I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again

I thought creatively mending this sample pajama top, which was as long as a dress, would be a snap. Okay, that's a lie. I knew it would be very tough.

The mending involved these two holes cut out of it near the hem, probably as sample swatches for the designer. I found a coordinating piece of fabric among my elastane (spandex) scraps, pinned it to the inside of the garment and stitched it in place.

Did I mention that the pajama top is mostly elastane, too? Two stretchy fabrics should have been easy to stitched together, but they weren't. They stretched as I worked them through the machine. The thread I was using didn't stretch. The result was this puckery disaster.

In hindsight I probably should have run with my other idea to applique fabric over the holes, but the damage was done. I also wasn't inclined to unpick all my stitching and start over, as the thin fabric likely would have disintegrated along the edges. With much regret I trimmed off the bottom of the garment along with the offending puckery mess, and hemmed it.

The finished garment. It looks fine, and it taught me a lesson, so in the end I'll call this a fail and a win.

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