Unfinished Business: Trade Shirt Redux, and a couple of other things

A few of the pieces of the trade shirts. That's a lot of hemming! Underneath is the beginning of a translation of the Chen Tai chi Sword form posture list that is now "finished business".

     I know, I know. I haven't posted recently, but I have several good excuses. First of all, it is NOT a good idea to start two items requiring a great deal of hand rolled hemmage at the same time. Because the shirts have not only rolled edges on the front openings and sleeve slits, but ruffles at both wrist and neck as well, it went on interminably! I use the method I learned from Kathleen Kannik's fine instructions that came with the shirt pattern ( I was also fortunate enough to do a workshop with her on same at the Jane Austen festival in Louisville , KY, a few years ago). It works beautifully and goes fairly quickly (depending on how long and/ or how many edges you are dealing with). At any rate, it has taken me a long time to get them completed, and I wanted to do that before I got to the main body sewing

      Part of the problem is that another couple of things came up. I have been learning the Chen Style 56 posture Taiji Sword form, and couldn't find a list of the postures in the form I am learning. I have been working with my wonderful Chinese Taiji teacher, Grand Master Ding Mingye, on a translation of the Chinese names. You can see a little bit of it under the first photo. I finally finished that yesterday. :) I have a new respect for translators.

      I have also volunteered to be on the Prom committee for my friend R's 40th birthday party Prom. I am in charge of the table decor, and so have been making favors and gathering materials for that. The shopping trip with the rest of the prom committee was a blast since it involved balloons, shiny stuff and Chinese food. Fun!

There were also some alterations to do to my "Prom gown", which came from a local secondhand store and makes me feel like Cloris Leachman on Dancing With the Stars! Hahaha! Pictures to follow,so as not to pre-empt any prom party surprises.

   There were also taxes, and other forms of paperwork; showers to shop for; some reading to get to: etc., etc., etc.. Yadda yadda yadda.

      Some really lousy photos of the rolled hemming process follow. Where is my son, the photographer, when I need him?!

Thanks for reading,

Lynn

Showing the basic technique: you turn the edge over slightly and pick up one thread near the raw edge.

Then you pick up the folded edge; ideally just a thread or two. I don't see as well as I used to, so got a little too big a chunk here. Anyway, then you just pull the thread, and the edge rolls over.

Here is what the corner looks like.


Kathleen recommends a device called a sewing bird to hold the piece taut. I don't have one, so I use the couch and a large pin to hold the work as it lengthens.