My Montreal trip, despite not being a sewing-centric voyage, turned out to be quite the sewing windfall. Not only did I come back with a beautiful satin, a stunning leopard print, and a funny fabric story, I think I may have also found the inspiration necessary to rescue my boring Swiss dot JJ blouse, which is still hanging unfinished on a hanger.
So I’m in my hotel room in Montreal, using the bathroom and flipping through one of those upscale magazines that are nothing but glossy advertisements for jewelry stores and restaurants in the area, probably called “Bon Vivant Montreal” or something cheesy like that. Oh what. What. So I was reading on the toilet. I was on vacation already, stop looking at me like that. Anyway, it was a fancy magazine, so that makes it classy. Sure, like you never do it. If they didn’t want you to do it, then they wouldn’t put fancy magazines in the bathroom. So obviously that’s what it’s there for. Hotel sanctioned toilet reading. Whatever. Anyway you can’t make me feel bad about it because if I hadn’t done it, I would never have stumbled upon this ad:
Yes, yes, yes! Is that black trim not exactly what I need to take my JJ from blah to badass?? Here’s a quick reminder of the JJ pattern, which I was currently rendering in white Swiss dot without the ruffles. To clarify, the pattern itself and design are not boring, just my version.
Incidentally, what sort of machine is she working on in that ad? I realize I grew up more in the computer era than the typewriter era, but I was under the impression that typewriters took individual sheets of paper, not long rolls of paper like an adding machine- did that thing she’s working on ever really exist, or is this an indication that some 20-something year old kid designed this ad based on his/her misconceptions of the technologies of the past? Whatever, let’s get a close-up of that blouse, ok?
Oh yes. Sassy, sassy, sassy, and since I haven’t sewn anything on my blouse except the princess, side, and shoulder seams so far, I don’t have to unstitch anything to get started on Plan B! (I’ll skip the trim on the shoulders.) I guess I’ll be putting a ruffle on after all!
I haven’t done much bias binding, but I get the impression that the usual Wrights packaged tape might be a little clunky for this. What would you recommend instead?
The Selfish Seamstress 
48 comments
Comments feed for this article
April 29, 2010 at 8:03 am
allison
I love making my own bias tape. I have the bias tape makers (from clover, not dritz) in a few sizes, but my most frequently used size is the 12mm (1/2″), the yellow one. It makes a nice petite 1/4″ doublefold tape which is great for binding–not too thick but not too skinny to handle. I’ve so far stuck with cottons to cut bias strips from, but something silky would be super swanky and awesome. Poly could be tricky ’cause you want the tape to press nicely, and silk charmeuse would be beautiful but possibly frustrating to work with. (I haven’t crossed that bridge yet!)
April 29, 2010 at 8:07 am
Wendy
Too funny! You’re a writer, right?
I love the contrast look. You’re right that Wright’s will be too stiff. You can make your own bias binding, or look for readymades online of softer fabric.
April 29, 2010 at 8:08 am
Grace L
Love it. I sort of like the shoulder trim though- not sure why, but I think it would look more adult with it than without. Though I guess the JJ shoulder seam falls right at the top of the shoulder, and you wouldn’t want to put the trim there.
April 29, 2010 at 8:11 am
Shelley
Wow – talk about timing! I just did this treatment on a dress, and I struggled with the same problem. I ended up making bias strips from a silk cotton poplin (from Fabric.com), which worked wonderfully. It was very lightweight and has just the slightest sheen to it, which was a fantastic contrast. Gorgeous blouse, btw….
April 29, 2010 at 8:12 am
Jan
Magazines + bathroom reading = a match made in heaven! Love the blouse. And as someone who learned to type on a typewriter (I still think of pianos when people talk about “keyboarding,”), you could type on anything if you could get it under the rollers. Let’s assume the model is at the end of her very long sheet of paper, since nothing is going into the typewriter’s rollers, just coming out. And since that machine looks a bit like an IBM Selectric, I’d like to know where’s the power cord and where is it plugged in? lol
April 29, 2010 at 8:15 am
Beangirl
I’d go with a silk lawn (or a blend). Silk organza might work too, but you’d have to wash it a couple of times to see if it was too stiff.
