How to sew with knits or stretchy fabric

If you feel like sewing with knits is a stretch check out a few of these tips and tricks I so wisely know have discovered by accident that seem to make those darn stretchy fabrics play nice!

Check out:
#1- Needle, needle, needle
#2- Set the right stitch type and length
#3- Tame those hungry feed dogs
#4- Thread Counts
#5- Release a little tension would ya?

#1- Needle, needle, needle

The type of needle you use on your machine is the key to success above all else. Especially for light weight knits and jersey fabric (like t-shirts). I use a ballpoint needle (sometimes called a Jersey needle), but you can also use a stretch needle. These fancy needles have a rounded point that penetrates the fabric without catching or cutting through the yarns.

#2- Set the right stitch type and length

I'm sure you've heard a zigzag stitch recommended when sewing elastics or knits and it's because the zig lets the stitch flex and give a little with the movement of the material. This makes it easy because you don't have to stretch the fabric as you sew. The best setting for a zigzag machine is the narrowest zigzag setting (.5mm on many machines) and a stitch length of 2.5mm to 3mm. For those super thick knits you can use a longer stitch length.

For those with a straight-stitch-only machine don't worry! Just set your stitch length to a medium (2.5mm-3mm) length and it should work just fine. The only catch is when sewing knits with a straight stitch, you need to very carefully and evenly stretch the fabric from both ends. This doesn't have to be a tug-a-war, you just slightly and gently stretch the fabric as it goes under the presser foot. Make sure you're not pulling on one end or the other though, because you could end up pulling and snapping the needle. Yikes! No matter how cranky your kids are all day I doubt anyone really wants to poke their eyes out with a needle.

#3 Tame those hungry feed dogs!

If you have a differential feed system on your machine count your lucky stars! Your manual should have some info on the best setting for knits. The feed dogs are the little spikes at the plate of the machine that "feed" the fabric through while you sew. This is also what makes the knit fabrics sometimes stretch too much or pucker when they're pulled through too tightly.

How do I know what I have???

Most basic sewing machines have a single feed which feeds all layers through together, at the same time. You can test to see if yours does by taking two of the exact same size pieces of fabric and sewing a seam down the center. After you remove them from under the presser foot check the edges of the fabric to see if they are still aligned. If so, then hooray your feed is working well! If not, well shoot, those dogs are pulling either the top or the bottom piece faster than the other. No big deal, you should be able to check your manual and adjust the feed, but it'll require a little trouble shooting back and forth with test strips until you get it.

Having the feed dogs balanced will help, but if you still have too much pull or puckering you can try easing the pressure on the presser foot. I've also heard, but not yet tested that you can put a piece of paper under the fabric before you feed it through the machine to basically eliminate the feed dogs altogether! I've heard it really helps, but you'll have to make sure you're good at evenly and gently stretching the fabric through on both sides. Then, once you're done sewing you just pull the paper out of the seams.

If you're using a serger and having problems with the knits bunching, pulling or puckering, you can also check your feed dogs. Most sergers come with a differential feed knob that you can turn to strengthen or loosen as needed.

Warning about serging with knits.... the serge stitch takes away most of the stretch in the fabric, so it's actually better to sew neck openings or tightly fitted cuffs with a zigzag so they can stretch with the material over the head, hands or feet.

#4- Thread counts

The type of thread that is. Using the lightest weight possible will limit bunching. Instead of the basic cotton thread see how nylon thread works for you

#5- Release a little tension would ya?

For knit fabrics and most stretch material you'll probably need to loosen the bobbin tension, especially if you're working with cotton thread. Always test on a scrap piece of fabric after making any changes. The best stitches for a knit should lay almost flat with a slight raise. Give the fabric a little stretch to make sure the stitches don't break. If you've gone too loose you'll know because the stitches will form “loops” rather than stitches and won't lay flat.

Other random tips

• Always pre-wash knits, because they do definitely shrink.
  
• Skip the seam finishes! Most knits don't unravel much anyway and the less sewing the less room for unwanted stretch.
• Spray a little ironing starch on the ends to give them some extra stiffness while you're working.
• Sounds too basic to even say, but make sure your machine is recently oiled so the thread doesn't have extra pull coming through.
  
• Use a double row of stitches on the hem. I'm sure you've noticed that most professional knits use this and unfortunately, they're fancier than most of use SAHM sewers and use a special machine or fancy serger to make this "coverstitch." But even if you don't have a coverstitch most zigzag sewing machines can take double needles, which sews a perfect double row of stitches on the needle side of the fabric and a neat zigzag on the bottom! This stitch has more stretch than a regular stitch and looks impressively professional :) The only drawback is that when you change to a double needle you'll probably have to make some other adjustments to your needle and bobbin tensions. If you want to try this hop over and check out this tutorial for twin needle sewing here.

I hope this helps!

Please email me or comment away if you've discovered any other tips, I'd love to know!!!

