Sewing With Knits
When I first started sewing with knits, I had no idea what I was doing. It was my senior year in high school and I was sure I wanted to go to college for fashion, so I planned to make something to wear for my high school graduation. I had sewn before, but only with woven fabric. When I got a gift card for my birthday to an online fabric shop that sold knits with all sorts of fun prints, I was in heaven. I loved wearing knits, but had never sewn with them and figured it couldn't be that hard, right? Wrong! I went ahead and made a knit dress I patterned myself using a straight stitch on my old Singer. I'll be honest, looking at it, it turned out pretty well (you can see the picture here). Functionality-wise, it struggled. Let me fill you in on why this wasn't functional. I used a basic straight stitch. That's a big no-no when it comes to sewing with knits. A straight stitch provides zero stretch, and when you're working with a stretchy fabric like knits, you need to use a stitch that stretches. If you want to learn more about the properties and types of knit fabrics, check out my previous post on Understanding Knit Fabric.
This dress was a solid effort for my first try. If someone would’ve taught me the magic of either a serger or a zig-zag stitch, I’d probably still be wearing the dress today! Here are some things I wish I would've known before I started sewing with knits:
Use a ball point needle. The rounded tip allows the needle to pass through the fabric by separating the threads. Needles with a sharp point break the threads, which can lead to damaged fabric and skipped stitches.
Test on scrap fabric before beginning. This may seem unnecessary, but if you haven't worked with this particular fabric before, practicing can save a lot of frustration. Some things to look for when testing on scrap fabric include:
- Does the fabric stretch out of shape when sewing? First off, make sure you're using a zig-zag stitch. The side-to-side motion of the stitch helps keep the fabric from stretching out of shape. If your fabric is still stretching, it may be the presser foot. Try lowering the pressure. You can also try using a walking foot, which helps the fabric feed through the machine easier.
- Is the fabric bunching while you sew? Play with the stitch length and width on your machine. Your stitch size might need a little adjustment before you're ready to start on your project.
- Is the machine eating your fabric? Believe it or not, using tissue paper may help solve this problem. Cut 1" strips of tissue paper and place it under your project while you sew. After the seam is sewn, the tissue paper easily tears off. If any gets stuck, use tweezers to remove the excess paper.
Do not stretch the fabric while sewing. Not only will this affect the fit of the garment, it will also hurt the properties of the fabric.
Support the weight of the fabric. As the fabric passes through the sewing machine, make sure it is not hanging off the edge of the sewing table. This puts extra stress on the sewing machine, can affect the stitch length and stretches the fabric out of shape while you sew.
Use a stretch stitch. This is probably the most important tip when it comes to sewing with knits. There are many types of stretch stitches, and below I'm outlining different types of stretch stitches based on different types of machines.
Sewing with a Serger
A 4-thread serger is my ideal machine when it comes to sewing with knits. I didn't make the investment in a serger until halfway through my college career. It was a game changer when it came to speed and quality.
Pros:
- It finishes the edges while you sew. You don't have to worry about fraying with knits like you do with wovens, but it gives an overall cleaner look to the inside of your projects.
- It is more powerful than a home sewing machine. To put it simply, more power equals more speed.
- The stitch offers great stretch, making it perfect for knits.
Cons:
- Adding a whole different machine can be a hassle when it comes to learning how to thread the machine.
- It is much less versatile than a home sewing machine when it comes to stitch variety and size.
- Sergers can be costly.
Sewing with a Home Sewing Machine
I only recently learned how to use my home sewing machine to sew knits. While it may take a little longer, the stitches offered are more versatile than a serger.
The stitches above are my two go-to stitches when it comes to sewing with knits. Stitch 03 above is also known as the lightning bolt stitch. It looks like a straight stitch, making it great for top stitching and seams alike. Stitch 04 is your basic zig-zag stitch. It is very versatile when it comes to stitch length and width. Both stitches have great stretch.
Width Variation
Depending on the type of fabric you use, you may need to use a narrow or wide zig-zag stitch. On this fabric, the narrow stitch works best. You can see in the image above that the wider stitch results in more puckering and tunneling.
Length Variation
Another variation of the zig-zag stitch is its length. In this case, the longer stitch looks the best, but it is also the least secure due to the large amount of space between each stitch.
Pros:
- A home sewing machine is easily accessible and can be used for your entire project from sewing the seams to hemming.
- There are lots of stitch variations to choose from.
Cons:
- Home sewing machines aren't as powerful as sergers, meaning sewing might take a bit longer.
- It doesn't finish the edges. This isn't necessary for knits, just a personal preference for some people.
Looking for projects to practice sewing with knits? Check out some knit sewing patterns below:
Happy Sewing,
