Lansing Clippers Sew

  Knitting Socks Why knit socks?   There are many very nice socks commercially available that cost a lot less than the yarn for hand knit socks.   But there is something satisfying about completing a pair of patterned or striped socks.   But therein lies one problem, you have to make two and then there are the complications of tools and techniques.   Socks first appeared late in my knitting life – like in the last ten years.   The first pair was completed; and there were a lot of aspects of the process – tools and techniques – that I didn’t really like.   But I tried again; and this time one sock was finished and then the second sock was removed to the bottom of the yarn basket for about five years.   I found it again last year and thought it only needs the toe to be finished.   JUST DO IT!   So, I did and was reminded of all the things I don’t like about knitting socks.   That sent me looking for solutions. What don’t I like about knitting socks?   It comes down to tool and techni

  Jacket 8 – Done The jacket is finished!   (Picture 8-1)                                                                                             Picture 8-1 It took me about 6 weeks to complete.  I only worked on it for about two hours a day for three or four days each week.  In total, I think I probably have about 40 hours of work.  I like to work in the morning when the sun is bright in my east-facing sewing room.  Old eyes and old hands don’t work as well later in the day.  Each day I would decide which “chunk” of the project to tackle – usually the next paragraph of my tailoring book.  When my efforts didn’t go as hoped or I had too much trouble (like the day I could not thread the needle), I quit for the day and started again the next day.  Big projects are not so overwhelming when broken down into smaller steps.  As I went along, I had a chance to review techniques I thought I knew and learned how to improve my application of them – grading seams, buttonholes, etc.   I a

  Jacket 7 - Finishing The finishing steps are mostly completed by hand.   The jacket undercollar is cut from pre-made collar fabric.   This is a combination of wool felt for the right side and hair canvas pad-stitched to it for the wrong side (Picture 7-1).    The hair canvas was applied on the bias, so when I cut the under collar, I had the bias grain line on the pattern follow that of the canvas.   The seam allowances on the under collar are removed.   This is a little tricky and I later had to adjust the under collar to fit the upper collar.   After the under collar is trimmed it is folded and steamed on the fold line using a ham to shape it (Picture 7-2).   With the under collar prepared and after a break of several days to contemplate fell stitching, I attached the under collar to the upper collar.   This is where my less than precise trim of the under collar caused some issues.   It was a little too close to the outer edge of the collar and showed when the collar was rolled in