There's a great lesson in it - it's all about the work. It's not about what people might say or about how dangerous it might get. But it's about staying focused on what you do, and doing what you love.- Julia Alvarez
In a comment at the end of December, Towanda said she hoped I'd teach a class on working in series... and I would absolutely love to... at some point in the future... when the time is right... and all the stars align. Until then, I've been taking notes so that when I have a potential learning experience to share, I can present it in more detail. I'd appreciate some feedback so I know whether these postings are valuable or not as they take a lot of effort. Thanks.
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Refashioning is one of my favourite ways to work. I enjoy the not knowing aspect and the limitations of the starting garment. Below are the 119 steps it took to evolve the dress above into a cardigan. Really, there were more than that. You'll see where I write x2 or x5. Those are the additional steps because there are two shoulder seams and two side seams and two... and so on. Forty-one more steps in fact for a total of one hundred and sixty-three steps plus a whole lot of sampling and thinking. Here they are:
1. See silk knit dress at second hand store, think it has potential, and leave it behind
2. Dream about silk knit dress for several days
3. Return to second hand store located on the complete opposite side of the city
4. Decide that $5.98 is still a ridiculous price and buy the dress anyway
5. Wash dress
6. Identify problem areas - hole and two stains
7. Decide whether to refashion or use as a fabric source
8. Use as a fabric source
9. Choose a pattern - Vogue 8691
10. Use traced size - may or may not fit
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11. Lay out pieces to avoid problem areas and maximize the material available
12. Cut center front and center back from lower skirt
13. Cut side back from sleeves including a portion of the cuff
14. Discover that what material is left is not large enough for the remaining pieces
15. Redraft side front into lower and upper pieces
16. Cut lower side front from upper dress back
17. Cut upper side front from upper dress front
18. There is not enough material for the sleeves so choose a coordinating cream lace and grey stripe, two sided knit
19. Cut sleeves from lace-stripe knit
20. Begin to contemplate ways to blend the sleeve fabric into the main garment
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21. Contemplate exposed seaming
22. Test black, light grey, and taupe serger stitching - reject as not quite right
23. Test striped side of knit as seam piping - reject as too bulky
24. Test cream serging right sides together
25. Test cream serging wrong sides together - choose this option
26. Zigzag applique serged seam to one side with wide zigzag in cream thread
27. Test stitching the seams with a walking foot and then with the serger for less stretching and decide to use this method even though it adds an extra step to each seam
28. Go knit and think about the direction of the project
29. Stitch…
30. … and serge left upper and lower side front together
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31. Repeat on right side
32. Press - x2
33. Applique seam in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
34. Fuse 3/8" interfacing to stay front neckline edge - x2
35. Stitch…
36. … and serge side front and center front pieces together - x2
37. Press - x2
38. Applique seams toward center front using open toed embroidery foot - x2
39. Fuse 3/8" interfacing to stay back neckline edges - x2
40. Fuse 6/8" interfacing to stay back shoulder edges - x2
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41. Stitch…
42. … and serge center back seam
43. Press
44. Applique seam to one side using open toed embroidery foot
45. Stitch…
46. … and serge left side back to center back
47. … repeat with right side back
48. Press - x2
49. Applique seam toward center back using open toed embroidery foot - x2
50. Place completed sections on design wall to contemplate
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51.
52. Stitch…
53. … and serge shoulder seams - x2
54. Press toward back - x2
55. Applique seam in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
56. Stitch…
57. … and serge left armhole seam
58. Repeat with right armhole seam
59. Press toward sleeve to maintain cream fabric visible on top - x2
60. Applique seam in place - x2
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61. Pin and fine tune fit of side seam.
62. Decide to make it more fitted under the arm
63. Cut off 1" at underarm point blending into the original cutting line 6" in each direction along underarm seam - x2
64. Leave side seam pinned while contemplating how to use the striped side of the knit on the sleeve
65. Experiment with ideas by pinning fabric bits in place
66. Decide to turn the sleeve hem toward the front
67. Decide to allow a small bit of the stripe knit to show at center front and then forget all about the idea until proofing this list
68. Fuse 1" interfacing to the lace side of the sleeve hem with the stretch going around - x2
69. Serge bottom edge of sleeve - x2
70. Press up 1" toward lace side to show stripe - x2
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71. Baste underarm seam - x2
72. Try on and realized it's now too tight - Oops ! ! !
73. Analyze options - add a gusset, remove and replace the sleeve, constantly wave my arms around, live with it, or …
74. …choose to remove stitching on underarm and re-stitch at the narrowest width merging into the original stitching line - x2
75. Have an ah ha about the fit of this pattern and realize that the problem I've been trying to correct is not too much ease, it's too long of an armhole. I need to raise the armhole. YES YES - Iove how I can sew a garment numerous times and then have a new awareness.
