I hope you have a cuppa in front of you because finishing and blocking your garments is a big subject area and if you know me, you know that I am thorough and passionate about this subject!
I should really change my middle name from Bella to Robust. To my mind there are four key areas to properly finishing off a garment this actually applies to many other projects too, not just things to wear :. I am going to use the journey of this gorgeous little baby cardigan to show you how I wash, block, seam up, choose trims and record the details. If you only need to know about one of these areas, then feel free to scroll to that point and ignore the other parts, I won't be upset, I won't even know!
Otherwise, sip your tea and enjoy the nuggets that I have learned over the last few years and share with you in this blog post. I completely understand the excitement of finishing that last stitch in something as big as a garment and feeling like "that is it, I have completed it" when the reality is that you most likely still have a way to go before you can actually put it on.
At this point lots of people get despondent and either put the garment panels aside for another day or rush the process so that they can try it on. However, I would say that the washing, blocking and finishing of the garment is the part that can make or break the final look.
Washing it means that you have a clean garment that will be ready to wear when you have sewn it up, blocking it will mean that the size is even across your item and choosing the right trims can springboard a garment from looking okay to looking amazing! What I can promise you is that putting the proper amount of time and effort into this final part of the process is far more likely to lead to a beautifully finished garment that is well constructed and looks as good as possible.