And.... just because I can't possibly have a post without pictures I'll seize the opportunity to show you Sienna's favorite moment of all from our little cabin trip last week.

Sitting in an old fashion high chair and eating oreo cookies
(it was a tie between the chair or the cookies)

Drinking her "milk-ooo" out of a fancy Sienna size real glass.

Puckering like a knit fabric when we laughed at her milk mustache.

Trying desperately to hide the "hairs" of her milk mustache to get us to stop giggling at her.

Ooooh kids are so fun, can you blame us for getting our kicks where we can??

Fleur de Skirt

There is something so romantic about wild flowers and when I saw this fabric my heart immediately leaped to visions of designs to create this sleek, feminine A-line skirt.


A perfect first project to share with my new love affair- my serger!


Although I was tempted a few times to go back to my trusty sewing machine, I stood strong and used my serger for every part of this shirt.

From the side hems

To the rolled hem bottom

My personal favorite touch :)

I even used the serger to make my wide band elastic casing, which I only had to rip out and start over once! Seam ripping and manual re-reading considered, I was still astonished by how quickly I turned out this skirt using the serger for the first time and designing my own pattern!

I don't know what I love more my serger or my new skirt?!

It also helps that I just really love the wild flower pattern on this cotton fabric and how lovely it looks with the form fitting a-line skirt!

But not too form fitting for a game of hide and seek of course!

As you can see, I'm not a very creative hider though :)

Serges of learning!

As Sienna likes to say to Jonah when he wakes up from a long nap, "I missed you, baby!"

And who wouldn't miss that smile?

I know it's only been a few days away, but it feels like it's been the longest "nap" ever and all I want to do is throw my arms around my computer and say "I missed you, baby!" But then I might have to admit that my blogging not addiction is slightly an addiction. I just couldn't do that, so instead I'll try to calmly share about the excitement bouncing in my head over my serger (!).

It was a love hate with the Sergester and hours after hours of mulling over my instruction manual trying to figure this darn thing out. Finally I decided to break down and take a serging class last week.

Best idea ever! I learned so much!

I know not everyone has a serger, so I won't spend too much time doing tutorials, but I thought I'd share a few things I picked up and if you all like it I'll do more. Sound good?

Here's a little Serger 101

Threading

#1- Order counts when you're threading including the order the threads lay over each other
#2- Once you finished threading hold the tails of your thread like you do when you start to sew with your left hand and use your right hand to gently tug up on the beginning ends of the thread to make sure they are fully tucked into the tension wheels. By beginning ends, I mean the space between the spools and the first point you thread through.

You'll know if your tension discs aren't engaged when your stitch looks too loopy.

#3- If the lower looper keeps breaking make sure you clear the lower looper of all the threads before you re-thread by brushing a something flat under the pressure foot and needle area first.
#4- Once you get it threaded you can keep it that way even if you have to change thread by simply tying a knot at the top of your threaded thread with the new thread and stringing it through- huge time saver!

Tension

#1- Have patience and ALWAYS test before you serge, even if is the same fabric you were working with before your break. You'll save yourself headaches and lots of seam ripping...
#2- Only change one thing at a time and then test, so you can narrow down exactly what is wrong.
#3- If the fabric CURLS (like a C) then the lower looper is too tight
#4 If the fabric PUCKERS (like a gather)- check the DIF and set it to N or loosen the needle tensions
#5- If your stitch is IRREGULAR- change your needles

Serging vs Sewing

No back serge. To close your stitch you must tie a knot. A tailor's knot works best (click on the link for a how-to), but you could also tie a regular knot close to the edge as possible or simply hide the thread between layers.

Turning corners. With serging your end will be bulky or come unraveled if you simple pivot your fabric when you get to a corner. Here's the steps for how to get a tight outside corner:
1. Stitch until the needl is 1 stitch off the edge
2. Raise the needle and foot
3. Pull fabric back to clear the stitch fingers (little "fingers" under the needle that the thread loops onto)
4. Pivot fabric around and tuck up against needles and knife
5. Lower needles back into the machine (not fabric) to create a barricade for where you want to stitch
6. Hold your fabric with the left hand and use the right hand to pull the threads at the top of the machine to release the slack out of the tension discs
7. Lower pressure foot and serge!

Differential feeders. You really don't have to feed your fabric into a serger, the feeder dogs are amazing on these machines! But that also means you have to be sure to change it based on your fabric.

Types and colors of thread. This matters with sergers! Your tension may be different just based on the color of you thread. Black threads tend to be heavier, because of the amount of dye so the tension may need to be looser.

Types of fabrics and thickness. This also affects tension. Thinner fabric require less thread coverage and penetration, so tensions should be tighter. Similarly, they might need to be loosened for lots of layers or thick fabric.

Good to note here- sergers can never use needles greater than size 90! So even though you have thick fabric to sew, you don't want to change your needle size like you would in a sewing machine. I definitely didn't know this before my class- phew!

