[Amy MacKay]

I’m pretty new to knits (hopscotch shirt several times), and am trying to do the knit version of the playtime dress. I’m having difficulty attaching the bodice and dress. The layers are slipping and bunching and catching in the seam. I’m using a lightning stretch stitch (that is a nightmare to unpick), and my walking foot. I also had difficulty with the button holes even though I used interfacing as instructed. I have done this pattern easily with woven. Any tips? Is my knit too thick (it’s a Lizzy House Andover knit with 5% Lycra)?

[NanaMar]

Hi, Amy

I have not done very much sewing in knits but I did sew this pattern in a stretchy knit and found a couple of tricks useful. WRT the buttonholes, I interfaced both the placket areas, i.e. bodice side and the lining side and I added another stabilizing piece of woven non-slippery ribbon (or twill tape) to both inside placket areas as my fabric was very stretchy and then I used snaps instead of buttons. At the waist I stabilized the bodice edge with an interfacing strip and then basted on the gathered skirt piece, I think if I remember correctly, by hand, before sewing the waist seam using, as you mention you did, the walking foot but using a straight stitch as this seam does not need to be stretchy because it is already a loose fit. NB be sure to put a line of gathering stitches on both sides of the seamline of the skirt to help so the gathers “sit up” between the gathering stitches. I hope this helps.

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by NanaMar.