Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: If it works, do it!

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Look guys, this tip is seriously lazy, and I know that’s not for everyone. Some people delight in perfection - I delight in getting shit done and moving on! That’s a very personal preference, and I’ve never say you were right or wrong for wherever you fall on the spectrum. 


Personally, my theory is that sewing is a problem-solving adventure, and whatever works is good enough


Let me illustrate by showing you the construction details of a pink sweater-knit cardigan I blogged about last winter. 


Sewn Cardigans with McCalls 5890This one!


One this one sweater, I’ve got…


sweater fold cuff


…turned-and-stitched cuffs…


sweater straitght stitch


…edges stay-stitched with a lightening bolt to prevent stretching…Sweater serge and stitch


…navy serging and pink stitching…sweater elastic


…terribly inserted clear elastic to stabilise the shoulders…


sweater safety pin


…and best of all, a safety pin holding the collar down at the back neck! sweater full


Yup! That’s 6 totally different construction techniques on one sweater! And despite the safety pin and navy serging, I wear this sweater at least once a week. It has held up through many washes, and no one else is the wiser about it’s technical “flaws”! When I made it, I was new to sweater knits, and altering the pattern so much that the instructions were pretty useless. As I came to each part of the sewing process, I just tried whatever made the most sense in my head. 


That’s the beauty of sewing for me - there really isn’t a right or wrong way to do things, as long as you end up with something wearable at the end! I know it can be intimidating to start sewing knits because we want our clothes to look perfect inside and out, or we feel like we *need* a serger/coverstitch/some-other-tool to make it just right. That can be paralysing.. so in the meantime, I say: Jump in. Try it. Fake it ‘til you make it. If it works, do it! 


Do you need things to be perfect inside and out? Or are you happy with whatever works? 

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