76. Stitch…
77. … and serge left underarm seam
78. Repeat for right underarm seam
79. Press toward back - x2
80. Applique in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
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81. Fold up sleeve hems toward right side, pin, and stitch in place - x2
82. Serge around neck edge
83. Stop to deal with the second needle thread in the serger that keeps breaking - ANNOYING ! ! !
84. Go knit and think
85. Begin to contemplate hemming possibilities - pin and make samples, settle on a plain hemline but don't stitch yet
86. Begin to contemplate collar possibilities - pin and make samples, settle on plain neckline
87. Fuse interfacing to the striped side of the two-sided knit
88. Cut two 1 5/8" strip - x2
89. Zigzag stitch one strip along the inside edge to the front on the left side
90. Zigzag stitch one strip along the inside edge to the back on the right side
![]()
91. Serge the outside edges attaching the lace-stripe knit band to the main garment - x2
92. Pin together to make sure center fronts are the same length
93. Serge the hem
94. Zigzag over the serged hem for a softer look
95. Search through the entire button collection for cream, gold, brown or black buttons
96. Drive to Fabricland to buy buttons and find that they're closed. Return home. Assume this is divine intervention and an answer is within the studio.
97. Search through button collection and find silver buttons that are PERFECT ! ! !
98. Play with ideas for patches beneath the buttons
99. Decide the inside neck edge needs to be finished first
![]()
100. Sample possibilities and end up detouring to explore new ideas for finishing the collar edge
101. Go knit and think
102. Create "bias" strip by serging two sides of narrow sweater bits
103. Pin strip to neckline edge
104. Zigzag both long edges of the bias strip to finish the inside neck edge and cover the line of interfacing.
105. Stitch a abstract patch - stripe side up - to the center back neckline to blend the lace-stripe fabric
106. Add a button
107. Play with a patch for to the top button hole position on the right front
108. Determine a shape and stitch in place
109. Pin buttons in place to decide spacing
![]()
110. Measure and mark buttonhole positions - x5
111. Find a million things to do somewhere else in the house to avoid making the buttonholes
112. Make test buttonholes on scrap fabric
113. Stitch button holes - x5
114. Treat with Fray Check and impatiently wait to dry
115. Cut buttonholes… carefully - x5
116. Survive
117. Sew on buttons - x5
118. Place finished cardigan on Millicent and admire
119. Evaluate
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Working through this project, I was intrigued by how knitting has become a thinking part of my creative process. Other times, I'll clean something or go for a walk or something read but it seems I need breaks outside the studio to think about my choices and what I want to do next and then I make a decision, come back, and keep going. It's probably why I've been just fine with knitting scarves for the past year and a half. You start, knit to the end, cast off and you're finished so they're very easy to think around.
![]()
I like the cardigan. I think the evolution worked well and that the end result is pleasing. In fact, it's already been claimed which is great since beige is not my color. I particularly love the irregular patches on the back and at the top of the button band and the uneven spacing of the first two buttons and I think the fabrics are well blended and not jarring.
One thing I've noticed is that I'm more conservative than I want to be. It's not bad and obviously it's my natural tendency but I want to work at being less conservative and slightly more eccentric. My wall art is predominately asymmetric and that might help - to start with an asymmetric line so that I'm balancing the design elements in a different way. LOL - we'll see.
Right now, I'm going to clean all the fuzzy bits off the studio and take the pile of cream scraps and try painting on them because I've realized that if I don't figure out how to fit surface design into the working process, I won't get to it. I'm testing painting between projects until I'm ready to paint on projects.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - Howard exchanged some clothing for a different size and came home from the store with the same number of garments and a $76.00 refund. They were having a better sale after Christmas and gave us those prices. GREAT customer service.
