Hi Everyone! Today's post is all summed up in the video below :) I'm taking you into my sewing studio and demonstrating a few of the techniques I use when sewing with knit fabrics on a standard sewing machine. I'm using a Bernina 330 for this illustration. If you have questions about specific sewing machine models, we're ready to help! Georgette has joined us to moderate questions in the facebook group as well. She's worked for Quality Sewing for years and has a vast knowledge of many sewing machine brands models. So ask away... we're here to help!
If you have questions specific to this post and the topics mentioned here, please post them as comments to this Knit Hems and More FB post - Happy Sewing!
Topics covered (with minute marker timeline for easy reference):
- Intro
- @1:00 Sewing the shoulder seams and finishing options
- @3:18 Hemming the neckline
- @5:56 Working with knit sleeves
- @7:43 Finishing the armscye seam allowance
- @8:30 Finishing raw edges
- @9:50 Double turned hemline
- @14:54 Single fold hemline sewn with Twin Needle
- @20:30 Bonus - Coffee Filter as stabilizer (it works amazingly well!)
24 Comments
This is great, looking forward to putting these tips into practice.
Did not know about interfacing for knits. Got a shirt here I was gonna throw out because of the wobbly look but now I will try the steam iron and possibly save it. Huge thank you!
I totally agree with Carol’s stitch starter tip. I learned this a few years ago, and it is wonderful- it also keeps the needle from coming unthreaded, and reduces tangled thread, and is much easier than holding the threads. Thanks for all the great tips! I’m going to try them all!
Instead of beginning to stitch so far into your hem, use a stitch starter. It’s a small scrap of fabric a few inches square that is the same or slightly thicker than your garment fabric. You begin stitching in the middle of the stitch starter. As the machine gets close to the end of the starter slip the real fabric under the pressure foot to meet up with the starter. Keep right on sewing. The starter reduces the tendency for the fabric to sink into the needle plate or to bog down.
This is amazing! Thank you SO much! I’ve always been mystified by the double needle. This totally made it clear for me, and I can’t wait to try that and the coffee filter!! :) :)