I hope this is helpful for those of you with sergers in the closet or brand news one on your table! Please let send me any questions. If you have any more tips please, do share! I'm on a roll with this learning business and can't seem to get enough! I'd also be happy to take some pictures or make a tutorial of some of the techniques I've learned if it would be helpful.

I'm getting so much better at this sewing stuff!!!! I can't wait to show off my first project with the Sergester... just in time for spring!!

Serger 101

Wait!...

Don't throw me in the closet!

I'm not nearly has frustrating as you may think! Try these tips if you're stuck:

Threading

#1- Order counts when you're threading including the order the threads lay over each other
#2- Once you finished threading hold the tails of your thread like you do when you start to sew with your left hand and use your right hand to gently tug up on the beginning ends of the thread to make sure they are fully tucked into the tension wheels. By beginning ends, I mean the space between the spools and the first point you thread through.

You'll know if your tension discs aren't engaged when your stitch looks too loopy.

#3- If the lower looper keeps breaking make sure you clear the lower looper of all the threads before you re-thread by brushing a something flat under the pressure foot and needle area first.
#4- Once you get it threaded you can keep it that way even if you have to change thread by simply tying a knot at the top of your threaded thread with the new thread and stringing it through- huge time saver!

Tension

#1- Have patience and ALWAYS test before you serge, even if is the same fabric you were working with before your break. You'll save yourself headaches and lots of seam ripping...
#2- Only change one thing at a time and then test, so you can narrow down exactly what is wrong.
#3- If the fabric CURLS (like a C) then the lower looper is too tight
#4 If the fabric PUCKERS (like a gather)- check the DIF and set it to N or loosen the needle tensions
#5- If your stitch is IRREGULAR- change your needles

Serging vs Sewing

No back serge. To close your stitch you must tie a knot. A tailor's knot works best (click on the link for a how-to), but you could also tie a regular knot close to the edge as possible or simply hide the thread between layers.

Turning corners. With serging your end will be bulky or come unraveled if you simple pivot your fabric when you get to a corner. Here's the steps for how to get a tight outside corner:
1. Stitch until the needl is 1 stitch off the edge
2. Raise the needle and foot
3. Pull fabric back to clear the stitch fingers (little "fingers" under the needle that the thread loops onto)
4. Pivot fabric around and tuck up against needles and knife
5. Lower needles back into the machine (not fabric) to create a barricade for where you want to stitch
6. Hold your fabric with the left hand and use the right hand to pull the threads at the top of the machine to release the slack out of the tension discs
7. Lower pressure foot and serge!

Differential feeders. You really don't have to feed your fabric into a serger, the feeder dogs are amazing on these machines! But that also means you have to be sure to change it based on your fabric.

Types and colors of thread. This matters with sergers! Your tension may be different just based on the color of you thread. Black threads tend to be heavier, because of the amount of dye so the tension may need to be looser.

Types of fabrics and thickness. This also affects tension. Thinner fabric require less thread coverage and penetration, so tensions should be tighter. Similarly, they might need to be loosened for lots of layers or thick fabric.

Good to note here- sergers can never use needles greater than size 90! So even though you have thick fabric to sew, you don't want to change your needle size like you would in a sewing machine. I definitely didn't know this before my class- phew!

In My Mother's Garage...

There are countless hidden treasures that have been forgotten intentions from the past. Ideas she once had, projects she meant to start or finish and complete start up supplies for hobbies she hoped to take on. All just sitting there waiting to be discovered and given a new home...

So... this week we finally did it. We rolled up our sleeves, hiked up our boots and boldly ventured into the depths of disaster, into the chaos of clutter, into the pit of one woman's junk to find our treasure.

We went into my mother's garage.

Because flash photography was prohibited inside due to the sensitivity of possible archeological finds, ok fine, it was mostly just because of my poor mom's pure embarrassment she didn't want me to share with the world just what a pack rat she is... but let me tell you, I don't think it's a secret.

Anyway, even though I was forbidden to take pictures of the great conglomeration I was given special permission due to my utter excitement to show you pictures of some of the amazing new toys that I got to take home!!

In order of increasing excitement....

Score #1- A rottary cutter, new blade and mini mat (I went to JoAnn's last night to see about getting a big one and almost fell over when I saw how expensive they were. No wonder she only had the mini one! I think this will do for now).



Score #2- A bunch of new needles, a fancy schmancy seam ripper and a box of flagged pins.



Score #3- Boxes and boxes of old fabric (too much to show) and... are you as excited as I am??

Fabric pencils!!! Love at first sight! Sorry Mr. Chalk, you might have to go...

Score #4- Old wooden spools! Perfect for a special Christmas project I have in mind, but you'll have to wait for that.... these puppies are hard to find!

Last, but not least....eeeee! I'm almost too happy to type!

Score of all score...

A SERGER!!!

It may be old and it may be a nightmare to thread, but it's mine and it will be loved.

I.AM.SO.EXCITED.

I know, I think I said that already, but can you blame me?

Thank you to my dear mother for never throwing anything away :)