Cutting Before Sewing

For sewists who also knit, this is often the step that fills them with dread -- cutting! There are false rumors online (and probably elsewhere) about knit fabrics not fraying or running. As knitters know, this simply is not true for the knit fabric of sweater weight. But there is no need to fear cutting a sweater knit fabric either. If you prepare the fabric, use sharp blades, and refrain from overstretching the cut edge, you won't have a problem. Really!

The Providence sweater, cut and ready to be sewn

My scissors of preference are pictured above. Last summer when I first came across the scissors, I couldn't wait to share them, but a lot has happened since then. Namely, the price has gone up. And down. And then back up again. Way up.

I'm talking about the Black & Decker SZ360 3.6-Volt Ni-Cad Cordless Power Scissors. (ETA 16June2015: B &D Power Scissors have been discontinued, although they are still available in some places at either greatly reduced or highly inflated prices.)

One afternoon, before purchasing these wonders and after a session of cutting through a heavy rib knit, the joints in my thumb and fingers were sore. I decided to do a little research on rotary blades. (It seems that cutting knits with rotary blades is highly recommended by some people. Funny. Cutting knit fabric doesn't scare me. Rotary blades do.)  A subsequent Google search for electric scissors eventually brought me to a YouTube video where I watched a man, Brian of briansews.com, use the Black & Decker Power Scissors. Here's that video, and I've cued it to the part where he starts talking about the scissors. See Brian power cut through heavy denim.

I hope you've watched and enjoyed Brian's video. I thought it was pretty amazing stuff, and I bought the power scissors. Let me tell you, when it comes to sweater knit fabrics, the B&D Power Scissors are a dream come true! They are lightweight, safe and easy to maneuver, and the cut they make is clean and accurate. The price was pretty cool too. I paid $21 plus shipping when I purchased the B&D Power Scissors through Amazon last summer from a store about 50 miles away from me. None of my local hardware stores carried them at the time.

See? Even up close, the edges are sharp.

Now here's the problem. If you roll your mouse over the Power Scissors listed in The Book & The Tools in the right sidebar, depending on when you read this, you'll see a very different price -- $69 as I write this! I've observed the price fluctuate between $20 and $78 in the last 5 months or so. That's a pretty big range. And I now see the same scissors (SZ360) in blue or pink priced at $85! While I can highly recommend the scissors at $21 or even $35, I do have reservations at $78, especially when it's a price increase of almost 400% in just a few months. Though I do like a solid tool, frankly I prefer to spend my dollars on luxurious yarns and luxurious fabrics.

Real Solutions
If your hand aches after a session of cutting and if having a rotary blade in the vicinity of your hand scares you, these power scissors are the way to go. Though I have not heard good things about the electric scissors branded as Zippy or Singer, the Crafty Gemini gives a very convincing demonstration of the Simplicity Electric Scissors, which are currently available at under $40.

The really good news is that my local hardware store now carries the Black and Decker Power Scissors. The price? $25! Your local hardware store may have them, too. Just be sure to keep an eye on the volatile Power Scissors market and check your local hardware store first.

O!

Luxury and Providence

I'm not talking divine Providence or even Providence, RI, the next town over from where I spent many years of my youth. I'm talking providence, as in the "prudent management of resources".

Do luxurious knit fabrics and providence really go together? Well, yes, actually. It seems that nearly all my old sweaters are oversized. And now most of my big sweaters do not fit comfortably under my favorite winter coat. To remedy that situation I've designed a fancy rib fabric with lots of horizontal stretch for my next sweater. My new sweater will use less material and have less bulk than my old sweaters, and thus my nod to providence.

Though what originally got me started on this blog was the challenge of using some of the methods of Tomoko Nakamichi to craft fashion, I've temporarily moved in another direction for this project. This time I've been inspired by my need for a cute, warm and non-bulky sweater and by my own fabric design. This is what I've come up with.

Above is the first sketch I've made since I finished my quick sketch class last June to refresh my skills. It's regrettable that I haven't been practicing, but I think the sketch is still clear enough to convey my idea. Moderate scoop neck, neutral ease, all over stitch pattern, ribbed cuffs, neck and bottom edge -- when the stitch design is fancy, the sweater shape needs to be simple. I drafted a pattern a couple days ago and picked up the full size paper pattern, printed on bond paper, from the printer yesterday.

The fabric is a wonderfully soft merino wool, and after prepping, it seems even more luxurious than it was before. The softness of the material feels fabulous against the skin. And I just love the way merino yarn fulls.

I'm very excited to start cutting and sewing. Soon.
O!

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Edited 23Dec2012 for clarity

Serging Outside Corners

Here's a picture of the Crazy Crushed Can Accessory and lining, just before the sewing began.

As you see there are corners pointing to the inside, and there are corners pointing in an outward direction. My last post was about serging the inward pointing corners. As promised, this is the one about outside corners.

Honestly, I had never come across this method of sewing around outside corners before. In retrospect it's very obvious. It seems similar to production methods of sewing garments that I've read about.  The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James actually provides three different methods of stitching outside corners on a serger. This is the one that worked best for me with the Crazy Crushed Can Accessory.

Step 1. Stitch the first side of the corner and just keep on going. That's right. Don't stop. Don't stop. Continue serging right off the edge of the fabric.

Step 2. When the thread tail is about 4 inches long, turn the fabric so that the second side of the corner is in position to be serged. You can use the thread tail to help you guide the fabric into the correct position. You don't even have to lift the presser foot.

Step 3. Stitch the second side of the corner.

This is what is how it looks with both inside and outside corners stitched.

That was easy, wasn't it?

The author gives the instruction to cut the thread tail with the serger knife as you begin stitching the second side, but I'm still not comfortable doing that.

Important: If your project requires corners to be tight and sharp, I do not recommend using a serger. A sewing machine is much more suited to the task of sewing seams in tight corners. A serger can be used to finish the edges either before or after the seams are sewn with sewing machine, depending on the project. I did it this way to learn new skills and because sharp corners are not required in this project.

Another method that might be appropriate for the Crazy Crushed Can project is the one described in Revised Knit, Cut and Sew: Bk. 1 by Pam Turbett. She gives instructions to serge just one stitch beyond the edge of the fabric. Her next instructions involve moving the presser foot and needles and adjusting the thread. It's a bit more complicated than the Handbook method, but I think it may be useful. I'll just have to practice.

O!
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Serging Inside Corners

Sewing around a corner on a sewing machine is easy, right? Sew the first side of the angle, stop with needle in and presser foot up, pivot the fabric and you're ready for the second side of the angle. But what if you're doing a 4-thread overlock stitch with two needles and a couple of loopers bobbing up and down? Then what?

Turns out it's not so bad. The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James offered several alternatives for an outside corner but only one for an inside. "Inside corners are a bit more challenging than outside corners," she states. I think perhaps this is true for woven fabrics; her pictured example is with a woven fabric. With the natural stretch of a knit, it's not difficult at all. Here's my take on it:

The Inside Corner
Step 1. Serge along the first side of the angle. Stop when the knife reaches the vertex of the angle.

(This odd shaped sample is my Crazy Crushed Can Accessory. You can get the free pattern by signing up for my Cut & Sew Chronicles newsletter coming mid December.)

Step 2. Carefully pull the second side of the angle in a clockwise direction, so that the second side is now at a 180-degree angle to the first side.

Yes, a straight line! It will look something like the picture below.

Step 3.  Continue serging. When it's finished, it looks like this.

It only takes a little practice. It's just that easy!

Next up: Serging outside corners.

O!

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 The Complete Serger Handbook by Chris James