{"id":76462,"date":"2021-01-13T07:03:14","date_gmt":"2021-01-13T12:03:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/?p=76462"},"modified":"2021-01-12T16:03:24","modified_gmt":"2021-01-12T21:03:24","slug":"sewing-with-knit-fabric-for-the-first-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oliverands.com\/community\/blog\/2021\/01\/sewing-with-knit-fabric-for-the-first-time.html","title":{"rendered":"Sewing with knit fabric for the first time"},"content":{"rendered":"


\n<\/a>
\n<\/a>My name is Elizabeth and I have never sewn with knits.<\/p>\n

There, I\u2019ve said it.<\/p>\n

Over the last 26 years I\u2019ve sewn a lot of clothing, done lots of quilting, lots of home furnishings, but somehow never made anything out of knit fabic.<\/p>\n

I own an overlocker (much as I currently live in North Carolina, I\u2019m British, so that’s what I call a serger). I\u2019ve bought knit fabric. I\u2019ve read lots about sewing with knits\/stretch, watched YouTube videos, and googled helpful tips. I\u2019ve had a pack of ballpoint needles sitting in my sewing machine drawer for years, and yet somehow I\u2019ve never got them out.<\/p>\n

I decided to take the plunge, but to start simply when sewing with knit fabric for the first time. Much as I have some serious envy of all the amazing new Noord Sweatshirts<\/a> being made, I decided to start with the Playtime Dress<\/a> for one of my daughters before taking on making something for myself.<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

I have accumulated many different knit fabrics over the years, and decided on a French terry I\u2019d picked up last season from Joann\u2019s with bright towelling spots.<\/p>\n

Sewing with knit fabric for the first time: Cutting pattern pieces<\/h2>\n

I alternate between scissors and a cutting wheel and mat when cutting woven fabrics, but a wheel and mat was definitely the way to go with knit fabric. This fabric didn\u2019t have too much stretch, but I can imagine trying to use scissors would have been a bit tricky with a thinner or stretchier fabric.<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

I was aware of the raised spot pattern on this particular fabric and how it could add extra bulk. So to minimize that problem, I tried to cut pieces so they didn\u2019t have dots close to the seams. I also cut the facings from the selvage pieces which had a greater area without dots, as I didn\u2019t want the dots from the facing show through on the front.<\/p>\n

Sizing<\/h2>\n

I have super-skinny 7- and 10-year-olds, so I started by making the size 8 to see who it would fit better. It\u2019s a comfy fit on the 10-year-old and she loves the softness of the fabric. After\u00a0assembling the bodice, I checked pocket heights before placing them slightly lower, and added an extra 2″ to the skirt length.<\/p>\n

I made a size 6 with extra length for my 7-year-old.<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

The overlocker!<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve used my overlocker a lot with wovens for finishing seams, but this was its first go with actual construction.<\/p>\n

I always do a lot of trial and error with my tensions, and this was no exception. I also had some experimenting with seam allowances and where to align the fabric edge to get the 1\/2″ seam allowance right. I was very aware of the “one go only” nature of construction with the overlocker and was filled with dread at the idea of messing anything up. As it was, I had one slight moment early on which required some stitch ripping, and that took some time!<\/p>\n

I find starting and feeding the initial fabric into an overlocker slightly fiddly. I used a few basting stitches at the start of a seam to prevent the top layer from being pushed slightly further back and misaligning the seam.<\/p>\n

Sewing knits with a standard machine<\/h2>\n

I found (and this might just be me?) that I couldn\u2019t do all construction with the overlocker. One failed attempt at pockets ended with me having to bring in the seam a bit to cover a small nick with the overlocker blade. I also had to make a repair with my standard machine.<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

Using the standard machine meant another round of experimenting with zig zag and lightning bolt stitches in all their different widths. I ended up using the lightning stitch for the faux Peter Pan collar in a contrast magenta stitch.<\/p>\n

I wasn\u2019t sure whether my 10-year-old would appreciate the Peter Pan collar look (being a lover of the Fairy Tale Dress, I thought it was a gorgeous detail), but both girls love it! The lightning stitch came out really smooth and tidy, although I\u2019m still toying with the idea of a hand stitched collar on future versions.<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019d been worrying about sewing buttonholes on French terry with interfacing and multiple layers, but they worked perfectly despite the bulk (although I\u2019m going to have to find a magenta button so they match the spot colors correctly).<\/p>\n

\"Sewing<\/a><\/p>\n

Things I\u2019ve learned as a knit newbie:<\/p>\n