Comments | ragnvaeig: The revelation of a new skill, and the edge of the Seymour cuffs

ragnvaeig

The revelation of a new skill, and the edge of the Seymour cuffs

Feb 05, 2011 15:54

Have you ever worked for several attempts at something, failed miserably each time, then had someone else show you in a way that made sense immediately? Have you had that feeling of self-reproach, wondering, "How on earth did it take me so long to get this?"

Thanks to eithni, I finally understand rolled hems, and I have an edge to my Seymour cuffs that ( Read more... )

scarletwork, sewing, string, projects, embroidery, blackwork

Comments 13

alphafemale1 February 5 2011, 23:38:00 UTC

I think what's going on in the painting is a bit of needlelace- the points look like picots.

kass_rants February 6 2011, 00:54:47 UTC

You know, an 18th century needlelace technique called "mice teeth" (which is basically picots) was used a lot on the edges of cuffs and collars like that. I've noticed something like it on the Sture shirts. Maybe that's what it is.

ragnvaeig February 6 2011, 15:52:00 UTC

That's about what I was figuring. For a Sture re-creation I'd done an edge with French knot/bullion knot/French knot to do those picot triads and I was thinking this may be a similar animal.

Knitting was like that for me. ladymockingbird February 6 2011, 05:21:15 UTC

I tried so many different times, with different folks teaching it.

Years later, I read an online tutorial and all of a sudden it clicked. Now, though I really don't love knitting, I can manage a basic knit. Woo hoo.

Re: Knitting was like that for me. ragnvaeig February 6 2011, 15:52:27 UTC

I was berating myself the whole time I was stitching. Hope that didn't happen to you!

Re: Knitting was like that for me. ladymockingbird February 6 2011, 16:14:28 UTC

Well not the whole time, since my first ever knitted project was an entire blanket. But definitely through the first couple of hours or so.

eithni February 6 2011, 07:35:49 UTC

Yay! Glad I could "teach" from the waterpark! ;)

eithni February 6 2011, 07:41:15 UTC

Oh, and regarding "How on earth did it take me so long to get this?" - I think the major problem is you think "I want a rolled hem, I should roll the edge!" It seems so intuitive and it's just so entirely wrong and frustrating.

If it helps, I figured this out after MUCH trial and error myself. Specifically, I had gone to Gulf Wars and run out of hand projects for the last day or two and the drive home, so I snagged veils off of all the ladies in the encampment and methodically sliced off the serging to re-edge them. I was about 6 large veils in (plus the innumerable ones I had done previously) when somewhere in Missouri it just magically was revealed to me. Completely a "Sonuva.... I NEED to share this with others!" moment! :)

ragnvaeig February 6 2011, 15:58:08 UTC

I think that's exactly the kind of thinking I was using, which only leads to wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I may need to re-edge all my veils, now! Serging makes me cringe.

eithni February 6 2011, 17:10:22 UTC

Yeah, I try not to be the Authenticity police, but that so-obvious modern stitching right next to the face makes me crazy. It's my trigger to teach the wearer the veil stitch and/or offer to fix it. I have a few non-sewing friends who occasionally just hand me silk or linen and a veil to copy - they get pretty veils and it's better for my mental health. :P

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