My vote on the Type-O-Add (TM) machine is that some 20-something ad designer/stylist/dingbat thought that this was “visually exciting”. Presumably they didn’t believe anyone would look at this for more than two seconds and so wouldn’t feel compelled to say “WTF??” Maybe they were hoping everyone would be sidetracked by that kick-ass blouse, which actually would be a point in their favor.
April 29, 2010 at 8:32 am
Adventures in Dressmaking
Wow, what a classy pic of that blouse, so pretty! Great inspiration.
April 29, 2010 at 8:33 am
Mariko
I don’t know if I have ever commented before. Hi! Anyway, a bias trim would be very cute on the swiss dot! I would suggest making your own bias tape out of a nice, lightweight silk or chiffon? Can’t wait to see the completed blouse! Oh, and I love swiss dot. I remember my mother made me a frilly dress out of swiss dot when I was in, um, 2nd grade? I think I’m wearing it in my school picture, even.
April 29, 2010 at 8:40 am
Whitney
I think the blouse will look stellar with bias binding! Reading the mag in the throne room was meant to be! Can’t wait to see the finished project. To me, the first thing I saw when I looked at the typewriter was toilet paper…fitting for the room the magazine was in. :)
April 29, 2010 at 8:47 am
Marie-Christine
Some early fax machines had single-roll paper like that. But really, I think your theory of the 20-year-old trying to look coll and retro is a much better theory. Fax machines didn’t look like typewriters. And this looks like my parent’s dog got to it, like he used to do to the tp when he was bored..
I do like this version of the blouse much better. There’s something so utterly boring about a plain white shirt that, even though both cheap and expensive fashion magazines have urged us to them pretty much non-stop since I started sewing nearly a half-century ago, I’ve never been able to bring myself to make one. Sigh.
Technically this is going to be a bitch though. This is much smaller than any commercial bias tape you’re going to find. And it can’t be stiff or your ruffles are going to boing out like something out of horror film. A soft quarter-inch ribbon folded over might do it?? How about a very lightweight soutache braid? A nice Sharpie :-)?
April 29, 2010 at 8:59 am
Peter
What you REALLY should use is typewriter ribbon (get it?). I’d find a dried up one though or put it through the wash a few times.
April 29, 2010 at 9:25 am
Tasia
I agree that it should be a softer fabric, like silk or cotton for binding.
I was going to suggest a rolled hem in black but then I remember you don’t have a serger. If you have access to one, it would be a quick’n’easy way to get the black trim effect without fussing with binding…but then again, binding will look more classy and professional, like you put more effort into it, ’cause you did. Great idea to fix the boring blouse problem! It will look way cooler and more interesting with black trim.
April 29, 2010 at 9:42 am
Toby Wollin
Yes, I think your supposition about the ‘want to be cool’ thing is correct, though radio/tv station teletype (where we used to get news through AP/UPI/Reuters) was basically an electronic typewriter on top of a big cabinet (which held the box of rolls or fanfolded paper, which was usually yellow). The paper went up through the typewriter through a slot in the back of the cabinet and out the top. The typewriter actually had a very loud noise (which actually some news orgs on tv still use as a sound effect) and a bell (like a bicycle bell) which signaled how urgent the news coming into the teletype was and there was a system of one bell meant this, two meant that, and so on up to five bells which I think was ‘the Second Coming’ or something of equal importance. But no – there was no standard (and that looks like a later, nonbusiness Smith Carona, actually) typewriter that took roll paper.
April 29, 2010 at 9:54 am
Noile
Toby’s basically right on the typewriter, but, of course, you COULD put a roll of paper around the platen, instead of single sheets. You just wouldn’t. That’s not a Selectric, though; it’s too small, and, as Jan noted, there’s no apparent power cord.
Call it dumb. Call it Mad Men, without the research. Call it a visual FAIL on all counts.
