Sorry for the overly wordy question. What I'm asking is, if you are sewing a long rectangle to the perimeter of an oval so that the oval remains flat on the table and the rectangle stands up, can you use an iron to stretch the edge of the rectangle so you don't have to cut notches in the seam allowance of the rectangle?
I actually tried it, and it worked (a little too well :-)), but I couldn't keep the effect of the stretch inside the seam allowance. I thought about using a clapper along the seam while I press and pull, but I'd need a third hand or prehensile tail to execute that maneuver. Any ideas?
GREAT Idea!
I hadn't thought of that. All of the sewing book and videos use cuts and V notches to effectively "stretch or compress" fabric, but that technique seems like it undermines the strength of the fabric and the seam. After watching your video on relative length and how you used the iron to accomplish the same thing, I thought that would be a much better way to do it. I'll let you know how the table edge works out. Maybe if I attach a ruler to the edge of the table, I'd be able to judge the amount of stretch as I go, so I don't go too far.
Try positioning the area to be stretched on the very edge of your table. This allows the other areas to fall away from the table surface and be less affected by the iron :)
Reza
International School of Tailoring