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Mystified and thimble-challenged
2025-08-05 09:22 pmI remain mystified why my post about my failed experiment with simplified houndstooth keeps getting so much traffic on my wordpress.
The last seven days it has 30 hits, and for the last three years it has 3k hits while the next most popular page has only been shown 300 times. It's wild, and I can't figure out where this traffic is coming from, except that it must be high on the list for searches on houndstooth weaving.
In other news, the Laurel cape project is actually properly under way now. I've appliquéd almost all the leaves to make up a full wreath as well as my badge in the centre back. I'm currently pondering exactly how to do further outlining.
The silver leather is simply whipstitched on with white linen thread all around the pieces. I'm planning on outlining each element with either silver cord or black or green silk. Probably silver cord.
The wreath will also get a central stem in a bigger gold cord, couched down along the ply with either green or black silk. I'll do some samples of that before I decide.
The idea I had from the start to work on this project at events turns out to have been very silly - because to do the applique smoothly I need a large flat surface as support. The outer fabric is a little wibbly, and it's laid over a light-weight linen. In order to not get bubbles all between each element I need the cape to lay smooth while I whipstitch the outlines of each piece.
I'm also using this project as an opportunity to practice precision sewing with my left hand. I am left-handed, but sewing I have always done with my right hand. I've learned how to use a tailor's thimble with my right, and I'm pretty swift and accurate with it. However, I've developed my own technique, rather than Official Tailor's Thimble Usage (tm) as demonstrated here by Reza of International School of Tailoring on YouTube.
Since I do not want to disturb the surface of the cape while I'm stitching, half of any motif is better done with the left hand - so I've been trying to learn proper thimble technique with my left hand.
It's been fascinating, I tried this method with my right hand, but I'm finding it super awkward to get the thimble locked in in preparation to take the stitch. I also tried with my left hand and locking in the thimble is easy! But grabbing the needle and pulling to the right tension to finish the stitch is super awkward instead.
I've never really done any sewing with my left hand, but I have dexterity thanks to writing with it. I have noticed some slight improvements over the last couple of days, but it is also very frustrating, because it's slowing me down to have to switch to the left. Some pieces I've just turned the whole cape around on the table to do fully with my right.
The last seven days it has 30 hits, and for the last three years it has 3k hits while the next most popular page has only been shown 300 times. It's wild, and I can't figure out where this traffic is coming from, except that it must be high on the list for searches on houndstooth weaving.
In other news, the Laurel cape project is actually properly under way now. I've appliquéd almost all the leaves to make up a full wreath as well as my badge in the centre back. I'm currently pondering exactly how to do further outlining.
The silver leather is simply whipstitched on with white linen thread all around the pieces. I'm planning on outlining each element with either silver cord or black or green silk. Probably silver cord.
The wreath will also get a central stem in a bigger gold cord, couched down along the ply with either green or black silk. I'll do some samples of that before I decide.
The idea I had from the start to work on this project at events turns out to have been very silly - because to do the applique smoothly I need a large flat surface as support. The outer fabric is a little wibbly, and it's laid over a light-weight linen. In order to not get bubbles all between each element I need the cape to lay smooth while I whipstitch the outlines of each piece.
I'm also using this project as an opportunity to practice precision sewing with my left hand. I am left-handed, but sewing I have always done with my right hand. I've learned how to use a tailor's thimble with my right, and I'm pretty swift and accurate with it. However, I've developed my own technique, rather than Official Tailor's Thimble Usage (tm) as demonstrated here by Reza of International School of Tailoring on YouTube.
Since I do not want to disturb the surface of the cape while I'm stitching, half of any motif is better done with the left hand - so I've been trying to learn proper thimble technique with my left hand.
It's been fascinating, I tried this method with my right hand, but I'm finding it super awkward to get the thimble locked in in preparation to take the stitch. I also tried with my left hand and locking in the thimble is easy! But grabbing the needle and pulling to the right tension to finish the stitch is super awkward instead.
I've never really done any sewing with my left hand, but I have dexterity thanks to writing with it. I have noticed some slight improvements over the last couple of days, but it is also very frustrating, because it's slowing me down to have to switch to the left. Some pieces I've just turned the whole cape around on the table to do fully with my right.
