How To Sew Knit Fabric - For Beginners - Part 4

Welcome to the last of our series on sewing knit fabrics on your standard sewing machine.  We hope you have enjoyed some of the tips and techniques.  So, far we have discussed fabrics, patterns, cutting, tools and some best practices. Today we'll be focusing on sleeves and hems. 

Part 4: Sewing Knit Fabric- Sleeves, Hems and More!

 

While I prefer a sleeveless garment, there are some techniques I like to use when sewing in sleeves.  For a knit garment, I highly recommend sewing your sleeve using the flat lay technique and not in the round. The sleeve cap in a knit pattern is not usually designed to have a ton of ease built in. Take advantage of this and let your feed dogs take up the needed ease in the sleeve. You will find that this method gets the job done beautifully. 

 

1. Unlike a set-in sleeve, you will not sew the seams closed on your bodice pieces and sleeves, yet. Start by sewing the bodice shoulder seams together. If you haven’t added a strip of fusible interfacing to the shoulder seam to keep it from stretching proceed do so now (see our previous post to get the details).
   
   Next, we are going to start with one of the sleeves and the coordinating side of the bodice. With right sides together, pin the match points at the shoulder and the notches. Do not put in any other pins or you defeat the purpose of this technique.  (To help you match the sleeve with the correct armscye on the bodice, patterns designers indicate front and back pieces with notches, there is one notch to indicate the front side and two notches indicating the back of the pattern).
   
   At the machine, you will want to place the sleeve pattern piece on the bottom, and the armscye of your bodice on top when sewing this together. This allows the feed dogs to take up the ease between the notches.
   
   Bring the presser foot down and then, I like to hold the two pattern pieces together with my right hand at the notch I am stitching towards. Doing so gives me a bit more control in keeping those matching points together while allowing the feed dogs to do their work. I use my left hand to make any adjustments at the stitch line as I sew. The goal is to have the ease taken up by the time you get to the that notch you are holding. A typical knit sleeve cap will not have a large amount of ease built in so, this is easier than you might think. Trust the process and just sew.
   
   Once you are happy with the result, you will sew up the side seam of the bodice and sleeve in one swoop.  Be sure to align the underarm seams so they match up and any other notch points on the bodice. Next, sew your side seam starting at the waist, straight through to the end of the sleeve.  
   
   
   
2. To finish hems, some like to use double sided fusible knit tape. The tape can change how the garment hangs or feels, especially when used on slinky knits. However, it seems to be less of a problem on heavier knit fabrics. It’s a good idea to do your own experimentation. Just be sure to use a lightweight fusible designed for knits. See the instructions on the fusible you choose for details. After adhering the fusible tape to the hem edge of the wrong side of the fabric, you will then press the hem up and topstitch.   
   
   
   
3. As an alternative to fusible knit tape, I like to stabilize my stitching with paper when sewing hems. You can use adding machine paper, copier paper or even gift tissue paper. It really does help stabilize the hem while sewing and prevents stitches from puckering or skipping. Just place the paper on the feed dogs and your fabric atop and start sewing. Tear the paper away when done. Any residual paper will come out after you launder the garment. I personally like the finished look of this technique better than using fusible. If you’re brave, go ahead and trying using a double needle to top stitch. Another popular look designers are using leaves the hem unfinished, maybe that’s a look you will like.

 

4. The most important thing is to experiment. Use some scraps of the garment fabric to test out these different techniques. Part of testing your stitch includes pulling a bit on the fabric where stitched to ensure the stitches do not break.  For most knits, a topstitch using a 2mm-wide and 2mm-long stitch should do. 
   
   According to the publication, Sewing with Knits, by Connie Long, you can determine adjustments needed in your stitch length based on the problem you see in your test. 
   
   - Lengthen your stitch if the seam looks stretched or wavy.
   - Shorten your stitch if the stitches “pop” when you pull on the seam.
   - Lessen your stitch width if you experience “tunneling” or creasing. 
   
   It’s also a good idea to label and keep your test swatches for future reference, include the type of knit, the stitch length and width. If you used a fusible make a note of that too. I keep a binder and store samples in those plastic binder sleeves.  It keeps things organized, visible and neat.
   
   
   
5. What about lining? Swimwear lining makes a great lining fabric for knitwear. I especially like it for double knit or Ponte. It is incredibly comfortable, and it not only moves with your fabric, but it also adds opacity for those translucent knits.  I also noticed that it tends to smooth over the figure nicely, lessening the look of lumps and bumps. There is also tricot which is a fine knit used for lining. Tricot is usually very thin and may work well very lightweight knits.

 

Don’t be afraid of knits. Continue to practice and get a feel for sewing up different types of knit fabrics. You’ll be glad you did!  

We would love to see what you have sewn up using these techniques.  Please feel free to comment or follow us on Instagram and share what you've created.