Sewing With Knits: Beginner Basics

To introduce our Sewing with Knits series we thought we would start with the basics.  Here are 5 quick and easy tips, Knit Tips you can call them, to get you up and running and on the road to a long and loving relationship sewing with knit fabrics.


First, you do not need any special equipment.  Really?  No special machine, needles, anything?  Nope!  I am not saying that there are not specialty machines, needles, threads and more available that are helpful to sewing with knit fabrics, but to get started all you need is your regular sewing machine.  Helpful items to have are ballpoint or stretch needles and pins as these tend not to make noticeable holes in knits and if you start sewing a lot with knits a serger is a huge time saver.  While knits do not require the seams to be finished, as they do not fray like wovens, a serger will give that professional look of most commercial garments.

Second, make sure you do not stretch while you sew. Stretch is the most important difference in sewing with knits versus woven fabrics so the biggest challenge with sewing with knits is learning how to NOT STRETCH IT WHILE YOU SEW.   Since knits already have the stretch built into the fabric if you pull it like you can a woven to say go around a curve in a pattern you will distort the knit and your finished product.  To learn how to do this I suggest practicing on some different kinds of knit fabrics.  Slowly move the knits through your machine to get the feel of how to sew with the different weights and content types of knits without stretching it.  The best thing to keep in mind when adjusting to sewing with knits is to take it slow. Speedy sewing can lead to unnecessary stretching which causes puckering at the seams and a lot of frustration!  For practice knits take a look at the half yard section of the Girl Charlee website for inexpensive, small cuts of fabric that are perfect for learning on.



Third, pick the right knit for the job. Do not be intimidated by the technical terms and variety of names used for the different kinds of knits. (We have broken down what these names mean in the FAQ section of our blog to help you.) Generally the less a fabric stretches the easier it will be to sew, but you always want to make sure you're picking the right knit to get the best results. For example, a heavy weight cotton interlock with little to no stretch would not be the right fabric for something like a maxi dress. Instead a medium weight cotton jersey or spandex with the right stretch and drape would be best.  "Two Way Stretch" (horizontal across the grain) and "Four Way Stretch" (both vertical and horizontal) along with percentage of stretch (how much it stretches each way) in pattern instructions tell you what fabric you need.  For example a normal cotton jersey is a Two Way Stretch fabric that stretches 25%.

Note: Every fabric listing on www.GirlCharlee.com will tell you the percentage of the stretch along with the weight of the fabric to ensure you're choosing the right knit.

Fourth, you are not limited to knitwear patterns! This may surprise you, but many patterns designed for woven fabrics will sew up beautifully with knits. We do suggest avoiding patterns with zippers, buttons, darting, finished weights, or specific heavy weight fabrics as these do not translate as well. That being said, there are plenty of knitwear patterns out there that are perfect for beginners. Because they are designed for knits it will be easier to know which fabrics will work and which ones will not.

Fifth, have fun!  Knit fabrics may seem challenging but if you follow these simple steps you will be creating fabulous garments and accessories in no time at all! If you have any questions regarding this post, feel free to leave a comment or email us through our website here.

Happy sewing with Knits!
~ Heather

We love to see what you sew up!  If  you have projects created with Girl Charlee fabric that you'd like to share in our monthly KnitPicks, please send us one or two images, your name, the name of your blog/business, and a URL to link to us at gcblog at girlcharlee dot com.