Fabric choices are important

"Say No to A Saggy Bottom"

I felt like coloring outside the lines when I chose my fabric for the Meringue skirt muslin. I had just purchased some cute navy polka dot fabric and felt desperate to use it. What's the problem? Well the fabric had a lot of drape, exactly what the pattern does not call for. But I was up for the challenge. The fabric didn't set me back much so if it didn't work, at least I learned a lesson in fabric choice. If it did, I had a cute wearable muslin.

Constructing the skirt wasn't where I experienced my biggest hiccup. It was while I attached the hem facing. The fabric was flimsy so it was hard to keep it taut and straight enough to stitch. It took three tries to get it right! A bit frustrating when you're so close to being done and all you want to do is admire your handy work. The hem facing moved so easily I kept attaching it much too high onto the skirt. The first attempt lead to a saggy bottom, causing the scallops to lose shape. Same happened after my second attempt. After some tugging and calling in some patience I got the hem facing lined and stitched perfectly. So persistence paid off. No saggy bottoms here. Just crisp scallops.

I'm sure someone with more experience could have sailed through this saggy bottom issue but as a beginner it took me longer to figure out the obvious. If I had to do it again I would interface the hem to give it the body that it needed. Or I would just follow directions and use something stiffer, like cotton :)