[Sandra S Hamous]

Hello –

I am feeling a little confounded at the moment! I ordered some inexpensive knit fabric online with the intention of using it for the Parachute Polo and School Bus T-shirt. However, when it arrived, it wasn’t nearly as thick as I had hoped! One of the fabrics is a striped slub knit – super soft but also somewhat sheer, seems more suited for a scarf or drapey women’s top than a child’s shirt! And the other one, that I was REALLY looking forward to (cabana stripes! Woo!), feels like it would be better suited to a maxi dress, with the amount of drape and stretch it has going on. It is a rayon jersey, and the slub knit stripe is a poly jersey with some cotton in it. They are both pretty thin. :-/

I guess what I’m wondering is whether I should stash the fabric for later use or try it and see how it turns out. I’m rather irritated that I may have wasted my money on it…

[Nicole]

Hi Sandra.
I am definitely not a knit expert and I have not made the Parachute polo yet but I would wonder about popping those fabrics in your stash.
Thinner knits looks stunning once sewn but can be a bear to handle. Perhaps not the best choice for a new pattern make.
That said, I made amy daughter a Field Trip tee from club knit and it sewed up really well.

Good luck with what ever you decide.

[Nicole]

That should say ‘slub’ knit! 😉

[Liesl Gibson]

That has happened to me so many times! Knits come in such a range of weights and qualities, it’s really difficult to judge the weight when you’re purchasing on-line. Right now my fabric closet has a pile of really slinky knits that were intended for projects that require a more stable knit. Frustrating, to be sure.

If the fabric doesn’t feel right, shelve it for another time and project. You can always make a School Bus T-shirt with it!.I’ve found that I prefer slinky knit T-shirts for sleepwear. They’re more comfortable than PJs.

But in terms of identifying the “right” fabric when you’re purchasing on-line, it’s really difficult. Girl Charlee does a good job of describing the fabric clearly. Or if you know the manufacturer you can sometimes identify the quality (like Kaufman’s Laguna jersey). Beyond that I think it’s a bit of a risk unless you can request a swatch beforehand.

[Sandra S Hamous]

I was mulling it over again earlier today – I personally have a RTW slub knit raglan that is super comfy – and I wouldn’t mind having another! So maybe I’ll just use School Bus and/or Field Trip for the slub knit fabric instead of a polo shirt (and I do have the Field Trip pattern – it’s one of my favorites!), and try to find something else for the Parachute Polo. Liesl – I LOVE Kaufman Laguna jersey – and I was drooling over GirlCharlee last night…! So I think I will redirect my thinking here for the Parachute Polo. I may not be able to get started as soon as I had hoped, but this delay will let me participate in the sewalong at least! And that rayon jersey cabana stripe may also just have to wait, or become PJs for me. 😀

Thanks so very much for the input ladies! And Liesl – you do amazing, beautiful work! Thank you so much for sharing it with us! 🙂

[Masha Richart]

I have had this same frustration myself. The conclusion I have come to is that I really prefer working with cotton/lycra knits when sewing for my kids as they seem to recover better (and drape less) than the the knits that contain rayon or poly (even where there is lycra). The Kaufman laguna knits fit into this category, although they are a bit thinner than I had expected them to be at first. I will say that I have received knits from online shops, even Girl Charlee, that were listed as cotton/lycra and clearly also had some synthetic content. I set those disappointments aside for clothing for myself (and have successfully made myself some knit tops out of rayon/lycra blends).

[cybele727]

This is actually what prevents me from buying more knits. Not the sewing, but the actual purchase. I need to find a book that has little swatches of fabric in it with labels. Then I could use that as a reference when I search google. I know what I am asking for, and google hopefully, helpfully provides that. I realize it means that the seller must accurately describe it. But sometimes the pictures are high res enough that you can see if it is right.

[beachmom]

I’m like Masha…I prefer cotton/lycra knits when I sew for the kids. It’s relatively easy to work with and seems to hold up well. My personal rule of thumb is to use 8-10 oz. weight fabrics for tops and dresses. 🙂

[Audrey]

I have lots of knits waiting for the right use…
That said, Art Gallery Knits are very very awesome! For tops, skirts, whatever.

[Liesl Gibson]

Even with the right fiber content, different knit qualities will feel and drape differently, so there’s no simple answer to this. Unfortunately. You really just have to feel them!