be there anyway.
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