Friday, July 8, 2011

Friday Confession



Okay, this one is embarrassing - it falls squarely in the "I know better, but..." category.


I'm afraid I'm a bit lax with my neck facings - I rarely understitch and I never tack them down at the shoulder seams. :(


So, how about you? Do you understitch? Do you tack? Do you take it as far as the photo above from St. Gemma's Art and Needlework blog and actually handstitch all the way around the facing?


Go ahead - I'm braced for the scoldings... ;)

12 comments:

Sarah E. said...

I usually just machine "stitch in the ditch" at the shoulders because I don't want the neck facing to flip out. I usually try to get away with as little handsewing as possible so I would never handsew all the way around:)

Julia said...

I don't like neck facings or arm facings either for that matter. If possible I line the bodice section of the garment. That way you don't have to worry with facings. Or, if possible I do a bias binding around the neck and arms. It just depends on what I'm making, but if I was going to use a facing, I would definitely tack it down and do the understitching, too.

mamafitz said...

the times i do use facings i always understitch and always tack. don't catchstitch all around.

usually i try and skip the facings and either line (understitch the lining!) or bias binding.

CarlaF-in Atlanta said...

What timing. I'm getting ready to make McCall's 2618 dress which has a facing. I will be understitching and tacking but not all the way around. That's too much. I never thought about not understitching because I would be pretty miffed if the facing rolled out.

Nancy Winningham said...

I usually do understitch, just because it really does work. Hwever, I don't go that far! Actually, I just started understitching knits with a 3 step zig zag after reading about it with a CJ pattern.

katherine h said...

Hey, we all have steps we hate, no scolding here!

I understitch. I only tack if it flips out. Like some of the other commenters, I avoid facings where I can and use bindings or linings.

debbie said...

I avoid facings if at all possible opting for a bias strip or lining the bodice, which I would understitch. I stitch in the ditch, with tiny stitches, on the shoulder seam rather than hand tacking it down.

gwensews said...

No scolding here either. It seems facings have had a bad wrap lately. They have been replaced by bindings, which are good in their own right. But facings have been around a long time and done correctly, and UNDERSTITCHED, lay perfectly well, and make a beautifully finished edge. Yes, I always understitch.

Faye Lewis said...

I ALWAYS understitch, and ALWAYS tack down. It just makes facings easier to manage.

patsijean said...

I under stitch and I tack or "stitch in the ditch.

Becky said...

When I do have neck facings, I always understitch--it lays so much nicer. And I often tack as well, because it drives me nuts when the facings hang outside my clothes! When I'm making knit tops, though, I'll often try to find a way to work around the neck facings, i.e. bind the neckline with a strip of fabric instead. I've always thought that was kind of a dumb feature for knitwear patterns.

Summerset said...

I don't always do facings - I prefer full linings or bias binding. When I do facings, I understitch as far as possible. Whether I stitch in the ditch or hand tack at the shoulders depends on the garment, if it is quick and trendy, then I stitch in the ditch.