Well, the reel of "Stay Tape" arrived, along with other bits I'd ordered at the same time. I'd since had a reply from the Wrapalong lady telling me which Vilene product best matched my needs. I'd found an enormous roll of that online (rarer than I expected) and, in the expectation of all the future jersey dresses and tops I was going to make, I'd ordered that. It'll be here in a couple of days.
While I had been waiting for the originally ordered small roll, I had re-traced my pattern, using the top and part of the skirt from the original tissue version. I checked the front and back had the same curves etc, and then I committed them to tailors card.
When the stay tape arrived, I had run out of excuses, so I cleared the kitchen table and attempted to lay out my pattern pieces. I had trouble finding the grainline. The jerseyish fabric was curling a bit, so that didn't help. I also discovered that the selvedge was a bit weird. It wasn't consistent.
I googled and read posts and watched a video or two, and then attempted to find the grain by stretch. I mostly managed it, although I guess I won't know until the top is made whether I got it right or not. I laid the pattern pieces out, and had to have a break while I considered the implication of one of them. The original pattern had a lined top, and so required 4 front pieces to be cut out. Because the fabric is folded, it was 2 pairs, with 1 pair using the pattern reversed. I'm not lining my top, and I suddenly couldn't decide whether this meant I needed to just cut out one pair, or whether I needed to cut out a single one way and a single reversed. It must be just a pair, surely?
I ended up doing a mock up with paper, and it seems that my assumption is right. I guess I'll find out shortly.
Anyway. Eventually, I had cut out the front and back. I'm not having full length sleevies, so I cut out fabric a bit longer than I think I need, I can adjust before I go ahead. I'd used clover wonder clips to keep the pieces attached to the card templates, in an attempt to stop the edges curling. I'd had enough by this point, so I didn't cut out the ties, nor the binding for the neck.
This morning, I found myself wanting to make my duvet cover, or to watch some sewing videos which arrived yesterday. Anything, in fact, which didn't involve doing the wrap top. I know what I'm like, and I know that I'm really just afraid that I'll make it and it won't be right, and I'll be disillusioned.
So, I gave myself a mental slap, and prepared myself to get on with it. I read the instructions. Step 1. Put on the knit stay tape. I marked on my card templates where I needed to tape. Put it rough side down, and press with an iron, don't move back and forwards. Yep, I can do that.
I would normally use my ironing press but I decided to start with an iron and a board downstairs. I got the reel of tape out of it's packet, carefully wrote "stay tape" on the cardboard core so that I could tell it apart from all the other tapes (they all look surprisingly similar when they're out of the packaging), and started to unroll it.
It had a sort of clear clingfilmy thing around it, which I had trouble removing. I then realised that it wasn't clear clingfilmy stuff to keep it clean, it was the tape itself.
So, after all that, I have to wait for the other stuff to arrive.
True to my naturally contrary nature, I was feeling a bit let down.
