Cut and sew sweaters

I hadn't meant to abandon Knitting in the fastlane. Really. I confess to spending most of my blog writing time over at my other blog Crafting Fashion, cutting and sewing my knit fabrics. I've been practicing techniques and learning a few tricks. For those who don't visit Crafting Fashion on a regular basis, here are some of my finished pieces. Click on any photo for a larger view.

Above is the Moonstone Sweater. The stitch pattern is a series of vertical ribs and tucks. I used the fabric sideways with the selvedge for a hem. You can see more pics here and read about the sewing process here.

My Turtle Beach Sweater is cut and sewn from a reverse jersey with tucks, bamboo and wool. You can see a close up of the fabric's public side here. The inside and hem are pictured below.

I'd been drafting the sewing patterns for my sweaters myself, but I wanted to see how my fabrics would work with a commercial pattern. I chose the popular Renfrew Top. The suggested fabric is "stable knits". I decided to use the same fabric I used for the Moonstone -- not really a stable knit, but it worked anyway. I used the fabric this time in a traditional way with the ribs running vertically, and I used a plain jersey for the bands.

All along I've been working on the various ways of finishing the edges of these sweaters that are cut and sewn. With the Tangerine Top, I used a facing to finish the asymmetrical neckline.

I call the fabric Clementina, because the embossed  rib reminds me of a citrus fruit, and in this color, a clementine orange or tangerine. A previous post on this blog discussed embossed ribs in further detail.

After years of only making fully fashioned sweaters, I must admit that I'm enjoying the cut and sew process. I'm fascinated with learning different ways of finishing edges and of making the insides neat. If you're cut-and-sew-curious, you're always welcome to stop on by!