Marching to a different drum

Hi everyone.  Hope you're doing well.  I thought I would show my disaster attempt at a pinkeep drum.  Drum pinkeep.  Damn pinkeep.  The frustrating tricky part is of course, getting the round top sewn on.    Now keep in mind, I am not a professional nor do I play one on TV.  This is my own way to find the laziest and easiest method, which may not even work. 

Started off with my lint brush, then a light interfacing.   I'm really glad I finally had a lucid moment to think of this.  One way, the brush makes all the hidden tails appear, the other way it removes the cuts. 

I removed a linen thread the same distance on each side and the bottom.  I kept this removal about 1/4" from the where the seam will be sewn.  Folding it in half and matching up those lines makes perfect alignment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I trimmed the top to the right height and removed threads until I got a perfectly even edge. 

 

 So far so good.  This is where it all fell apart. So we'll pause here for something cute.

 

 

 

I measured the distance between the seam and divided by Pi (3.1416) to get the size for the top, which was 3 1/2".  No I did not remember how to figure this but my smarty pants husband remembers everything he was taught from every subject.  Really.  Ticks me off.  After cutting the denim circle at 4" (1/2" added for seam allowance-was this wrong and where I made my error?), I basted and gathered, pinned and sewed to the inside of the drum.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looked a little too small and kind of wonky.  So I took it apart and tried again, shortening the seam allowance and giving the top piece more fabric.  This time it was too large and looked like a muffin top.

 

 

 So before I lost my patience, I decided to try something else.  And here it is.

I sewed a strip of muslin to the top edge and then basted to gather.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I drew a circle on another piece of muslin and sewed it right sides together to the denim.  All the way around, no opening for turning so I had a perfect circle.  A slit in the muslin, seams pressed open, right side out, and another press.

   

 

 I will probably sew a circle to the bottom and then I can stuff the drum, gather the top closed, and trim excess.  The denim circle can then be hand sewn to the top.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I quit for the day and will pick it up tomorrow.  Not sure how the finishing will go, but I really expected this to be easy.  Maybe I was just tired.

 

To be continued...............