But the blouse? Oh, yes. Black silk, don’t you think? As thin as possible? It’ll be a pain to make, but the complete salvation of your dotted swiss.
April 29, 2010 at 10:09 am
Emory
You have plenty of good advice already about how to go about doing the binding, but I wanted to throw in a different type of suggestion… maybe instead of black trim, you could do a different dark color? Like dark purple? (I think I remember you saying your blouse fabric is actually super pale lavender instead of pure white.) That could be really cool and more interesting than just black. If it’s a really dark purple it would have the same effect as black.
April 29, 2010 at 10:10 am
Nancy Karpen
Black silk crepe de chine, black cotton or silk lawn or voile would be easier. Viking makes a nice binding foot in the size that you need. All you need to do is feed in 1″ wide bias strips and the foot will do it for you. I’d of course do some samples first. If you use silk for your bias strips you can spray it or dip in liquid starch to stiffen it and make it easier to use. Pre wash first and the stiffness will wash out.
April 29, 2010 at 10:23 am
Angela
Oo.. love that! I’ve seen so many ruffled tops with contrast bias binding and they’re so cutE! You’re will look fabulous! Hmm… sorry, but I dont know what you should use for the bias.
April 29, 2010 at 10:34 am
The Slapdash Sewist
Definitely make your own bias tape. i have a bias tape maker (the clover metal tool, not the fancy machine that actually makes bias tape), but I think in the end it is not that much easier than doing it manually with an iron. Are you sold on black? I think a rich brown might work better with the lilac.
April 29, 2010 at 10:37 am
Linda C
Peter’s idea of the typewriter ribbon wasn’t too far off. I believe those old typewriter ribbons were made of rayon. A sheer rayon bias might work just fine.
April 29, 2010 at 10:41 am
Nicole
Supposedly Jack Kerouac used to type on a long roll of paper like this one so that he could write continuously without stopping. If only I had so much inspiration while writing that changing sheets of paper was what was holding me back!
It’s great with the bias trim… I want to make one now, too!
April 29, 2010 at 11:01 am
Colleen P.
Believe it or not, I think quilting supply stores might have your answer-I have seen rolls of precut bias, fairly narrow and very lightweight to reduce bulk, sold even at JoAnn Fabrics. My MIL tells me it’s used for windowpane quilts, though as she makes up her own terms for everything I don’t know if that’s what it’s really called. My impression was that it’s sold in quite a few colors.
Barring that, silk or cotton lawn or voile cut into bias strips should be lightweight enough. Also, my own two fairly run of the mill sewing machines (both Euro-Pro, I saved my money for a Pfaff serger) both came with feet that automatically attach bias tape to the edge of a fabric. You may in fact already have the tool to do this. It’s somewhat fiddly, naturally, but the up side is that it takes minor amounts of fabric to make bias.
April 29, 2010 at 11:07 am
sewingatnight
You’ll have to make your own, sez this lurker. The Wright’s stuff is horrible polyester, very thick. You can find lighter cottons on places like Etsy, and vintage prepackaged bias used to be a smoother cotton, but none will be thin/lightweight enough. I like the rolled hem idea as well, many places will let you rent a serger if you don’t want to plunk down for one.
April 29, 2010 at 11:20 am
~Sherry~
Good idea!
To bind I recommend silk or cotton, the lightest weight you can find, eg a habotai or voile. I’ d bind at 3mm width, and I’d avoid polyester or commercial binding.
You could also consider a trim, depends on what you have access to though…
April 29, 2010 at 11:49 am
lorrwill
I looked at the lay out and that typewriter-adding machine thing, the posh couch, industrial back drop and reflective floor and assumed some kind of psychedelic hallucinogen was involved in this artistic vision.
Yes, Yes, Yes to the trim. Good catch.
April 29, 2010 at 12:42 pm
Mary Nanna
I look at that, and I think, rolled serger hem with wooly nylon in one of the loopers. If you have a serger and want more details I can look out my manual. But on a fabric that fine, I personally would not add anything to the edges. So there’s another option.
