to felt or not to felt?

[pugmommy7]

I am making reclaimed longies for my girls and it is has been since last year that I have done this...
do i HAVE to felt? I mean handknit wahms ones aren't felted, soI guess mine don't have to be???
thanks,
jen

[Kari_mom]

I thought about it just like you did, and I stopped felting my sweaters before I sewed them into pants last year. They work great, you don't lose length to shrinkage, and they stay nice and stretchy.

[pugmommy7]

Yeah i chalked it up to softness. only one sweater was itchy so it is getting felted- and as luck would have it, it was the largest one
The others have turned out great!! I am so pleased.
I will be wiping thrift stores out soon

[our3boys]

I overfelted some sweaters to the point they were too small to use. If the pieces were big enough to make something with, I am sure those covers would NEVER leak. Then I saw a posting - I think from you, Kari mom - about the way you washed your wool. I decided I had to use my washing machine, though, so now I just prewash the sweater exactly how I will be washing it later. So the only reason I felt (a little bit now) is so that I can be lazy and wash in my machine without losing shrinkage after the item is made.

[Kari_mom]

If the pieces were big enough to make something with, I am sure those covers would NEVER leak.

Those felted sweaters are still usable. You can piece felted wool together on a sewing machine, it is easy. Chose a stitch like a three step zig-zag or a feather stitch, something that goes side to side with multiple stitches. Cut your wool, butt the edges that you want to join together, and sew right over the join.

I've pieced together longies this way, and I think it would work great for wool wraps.

[pugmommy7]

Kari mom you are reading my mind! I was just looking at these "torsos" that i have leftover from the longies, and Iwanna make some wraps. I was thinking of serging the edges and soing some snaps or aplix, but one has an awesome button up the neck on one side turtle neck that would be a great soaker. I just have to figure out how to make it without the wristbands to use as cuffs. What should I do???(i'll post a pic to show you what I mean
thanks mamas,
love,
Jen

[Kari_mom]

If you don't want to make wraps, I make pants from the torso too, I like them better actually. The way I make them, they have a wider leg than the sleeve version, more like RTW pants. I keep meaning to post a sew-a-long...

I can't wait to see what you make from the button neck. Each sweater is its own challenge, isn't it?

[our3boys]

Originally Posted by Kari_mom

Those felted sweaters are still usable. You can piece felted wool together on a sewing machine, it is easy. Chose a stitch like a three step zig-zag or a feather stitch, something that goes side to side with multiple stitches. Cut your wool, butt the edges that you want to join together, and sew right over the join.

I've pieced together longies this way, and I think it would work great for wool wraps.

I have been holding on to the pieces just so I could do that. I am waiting to find pieces that complement each other. I thought the feather stitch would be nice, too. Can you just put the edges together, without adding a seam allowance? It is so felted, the edges probably would not run. However, I was going to use seams and thought that might get kind of thick. I like the thought of no seams if it would work. I even have a joining foot for my machine.

[Kari_mom]

Your joining foot is perfect! No need for seam allowances, this is the least bulky way to join the edges. Just butt them together and sew. The featherstitch will be beautiful!

If you are worried about wicking or leaking, don't! I made a pair with a butted seam about 3 inches below the waist, definitely in the wet zone. I even used cotton wrapped poly thread because that is what I had and liked for the color. We used them for overnight for months until my babe outgrew them, and I passed them on to a friend who also loved them.

[our3boys]

Great - thanks for the info!

I guess I'll move those sweaters back out of the "later" pile and into the "when I get all the supplies" pile. Supplies being more super felted sweaters (or otherwise) in colors that look nice together, wool of similar weight, etc. Come to think of it, I could just piece together bits of the same sweater and use a contrasting thread. Good to know about the poly/cotton thread. Of course with my wall of thread I am sure I can find something...