Pinning entire sweater dress before seaming?

[CeCeKnittingN00b]

Okay, well, I had a lot of unevenness with my first sweater dress. I guess it's because I didn't pin it at all. I'm knitting my second dress in panels like I did before. It'll be a long sleeved sweater dress. My question is, do I pin the entire thing before seaming so it won't be uneven? I know it sounds like a dumb question, but I just want to be sure it won't be as uneven like the last one. Also, which seems easier, seaming the sleeves and sides all in one or doing it separate?

[Jan in CA]

Not sure what kind of yarn you're using, but if it's not acrylic you can block them the same size which will make seaming easier.

To "pin" it you can use those itty bitty baby hair clips, too.

[ArtLady1981]

You COULD clip the entire garment together first, as far as possible and the seaming still manageable!

Jan is referring to the baby clippies that I use for mattress seaming. (I hope you use mattress seaming! This seaming method is IMHO 'critical' to a successful seamline!)


In the photo above, the clippies are holding the sleeve in perfect alignment!
I'll remove a clippie at a time as I seam my way long!

You can 'clip' your entire dress together and have a TRY-IT-ON! And then IF you can still seam things with all the seams still clipped, do so!


In the photo above, I had clipped the sleeve into place for a
TRY-IT-ON before seaming the sleeve. I wanted to BE SURE
that the sleeve was not too long before seaming it permanently
into place!

As a rule of thumb: shoulders are seamed first. Next, sleeves are seamed into the armholes. Next, the sides of the body are seamed from the hem up to the armpits, then you turn the corner and seam down the sleeve to the cuff.

You could use med-sized clippies too, but the baby clippies are cheaper! You get more for your money! BTW: they do not injure your knitting!

[CeCeKnittingN00b]

I haven't really started knitting it. I'm just planning ahead. You guys are awesome. Thanks so much! I'll use the baby hair clips. Now I won't EVER dread seaming, bwahahaha! I use the mattress seam since it's invisible. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!