April 29, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Myra
Batiste may be a bit easier to find for making bias strips. The machine seems to be a IBM Selectric with a fantasy concept of paper like an adding machine, unless it’s a teletype machine. I haven’t seen those in eons, precursors to a fax, I guess.
April 29, 2010 at 12:58 pm
Jen
I think that is a wondeful idea to trim it with bias tape, however as one stated, wholly nylon works well and fabulous results!
April 29, 2010 at 1:53 pm
Bernadette
I was going to post just to say that Jack Kerouac wrote On The Road on one long roll of paper continuously feeding through his typewriter (I think the original roll is now in the Smithsonian or something), but I see someone already beat me to it!
April 29, 2010 at 2:15 pm
Vicki
Lots of suggestions by those more knowledgable than myself. Love the blouse so will look forward to seeing what you do.
April 29, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Hoosiermama
It’s going to be difficult to do a good job edge stitching narrow bias tape to blouse ruffles, but there is such a thing as a binding attachment. I have one for an antique machine that I own. You put the edge of your fabric and a 1″ bias strip into the front of it and it comes out the back as a PERFECT 1/4″ bound edge; an extremely satisfying feat.
April 29, 2010 at 3:41 pm
km
It’s a Jack Kerouac reference. He famously wrote On the Road on rolls of paper, I don’t remember which library has them now.
I would be tempted to try edging the ruffles on the serger using wooly nylon. I think an actual binding would be fussy and might pull the ruffles down.
April 29, 2010 at 4:29 pm
Carol
I’ve trimmed a few ruffle blouses with bias this year and I really like the look. It doesn’t weigh them down, I’ve found it makes the ruffles sit more evenly. I use a binder foot for my machine and feed the tape through with great results every time. Try satin binding for a really pretty look. I don’t know about your side of the earth, but here in Australia it’s easy to buy good quality bias tape made of various fibres when I don’t want to make my own. The binding foot I have takes flat binding as well as prefolded, so if I do make my own only really have to cut the strips.
April 29, 2010 at 4:30 pm
arnysews
I have the Clover bias maker with a finished width of 1/4″ and because the binding is on the bias you can stretch it when you press it to finish up narrower. A sheer fabric could work (organza) as there are 4 layers to the binding. Just remember to pre-wash your binding fabric so it doesn’t bleed into your blouse the first time you wash it.
April 29, 2010 at 4:33 pm
yoshimi
Great inspiration! Love the blouse and can’t wait to see your fabulous result!
April 29, 2010 at 4:53 pm
Summerflies
Hi, this is the first time I am commenting on your blog (and only my second comment ever!) I also grew up typing and I just want to add that it is not an IBM Selectric as the typewriter has a carriage (those who are old enough will know what that means)… it looks a bit like an Olivetti… but it is definitely a manual not electric typewriter.
Now to the important part … what a great gift of the sewing Gods to drop that inspiration into your toilet going lap! (how did they know you were in Montreal!)
Anyway love your blog and your truly hilarious (but I know serious) reflections.
April 29, 2010 at 6:02 pm
Tami S.
Definitely make your own bias. I was reading through the comments, and noticed that no one gave you my favorite tip for handling small bits of slippery, fine fabrics. I’m assuming you’re going to wash this blouse? If so, prewash your chosen bias fabric, then starch it stiff to cut, press and sew the bias. Much, much easier to handle…Then just wash the blouse when you’re done and the trim will be nice and soft.
April 29, 2010 at 6:12 pm
D
a thought….
I love the idea of a dark trim on that pale pale lavender to make it more grown up.
But I’m not sure I would go with black (much as I DO adore it)
Perhaps a dark charcoal or a dark navy instead? like an almost but not quite black?
April 29, 2010 at 7:51 pm
sa
I would do a serger rolled hem.would look steller !
