How To Stabilize Knit Fabric For Sewing
My 9 Tips for Sewing with Stretch Fabrics
Sewing with stretch fabrics can exist somewhat of a challenge. For a beginner information technology can even be a little scary and a lot of clothes are made of stretch fabrics. In this article, we'll give you some insight and some tips & tricks to work with these fabrics.
Stretch Fabrics are frequently quick to sew. Knit fabrics, specially jerseys, don't generally unravel, so you tin can sew without finishing the seams in many cases. If you have a serger or an over-lock machine, y'all tin can even stitch and terminate your seams at once.
Prewash your textile to avoid shrinkage when the project is finished. Knit fabrics sometimes compress even more than woven fabrics.
When copying your pattern, choose the management of your fabric wisely. The management of the greatest stretch has to go across your body, rather than up and downwardly. This will give you the best fit from stretch fabrics.
Don't focus too much on lining upwards the selvedges when laying out your fabric. Use the pattern, stripe or weave to ensure the fold is directly and your fabric is laying nice and polish.
1. Use soap slivers as a marking tool
I prefer lather slivers if I want to mark on very stretchy fabrics. It doesn't agglomeration upwards if you accept to depict long lines.
two. Cut the textile with a rotary cutter
I get better results cutting stretch fabrics with my rotary cutter instead of using fabric shears. The material often bunches and moves while I'm cutting, creating jagged edges and cuts that aren't precise. Not everyone agrees, but if y'all've never tried it, I would certainly requite it a go! I get cleaner and more authentic cut lines. Just use some pattern weights, your cut mat, and if you have directly lines use your ruler and cut. Keep the material relaxed equally you cutting, don't stretch information technology out.
three. Stabilize the fabric
Sewing with stretch fabrics is easier when you stabilize the cloth at certain places, like effectually the hemline or the neckline, or to prevent curling at the edges. Depending on what y'all demand, yous can use fusible interfacing with a 1-way, ii-fashion or 4-way stretch; knit stay tape; iron-on bias tape with reinforcement; or starch spray. Use stabilizer to stabilize the shoulder seam when making a knit acme or a dress, give a seam or hem a bit of support and rebound, or to create a dainty sharp edge on a knit.
A expert article on using fusible interfacing for knit fabrics is this one from The Last Run up :
If your fabric gets stuck in the needle plate when you beginning sewing, yous tin also put some paper underneath your fabric– sew the paper along with your seam and tear it away afterwards.
iv. Basting or clips, just don't utilize pins
Basting your hem or plumbing fixtures two pieces together with a very loose hand run up can exist a good idea to hold knit fabrics in place and go along them from twisting out of shape.
Either way, effort to avoid using pins because they can damage your textile. Sewing clips are a great alternative to pins for sewing with stretch fabrics.
5. Don't stretch out the fabric while sewing
Keep the fabric relaxed as you sew, don't pull the fabric toward or away from y'all.
Support the weight of your project while you sew. If your project falls on the basis while passing through your machine, your fabric volition stretch out.
Hover your iron over the material and apply steam on a stretched seam to help it shrink again into its intended size and shape.
6. Choose the right needle
(needle nautical chart: courtesy of Wikipedia)
Use a ball point needle (also called bailiwick of jersey needle) for loosely woven knits or sweater type fabrics. They have a rounded point that gently pushes through the fabric without communicable or cutting through the fibres, and thus avoiding runs and tears .
For super stretchy fabric & tightly knitted bailiwick of jersey fabrics with a significant amount of spandex or lycra, like agile or dance wear, use a stretch needle. The eye of this needle is a piffling higher– meaning a larger loop is created when the machine makes a run up. This means the stitches tin can really stretch with the fabric.
7. Set your car to a stretch stitch
Use a stretch run up or long and narrow zig zag sew instead of a directly stitch so that your seams can stretch with the fabric. If yous don't have a stretch stitch on your auto, set your stitch length to the narrowest zigzag setting (0.5) and your sew length to a medium setting. The slight zigzag volition give you the stretch you demand.
Well-nigh sewing machines also offering overlock stitches, intended to mimic the expect of a serged edge.
8. Employ an appropriate presser foot
First of all, allow the feed dogs practice their job. Never button or pull your fabric while you are sewing.
