lettuce edging anyone?
Ever have one of those t-shirts that you love, but just don't seem to wear to often? Maybe the hem has fallen down a little, maybe the neckline is too tight, that sort of thing. This band's show t-shirt had been sitting in my 'to be mended' drawer for a couple months. This weekend it was time to do something about it.
When my mum upgraded her sewing machine many years back she gave me her old one (she's since upgraded a few times, but I haven't been the lucky recipient again). When she handed it over, she said something to the effect of "I did SO much lettuce edging for your t-shirts on this machine when you were little, that it's fitting that the machine should be yours. This machine WANTS to be with you to thank you for all the work it got." Fine by me! So when I set out to fix up my shirt this weekend, it also seemed fitting that I should add some lettuce edging. I've had the machine for 15 years and hadn't edged anything with it at all.
I couldn't find too many lettuce edging tutorials out there, so here's mine in 6 super easy steps.
1. Grab a shirt to play with (maybe try it on a practice t-shirt first - I won't be responsible if it all goes horribly wrong)
2. Snip off the edge (or you can unpick the hem, that just takes longer)
3. Set your sewing machine to a zig zag stitch.
4. Sew along the raw edge of the shirt, stretching the fabric as you go.
5. Take it out of the machine, stretch it a little more with your fingers, and TA DA! Lettuce Edges!
6. Wear it out and feel that 1970's girlie vibe!
That made me freak out with happiness! Now I know just what to do with that 1980 snowmobile championship t-shirt!
Posted by: Adrian | August 24, 2004 at 09:40
Wow, it looks great when you do it. It totally failed on my tshirt though. Could you give a bit more information, like the stitch width and length you used? Did you do something with the thread tension? Does it look better after washing, or does yours look that good right away?
Posted by: caffeinebump | May 05, 2006 at 20:26
I just tried this and it works pretty good!! THANKS!!!
Posted by: Leigh | July 02, 2006 at 02:36
hi
you can also do this with a rolled hem foot that comes with your sewing machine.
Posted by: karen | July 27, 2006 at 11:25
Beautiful site
;)
Posted by: Boleslava | July 15, 2007 at 09:12
Very doll!
;)
Posted by: Baltazar | July 21, 2007 at 17:23
You guys do a wonderful job! Keep up the good work!!!
Posted by: Mieczyslaw | October 22, 2007 at 23:51
Couldn't you do this with a serger too? (if you stretched while sewed)
Posted by: Casey | June 18, 2008 at 13:26