More From August 2002


On the Double

Barbara Weiland

• Cut the front and back pattern pieces from each fabric, eliminating the facings. Staystitch the necklines and armholes of each piece.
  
  
• Stitch the shoulder seams of each garment and press the seams open. Trim the allowances on one garment to3/8". Or finish the seam allowances with serging and press one toward the jumper back and the other toward the jumper front so the seams will nestle into each other without causing a shoulder lump.
  
  
• With right sides together, stitch the jumpers together at the neckline, trim the seam allowance to 1/4" and clip the curves (1). Turn right side out and press, making sure that neither layer shows on the opposite side. Note: First pressing the neckline seam open on a pressing ham ensures that the edges will turn smoothly along the stitching line for a clean finish.
  
  

• Working on a large flat surface and with wrong sides together, smooth the two front layers together and the two back layers together, anchoring to the surface if necessary. Trim the armhole raw edges to match exactly. This is essential to eliminate pulls in the finished garment.
  
  
• With the jumpers right sides together again, stitch the armholes (2). Trim the seams to 1/4", clip the curves and press each seam open as far as possible. Turn right side out by pulling the backs through the shoulders. Press, making sure neither fabric rolls to the other side at the finished armhole edges.
  
  
• With right sides together, stitch one continuous seam at the center back, matching the neckline seams. Serge- or zigzag-finish the edges together and press the seam to one side.
  
  

• Repeat for the side seams, matching the underarm seams, and press towards the back.
  
  
• Edgestitch the neckline. Topstitch ¼"from the first stitching if desired (3). Edgestitch (and topstitch) the armholes.
  
  

• Allow the completed jumper to hang at least overnight, then try on and have someone mark the hem on one dress layer. Hem the layer with a narrow machine rolled hem for an almost invisible, clean finish. On knit fabric use a narrow double-needle or cover-stitched hem.
  
  
• Try on again and have someone place a row of pins on the un-hemmed jumper using the hemmed jumper lower edge as a guide. Complete the hem on the second layer the same as the first. This is the only way to ensure that both layers are hemmed the same length.
  
  
• Use matching thread and make French tacks to hold the two layers together at each hemline side seam (4).
  
  

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