Do you have a fear of sewing hems on knit fabrics? Don't fret, many of us do too! In this post, I'm excited to share with you a quick and easy tip to sewing a hemline on knits with no stress at all! The secret is the use of a coffee filter as a stabilizer - seriously, it works! After trying this, I'm pretty sure you'll never go back to your old method and you will have the confidence to sew knits without fear!
This exciting sewing tip is being shared with you as an excerpt from the full Sewing With Knits MasterClass course. This is one of our most popular courses, if you haven't already checked it out I encourage you to take a peek and pick up a copy of the course today, or join the Sewing With Cinnamon community for more sewing tips, tricks, and community interaction.
Now onto the tutorial... All you need is a plain coffee filter (white or natural) and a knit fabric project to test this out. It can be any sewing project, it doesn't have to be just for dolls. Although, if it's larger than the coffee filter, you'll probably need several to get the job done!
Wasn't that amazing? Are you ready to try this out yourself?
Applying this method can help you approach sewing patterns designed for knit fabrics with confidence! Be sure to check out our Summertime Styles With Knit Fabrics to see more patterns where you can apply your new skills! Here are a few suggestions to get you started:
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Thanks, everyone!
The Pixie Faire Team
508 Comments
My challenge with knits is the bulkiness of a hem, so much so that at times I just fold once and do a blind hem. Thanks for this hack – I definitely will use next time I’m hemming with the machine.
My challenge is sleeves. I’ll try the coffee filter trick.
Don’t forget to use a ball point needle, created specifically to sew on knits, also a bit longer stitch length helps to prevent stretching. Ball point needles are also available for sergers, and many machines have a differential feed option for knits. Don’t pull or stretch the fabric as you go either. The hardest thing to do is make buttonholes on knits… stabilizers are a must for that.
My biggest challenge with sewing with knits for dolls is keeping the bulk down. It often requires using different standards and methods of sewing that I wouldn’t use for my own garments and I don’t always know what those are. Happy stitching!
I’ve used copy paper as the backing, but I think the coffee filter way is best as it’s small enough to maneuver around the fabric. Thanks!