2 Corinthians 6:1 - We beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.
In a comment at the end of December, Towanda said she hoped I'd teach a class on working in series... and I would absolutely love to... at some point in the future... when the time is right... and all the stars align. Until then, I've been taking notes so that when I have a potential learning experience to share, I can present it in more detail. I'd appreciate some feedback so I know whether these postings are valuable or not as they take a lot of effort. Thanks.
Refashioning is one of my favourite ways to work. I enjoy the not knowing aspect and the limitations of the starting garment. Below are the 119 steps it took to evolve the dress above into a cardigan. Really, there were more than that. You'll see where I write x2 or x5. Those are the additional steps because there are two shoulder seams and two side seams and two... and so on. Forty-one more steps in fact for a total of one hundred and sixty-three steps plus a whole lot of sampling and thinking. Here they are:
1. See silk knit dress at second hand store, think it has potential, and leave it behind
2. Dream about silk knit dress for several days
3. Return to second hand store located on the complete opposite side of the city
4. Decide that $5.98 is still a ridiculous price and buy the dress anyway
5. Wash dress
6. Identify problem areas - hole and two stains
7. Decide whether to refashion or use as a fabric source
9. Choose a pattern - Vogue 8691
10. Use traced size - may or may not fit
11. Lay out pieces to avoid problem areas and maximize the material available
12. Cut center front and center back from lower skirt
13. Cut side back from sleeves including a portion of the cuff
14. Discover that what material is left is not large enough for the remaining pieces
15. Redraft side front into lower and upper pieces
16. Cut lower side front from upper dress back
17. Cut upper side front from upper dress front
18. There is not enough material for the sleeves so choose a coordinating cream lace and grey stripe, two sided knit
19. Cut sleeves from lace-stripe knit
20. Begin to contemplate ways to blend the sleeve fabric into the main garment
21. Contemplate exposed seaming
22. Test black, light grey, and taupe serger stitching - reject as not quite right
23. Test striped side of knit as seam piping - reject as too bulky
24. Test cream serging right sides together
25. Test cream serging wrong sides together - choose this option
26. Zigzag applique serged seam to one side with wide zigzag in cream thread
27. Test stitching the seams with a walking foot and then with the serger for less stretching and decide to use this method even though it adds an extra step to each seam
28. Go knit and think about the direction of the project
29. Stitch…
30. … and serge left upper and lower side front together
31. Repeat on right side
32. Press - x2
33. Applique seam in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
34. Fuse 3/8" interfacing to stay front neckline edge - x2
35. Stitch…
36. … and serge side front and center front pieces together - x2
37. Press - x2
38. Applique seams toward center front using open toed embroidery foot - x2
39. Fuse 3/8" interfacing to stay back neckline edges - x2
40. Fuse 6/8" interfacing to stay back shoulder edges - x2
41. Stitch…
42. … and serge center back seam
43. Press
44. Applique seam to one side using open toed embroidery foot
45. Stitch…
46. … and serge left side back to center back
47. … repeat with right side back
48. Press - x2
49. Applique seam toward center back using open toed embroidery foot - x2
50. Place completed sections on design wall to contemplate
51.
52. Stitch…
53. … and serge shoulder seams - x2
54. Press toward back - x2
55. Applique seam in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
56. Stitch…
57. … and serge left armhole seam
58. Repeat with right armhole seam
59. Press toward sleeve to maintain cream fabric visible on top - x2
60. Applique seam in place - x2
61. Pin and fine tune fit of side seam.
62. Decide to make it more fitted under the arm
63. Cut off 1" at underarm point blending into the original cutting line 6" in each direction along underarm seam - x2
64. Leave side seam pinned while contemplating how to use the striped side of the knit on the sleeve
65. Experiment with ideas by pinning fabric bits in place
66. Decide to turn the sleeve hem toward the front
67. Decide to allow a small bit of the stripe knit to show at center front and then forget all about the idea until proofing this list
68. Fuse 1" interfacing to the lace side of the sleeve hem with the stretch going around - x2
69. Serge bottom edge of sleeve - x2
70. Press up 1" toward lace side to show stripe - x2
71. Baste underarm seam - x2
72. Try on and realized it's now too tight - Oops ! ! !
73. Analyze options - add a gusset, remove and replace the sleeve, constantly wave my arms around, live with it, or …
74. …choose to remove stitching on underarm and re-stitch at the narrowest width merging into the original stitching line - x2
75. Have an ah ha about the fit of this pattern and realize that the problem I've been trying to correct is not too much ease, it's too long of an armhole. I need to raise the armhole. YES YES - Iove how I can sew a garment numerous times and then have a new awareness.
