Although I use interlocking foam "play mats" when blocking smaller items, like the individual pieces of a sweater, for larger items like this shawl I use foam insulation board. (For REALLY large shawls I lay a sheet on a carpeted floor.)
The Swallowtail Shawl is a great one for using blocking wires. My blocking wires are 36" tig welding rods, much cheaper than "real" blocking wires. I placed one wire down the center back and two across the top edge. I made sure those wires remained straight, but allowed the wires threaded through the lower, pointed edging to curve out slightly while I pinned.
Pictures of the finished shawl tomorrow.
11 comments:
Looks beautiful! Still love the colour.
Oooooooh! Lovely! :)
Looks like you did a great job of pinning it. All the little corners on the trim have nice little points.
Very pretty!
I ran the blocking wire through those points Kimberly. It was then just a matter of pinning the wires out so the shawl was taut and the points turned out all even and "matchy-matchy".
Beautiful shawl! That sure is a project I need to do one day as well.
It's so beautiful, and a smart thing to draw lines to block after. I think I will copy that.
That is a beautiful shawl, and very ingeneous blocking. I love figuring out an economical way to do the same thing... very pretty.
Ooh, very nice! Congrats.
Kate, in this particular case I did not draw any lines. What you are seeing along the edges are the blocking wires. Although I would consider drawing a line for the top edge, and one at right angles for the center, I find the outer edges are best done by eye or with a measuring tape. I block SEVERELY, which means that I keep adjusting it outwards until it won't go any farther. A drawn line would not necessarily end up in the right spot.
The large circles on the board are old guidelines I used while blocking some long forgotten circular object.
When giving such an item as a gift, do you explain to the recipient how to block it when they have to wash the shawl?
Anonymous What is this gift of which you speak? Surely you jest? LOL
In all honesty I have never given a shawl as a gift. I have either kept them or sold them. When I sell them I mention that they must be hand washed and blocked, but I don't give instructions on how to do that.
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