April 29, 2010 at 10:44 pm
MakingTime
Fabulous idea; I agree with earlier comment that dark purple would be wonderful. I did a narrow black binding on an apron recently and used a very thin cotton lining to cut the strips. Do you have a rotary cutter? Big help. I don’t have any bias making or applying tools (I tried an applying foot once and it just didn’t work). Starching might help, I’ve never tried that. If you can get something thin enough, I like to iron it in half, machine stitch the raw edges to the garment front, then fold over and hand stitch (or baste and then machine stitch if you don’t mind seeing the stiching) the folded side to the back of the garment. Is that a Hong Kong finish??? Much easier than trying to iron a double fold into something that small. I used a three inch strip with a half-inch seam allowance for my apron; you can see pictures here: http://whattherestimefor.typepad.com/what-theres-time-for/2010/02/i-need-your-input.html.
April 30, 2010 at 5:24 am
Karen
I would use a fabulous trim (nothing cheesy) or make my own bias. I’ve never used a pre made bias (nor do I intend to start!) Normally, I have made bias out of the same fabric as the item I am sewing, but I understand that you are going for contrast. I would look at the possibility, as suggested above, of using a very dark color, other than black.
April 30, 2010 at 5:41 am
Sophie
I, too, would look for something other than black. I really like the suggestion of a dark purple trim. And agreed, definitely no on the Wrights bias tape.
Sophie
filasewphie.blogspot.com
April 30, 2010 at 5:48 am
Miss-g
I’m another vote for make your own bias – in satin or charmeuse. Apply it like you would a Hong Kong seam finish. I’m sure the end result will be gorgeous.
April 30, 2010 at 6:17 am
Kate
I don’t think it’s just a reference to someone. If anyone has seen the black comedy “He Died With a Felafil in His Hand” great movie, you will know that yes type writer paper came in rolls.
April 30, 2010 at 7:41 am
amber
Yup, that will be perfect!!
April 30, 2010 at 9:28 am
Sarah M
Another vote to make your own bias trim – narrow trim will likely be easier with one of the Clover bias tools, just because it will be fussy/tricky to press such a narrow width (I make a lot of bias strips for quilting, but mine are huge in comparison). Others have already made very sensible suggestions: pre-wash, use starch, try another dark color other than black, invest in that special presser foot. I love the look of raw-edge trim, but maybe not with a Swiss dot.
The prop and pose are silly enough to be Burda. My back hurts just looking at her.
April 30, 2010 at 3:12 pm
Olga
Fashion Inspiration on the toilet is not a myth — it’s real. That’s why good hotels put those magazines there for sure!
As someone who seems to always be cutting and attaching bias tapes to garments (seriously, it’s like my signature finish), I strongly suggest using cotton lawn or cotton voile — it’s thin, presses nicely and does what you want it to do. Silk charmeuse is do-able, but more annoying to work with (because it’s supple, slippery and does hold a crease as well as cotton). As for the bias tape maker: I have every size Clover ones, and never use them to make bias binding (I use them to fold straight strips of fabric when making drawstrings). To me, bias strip attaching is way easier when it’s not pre-folded with a bias tape maker, but rather just folded in half lengthwise (not really in half, make one of the halves 1/4″ wider than the other one) and pressed. Start attaching it with the wider half on top of your right side of ruffle, line up raw edge of bias with raw edge of ruffle, stitch with 1/4″ SA (on your Viking, line up raw edge with right side of presser foot A, move needle to 2.5 position on the right), fold over (your pressed fold may or may not be the fold over the raw edge, which is fine), tuck under whatever amount you need so that it covers your first seam from the wrong side, pin, then stitch-in-the-ditch from the right side catching the folded edge on the wrong side.
May 12, 2010 at 10:58 am
Cathie
Here is the typewriter she is using.
http://www.etsy.com/listing/44298988/vintage-70s-olivetti-turquoise
I like the ruffles, and have to agree with the many who favor a dark color other than black. How about a deep, almost-black emerald green?
Good luck and show photos of progress or the finished blouse, please.
June 9, 2011 at 1:46 pm
kaffee_bohnen
I dunno if you’ve finished this or not… but I have a similar shirt (black with white trim) that’s trimmed with ricrac instead of bias tape. The effect is similar, and you wouldn’t have to make bias tape to get it done.