If yous feel like your presser human foot is giving too much force per unit area, dive into your sewing machine manual to see how you tin can adjust the pressure level. If the force per unit area is set too high, it volition stretch out your fabric.. It will look rippled. To avoid this, suit your presser foot pressure level. Typically a setting of one or lower is appropriate for knit fabrics.
A walking foot can be helpful to gently and uniformly feed your fabric. The upper feed dogs assist to pull your fabric through your machine at a more than even charge per unit.
A knit foot doesn't accept these upper feed dogs, but every bit it jumps on the fabric and applies less pressure the fabric feeds more than evenly too.
And remember: Always reserve a few scraps to test your needle and machine settings.
nine. Hem with a double needle
Don't use a double fold hem on knits. This creates unnecessary bulk and tin cause the hem to roll toward the right side.
If you lot want to imitate the expect of a cover-stitch that is used in ready-to-wear article of clothing, a twin needle is your best bet. Use a double needle to sew a perfectly spaced double row of stitches on the correct side of the textile, with a zigzag on the bottom. This stitch has more stretch than a regular run up and is great for a prissy apartment hem. The double stitching will help the hem from rolling toward the right side when wearing.
You lot may have to adjust your needle & bobbin tension, and so e'er test on a scrap when you change to a double needle. Knit stay tape can also assist to stabilize the hem and avert tunneling.
Understanding stretch fabrics
The terms jersey, knit, and stretchy fabrics are often used to refer to similar fabrics. Most stretch fabrics are knits and jersey makes upwards a large percentage of this group. These fabrics tin can be made from cotton wool, viscose, polyester, wool, bamboo or a combination of other materials.
Jersey is just i blazon of many kinds of knits bachelor. Single knit fabrics are stretchy and they have a right and incorrect side–the front end existence smooth and the reverse volition have very fine bumpy stitches. Double knits have less stretch. Except for the tricot knit, all following knits are weft knits. Warp knits are less common and more circuitous.
Has apartment vertical lines on the front and horizontal ribs on the back of the textile
A cotton jersey is more than stable and holds more than shape than a viscose or modal one and is a skillful fabric for beginners. You can use it for loose t-shirts and kid's dress.
If you desire more fitted t-shirts and garments designed to have more move, utilise a viscose jersey. A viscose jersey is more floppy and drapes better.
Has columns of whales on both the front and the back of the fabric.
Ribbing is very stretchy. It is used for cuffs, cervix bands, hem bands, waistbands.
Is a variation of a rib knit, only the front and the back are the same.
Interlock knits do not ravel or curl at the edges and are heavier and thicker.
Information technology is knitted in a way that creates loops on the reverse of the cloth
French terry is a thicker fabric, developed for sportswear with the aim of wicking sweat from your trunk into the garment and trap warm air to provide an insulating layer. The more sturdy versions are easy to use and good for beginners. Used for sweaters. Also a good choice for beginners.
Is knitted on the right side and purled on the wrong side simply the wrong side is brushed, forming a fuzzy look, making the fabric softer and warmer.
Used for sweaters and jackets. Relatively easy to sew with.
Is a warp knit. The stitches run vertically down the fabric. In tricot the correct side has clearly divers fine vertical ribs and the back crosswise ribs.
Tricot is usually soft and drapey. The cut edges tend to curl upwards. It has almost no crosswise stretch.
Tricot is used for lining and lingerie, it can be used for blouses and dresses.
The ability to expand and bounce increases when there is elastane, lycra, or spandex in the fabric.
The stretch percentage is the amount that the fabric physically stretches, not the amount of lycra or elastane in it.
To check the amount of stretch in your fabric, run across the complimentary printable from Megan Nielsen:
Fabrics tin can stretch in 2 means.
-
- 2 way stretch —> stretches between the selvedges (t'shirts, sweaters,...)
- 4 way stretch —> stretches lengthwise and between the selvedges (sportswear, swimwear)
Looking for a good quality rotary cutter, cutting mat, a ruler, a walking foot, or a knit foot? Don't hesitate to bank check them out in our store!
With a little know-how and some good tools, you will love to stitch knits!
An
MadamSew's inhouse sewing blogger
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