First Steps in Finishing  is a 2 hour Zoom Workshop that will demystify garment finishing and empower you to sew up with confidence. Join Pauline from The Knitting Class who will take you through all you need to know to get a professional finished look to your knitted items, allowing all your fabulous stitches to shine. In this session you will learn: How to block your finished item The best order to make up your garment The best method for each particular seam The practical use of mattress stitch in finishing your projects. This is an online workshop and will take place on Wednesday the 9th of March between 7pm and 9pm Irish time. About Pauline and The Knitting Class: Pauline Gallagher created The Knitting Class in response to the economic crash of 2008 and facilitated classes, workshops, retreats and demonstrations of hand knitting in Ireland until March 2020 when all activities moved online. She now teaches knitting classes, workshops and 1-to-1 knitting clinics through the medium of zoom. Class Activity: Pauline will begin the workshop by discussing the importance of finishing and how blocking can be used to improve and add texture to your finished project, followed by a  demonstration of how to wet block.  Next she will look at the order of work in making up a garment and the types of seams to use. This will be followed by the practical (fun!) part of the workshop in which you will use your swatches to sew perfect seams using the magical mattress stitch! You will practice mattress stitch for seaming sides, shoulders and sleeves on both stocking stitch and garter swatches. Finally she will look at how to decide which variation of mattress stitch to use where, using a set in sleeve as an example. Student Skills:  Suitable for all skill levels Homework: Homework to be completed before the workshop. In order to practice the various seams, you will require swatches as follows:  3x stocking stitch, 3 x garter stitch - each swatch should be 20 stitches x 20 rows. To make the stitches easier to see and therefore easier to sew, work the swatches in a smooth, plain light coloured DK, aran or chunky weight yarn.