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Sewing With Knit Fabrics – all the tips you need to know

Sewing with knit fabrics may seam daunting at first, but with a few tips and some patience you will soon master the techniques necessary to make beautiful, long lasting, and comfortable clothes for those you love.

Sewing with Knit Fabrics

You don’t need to use a serger or coverstitch machine for sewing with knit fabrics, though it can help up your game if you have them. If using a regular machine use a new stretch needle (this is my preference over jersey or ballpoint) and a walking foot to help feed the fabric through without pulling. The stretch needles are made specifically to work with this type of fabric and will help to prevent skipped stitches. If you are using a coverstitch, using a ballpoint overlock needle makes a difference in preventing skipped stitches as well. Check out this fun and FREE pattern in the shop which helps me keep all of my machine needles organized.

Needle Organizer Pincushion

I have many knit patterns in the shop and in all of the sewing instructions there is of course mention of using a stretch stitch or serging the edges. Any stretch stitch will do, but the important thing to remember is not to use a straight stitch when sewing with knit fabrics. Even if the tutorial only mentions “stitching,” unless it is a basting stitch you should use a stretch stitch. A straight stitch isn’t meant to stretch so when the fabric is stretched (as when the garment is put on or taken off) the stitches will be stressed and the thread will break. There are usually many options with a regular sewing machine, but the most popular are the zig zag stitch and the “lightning bolt” stitch. The lightning bolt has been my favorite, but everyone seems to have their own personal preference so try a few and see what works best for you and your machine.

Sewing with Knit Fabrics

The most common issue with sewing with knit fabrics results from accidentally pulling the fabric too much or stretching the seams which can cause gathered or wavy edges. The only time I’d recommend stretching the fabric is when topstitching an opening like the neckline or at the wrist for a long sleeve. Even still, just a gentle stretch should be enough to allow the fabric to stretch around the opening, but still recover to the correct shape when worn.
 
Speaking of recovery, when working with knit fabrics it’s important to know the stretch percentage of the fabric and how well it recovers. This pattern recommends at least 40% 4-way stretch which means the fabric will stretch both with and against the grain. The vertical stretch is necessary for this particular pattern to have the correct fit as it was designed with 4-way stretch in mind. To determine the stretch and recovery percentages of your fabric, check out this post on Imagine Gnats.

Sewing with Knit Fabrics

The most important tip of all is to relax and not stress about sewing with knits. Practice makes perfect and we all started out with wavy, puckering seams our first go at it too. The good news is children’s clothing uses little fabric so a muslin shouldn’t break the bank. And the best thing about sewing with knits is that all of the stretch is actually very forgiving. Most “issues” won’t even be noticeable once the child is wearing the garment and the fabric is stretched so don’t stress in those late-night sewing moments when you think something looks terrible. Just wait until morning when it can be tried on to determine if a seam really needs to be unpicked. Good luck and happy stitching!

June 2, 2020 3:05 pm Ajaire Leave a Comment Filed Under: DbCA, Sew, Tips, Uncategorized

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callajaire

Mother. Wife. Sewist. Not necessarily in that order.

Ajaire Parello
Once again this baby surprised us. Yesterday morni Once again this baby surprised us. Yesterday morning she just started counting to ten on her own ๐Ÿ˜†๐Ÿ˜† She was star struck watching herself on the camera so she didnโ€™t go past five here, but in person she rolls right past ten and tries for 11 and 12 ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
You guys, this girl is having a real hair moment. You guys, this girl is having a real hair moment. After waiting literal years for her hair to grow in, itโ€™s now turned into an 80โ€™s rocker look with how spikey it all is on top and the extra length in back๐Ÿ˜†๐Ÿ˜† 
But we LOVE this Journal Jumpsuit from @jennuinedesign and she LOVES wearing it to jump on the couch. ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ˜ฌ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜Sheโ€™s a real talker these days so I had to use the Story Teller cut file, also from the Lounge Library collection.  Check out @projectrunandplay for the details on the sale on this pattern this week only!
Fabric is a lush French terry from @knitfabricdotcom and the contrast is a solid from @wolfandrabbitfabrics 

#projectloungelibrary #projectrunandplay #journaljumpsuit #jennuinedesign
Have you seen the mini season of @projectrunandpla Have you seen the mini season of @projectrunandplay details yet?  Iโ€™m super excited about everyone sharing more of the Project Lounge Library collection and the freebies weโ€™re offering!  First up is this perfectly sized book tote from @jennuinedesign. My girl LOVED the one I made from the second she saw it Christmas morning!  The cut file design is also from the collection as well as her nightgown ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
Thereโ€™s a whole Percy Jackson collection inside there along with three other (heavy) books, so itโ€™s a nice sturdy tote that holds plenty!

https://projectrunandplay.com/product/book-bag/
#dbcanininoni #designsbycallajaire #jennuinedesign #projectrunandplay #freepattern #pdfpattern #projectloungelibrary
One of my favorite things is giving and receiving One of my favorite things is giving and receiving Christmas cards. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•
Well itโ€™s not as many books as Iโ€™ve read in pa Well itโ€™s not as many books as Iโ€™ve read in past years, nor did I reach my (what I thought was an easy) minimum goal of 50, but then again all that was set back in January before I knew Iโ€™d have very little time to myself for 3/4 of the year ๐Ÿ˜†๐Ÿคช 
I read lots of different genres, including a few oldie juvenile favorites to preview for or read alongside my daughter. ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•
Some were book club reads and some were suggestions from Instagram friends, but I really enjoyed them all. Of course the new Louise Penny was my favorite ๐Ÿ˜

#goodreadschallenge2020 #goodreads #readingchallenge2020
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜ Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ๐Ÿ˜๐Ÿ˜
Just a reminder that 2020 wasnโ€™t all bad ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿคท๐Ÿผโ€โ™€๏ธ๐Ÿฅฐ๐Ÿฅฐ #topnine2020 #bestnine2020
We had a really nice Christmas with lots of cuddly We had a really nice Christmas with lots of cuddly fabrics and family. And this baby figured out how to ride her new scooter right away!  Looking forward to what 2021 has to bring! ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•
Happy Christmas Eve everyone! ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽ„๐Ÿฅ Happy Christmas Eve everyone! ๐Ÿ’•๐Ÿ’•๐ŸŽ„๐ŸŽ„๐Ÿฅ๐Ÿฅ
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I've always loved making. At an early age I started cross stitching and sewing and I taught myself to knit and crochet during college. When our seven year old daughter Bean was born I was filled with all sorts of inspiration, so now I find ways to manage my crafty time and treasure those moments. Though sewing is what I'm most passionate about these days, there's something about the portability of yarn crafts and embroidery that keeps drawing me back in.

Watercolor Beach pattern capsule

Watercolor Beach – the pattern capsule you need for summer

The new Project Run & Play collaboration is finally available for purchase and – you guys!! – this pattern capsule[Read More…]

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