76. Stitch…
77. … and serge left underarm seam
78. Repeat for right underarm seam
79. Press toward back - x2
80. Applique in place using open toed embroidery foot - x2
81. Fold up sleeve hems toward right side, pin, and stitch in place - x2
82. Serge around neck edge
83. Stop to deal with the second needle thread in the serger that keeps breaking - ANNOYING ! ! !
84. Go knit and think
85. Begin to contemplate hemming possibilities - pin and make samples, settle on a plain hemline but don't stitch yet
86. Begin to contemplate collar possibilities - pin and make samples, settle on plain neckline
87. Fuse interfacing to the striped side of the two-sided knit
88. Cut two 1 5/8" strip - x2
89. Zigzag stitch one strip along the inside edge to the front on the left side
90. Zigzag stitch one strip along the inside edge to the back on the right side
91. Serge the outside edges attaching the lace-stripe knit band to the main garment - x2
92. Pin together to make sure center fronts are the same length
93. Serge the hem
94. Zigzag over the serged hem for a softer look
95. Search through the entire button collection for cream, gold, brown or black buttons
96. Drive to Fabricland to buy buttons and find that they're closed. Return home. Assume this is divine intervention and an answer is within the studio.
97. Search through button collection and find silver buttons that are PERFECT ! ! !
98. Play with ideas for patches beneath the buttons
99. Decide the inside neck edge needs to be finished first
100. Sample possibilities and end up detouring to explore new ideas for finishing the collar edge
101. Go knit and think
102. Create "bias" strip by serging two sides of narrow sweater bits
103. Pin strip to neckline edge
104. Zigzag both long edges of the bias strip to finish the inside neck edge and cover the line of interfacing.
105. Stitch a abstract patch - stripe side up - to the center back neckline to blend the lace-stripe fabric
106. Add a button
107. Play with a patch for to the top button hole position on the right front
108. Determine a shape and stitch in place
109. Pin buttons in place to decide spacing
110. Measure and mark buttonhole positions - x5
111. Find a million things to do somewhere else in the house to avoid making the buttonholes
112. Make test buttonholes on scrap fabric
113. Stitch button holes - x5
114. Treat with Fray Check and impatiently wait to dry
115. Cut buttonholes… carefully - x5
116. Survive
117. Sew on buttons - x5
118. Place finished cardigan on Millicent and admire
119. Evaluate
Working through this project, I was intrigued by how knitting has become a thinking part of my creative process. Other times, I'll clean something or go for a walk or something read but it seems I need breaks outside the studio to think about my choices and what I want to do next and then I make a decision, come back, and keep going. It's probably why I've been just fine with knitting scarves for the past year and a half. You start, knit to the end, cast off and you're finished so they're very easy to think around.
I like the cardigan. I think the evolution worked well and that the end result is pleasing. In fact, it's already been claimed which is great since beige is not my color. I particularly love the irregular patches on the back and at the top of the button band and the uneven spacing of the first two buttons and I think the fabrics are well blended and not jarring.
One thing I've noticed is that I'm more conservative than I want to be. It's not bad and obviously it's my natural tendency but I want to work at being less conservative and slightly more eccentric. My wall art is predominately asymmetric and that might help - to start with an asymmetric line so that I'm balancing the design elements in a different way. LOL - we'll see.
Right now, I'm going to clean all the fuzzy bits off the studio and take the pile of cream scraps and try painting on them because I've realized that if I don't figure out how to fit surface design into the working process, I won't get to it. I'm testing painting between projects until I'm ready to paint on projects.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - Howard exchanged some clothing for a different size and came home from the store with the same number of garments and a $76.00 refund. They were having a better sale after Christmas and gave us those prices. GREAT customer service.
2 Corinthians 6:1 - We beg you, please don't squander one bit of this marvelous life God has given us.
