Knitted fabrics are one of the most avoided fabrics in the sewing community, but sewing with knits is really easy and extremely rewarding. Fabrics are a staple in every woman’s wardrobe. Because they are so easy to use and maintain, it is available in a variety of patterns, styles, and weights. Take a look at any wardrobe and you will be sure to find at least one garment made from knitted fabric.
Many consider sewing with knits to be a scary process. Fabrics are sometimes unpredictable. If the wrong thread tension is used, the fabric will wrinkle. Using the wrong needle will tear the fibers.
While these problems are common when working with knits, there are many ways to avoid them and to sew a beautiful garment. Most of these problems occur because not much is known about the stretch of fabrics, how the fibers are woven, and what type of thread, needle, or tension level to use. To avoid some of the common mistakes of working with knits, you must first learn about stretching the fabric. Before starting a project, first take a sample of the fabric and test different stitches, thread tension levels, and sewing pace and see how the fabric reacts. Here are some important things to remember about certain stretch fabrics and how to work with them.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF STRETCHING
There are basically four different types of stretch in fabrics: firm, moderate, two-way, and super.
Firm stretch
Firm stretch knits are the least stretchy of all fabrics and have up to 20% stretch along the fiber. As a general rule, they are the easiest to work with because there is very little stretching. Most fabrics are medium to heavyweight and include double knit, sweatshirt knit, and boiled wool.
Double point: Double knits are made of tiny ribbed woven fibers that look the same on both sides of the fabric. The quality of the ribs and the heavy weight make it a bit thicker, which is why ribbed knit fabrics are perfect for skirts, dresses, jackets and coats.
Knitted sweatshirt: Also called sweatshirt fleece, sweatshirt fabrics should not be confused with cotton fleece, which is more stretchy. The sweatshirt fabric is made of smooth vertical ribs on the right side and a fluffy surface on the wrong side. It’s extremely easy to work with and perfect for cold weather sportswear, jackets, and of course sweatshirts.
Boiled wool: Mechanically woven and washed to shrink, boiled wool is very soft and is often used for scarves, hats, jackets and other cold weather garments. Boiled wool is also seen more often in clothing fabrics.
Moderate stretch
Moderate stretch knits are the most common knits and are probably what you think of when you think of knits. An example of moderate stretch is the fabric used to make T-shirts. Moderate stretch fabrics are made from single knit fabric, resulting in a comfortable, light to medium weight fabric that stretches 25% to 50% through the fiber. Moderate stretch includes cotton jersey, tricot, double-layer cotton fleece, interlocking knits, velvet, and stretch velvet.
Single knit or cotton sweater: Lightweight cotton jersey knits are most often seen in T-shirts and blouses. Rib knit fabrics appear vertical on the front side and horizontal on the wrong side. These fabrics are easy to work with and are commonly used for casual wear, such as blouses, dresses, skirts, pants with an elastic waist, shorts, and pajamas. Some fabrics are so soft that they are used in children’s clothing.
Knitting: These extremely fine fabrics do not shed, making them ideal for underwear and lingerie. Unlike plain knits, tricot is a warp weave, which means that the ribs at the front and back are parallel rather than perpendicular.
Double-pile cotton fleece: The double nap of this versatile fabric makes it soft on both sides and thick enough for winter. The fabric makes warm pajamas, sportswear, blankets, scarves, hats, gloves, sweatshirts, dresses, jackets, and vests.
Interlocking fabrics: These lightweight knits drape wonderfully and can be sewn into dresses, blouses, pants, shorts, skirts, socks, hats, gloves, and straws, as well as baby clothing and diapers. While it does not curl along the edges, the finely woven ribs on both sides can unravel and require extra attention from runs in the cross grain.
Velvet and stretch velvet: Both fabrics come in a variety of weights and have a brushed soft nap on the right side. With a moderate stretch, they can be sewn into more elegant garments, skirts and dresses.
Bidirectional stretching
These stretch fabrics are best used when you are planning to make a swimsuit, leotard, or a fitted garment. Generally, the stretch percentage ranges from 50 to 75% in a stretch fabric in two directions, both longitudinally and transversely.
Knit sweater: Knitted fabrics are available in a variety of weights, textures, fibers, and stretch percentage. Knitted sweaters are great for making winter clothing such as sweaters, cardigans, vests, dresses, ponchos, tunics, underwear, and even accessories.
Lycra Cotton: One of the most popular types of two-way stretch fabric is lycra. Lycra is the trade name for synthetic fiber spandex invented by DuPont in 1958 and refers to fabrics that have synthetic fibers woven into fabrics to provide greater elasticity and flexibility. The higher the percentage of Lycra in a fabric content, the more elastic the fabric will be. This synthetic material revolutionized the sewing and fashion industry because, while it is more elastic than most fabrics, it also has a great recovery, allowing clothing to retain its shape.
Super stretch in four directions
Four-way stretch fabrics are one of the most difficult fabrics to sew because they can be 100% stretched in any direction. Swimwear and sportswear are some of the most common examples of four-way stretch fabrics. Other types included ribbed fabric, swimwear fabric, and action fabric.
Ribbed fabric: Made with any type of fiber, ribbed fabric to not always incorporate or depend on synthetic materials to achieve stretch. Stretch is created by the way the fibers are woven. The stretch is 100% across the cross grain, creating a versatile finishing fabric for necklines, waists, cuffs, underwire and hems. The edges of stretch knits do not curl, which is why these fabrics are highly preferred to use on the edges of garments.
Swimsuit: Swimwear fabrics are typically made from a blend of nylon and spandex, but the stretch will vary depending on the percentage of spandex integrated with the nylon. This fabric has more elasticity in the longitudinal fiber.
Point action: These fabrics are somewhat similar to cotton lycra, providing more elasticity and elasticity. They are typically used to make sportswear, such as motorcycle shorts, jogging pants, sports bras, and training tops. Action fabrics are a blend of nylon, cotton, polyester with spandex or latex for flexibility. Most sports brands like Nike, Adidas, and Reebok have developed their own versions of action fabric to use in their garments.
Practice sewing with fabrics
There are many sites available online where you can read product descriptions and research the content before making purchases. When working on a sewing project, it is extremely important that you choose the perfect type of fabric for your project. The best way to approach knitting is to get started. Practice sewing with knits and testing fabrics until you find what works for you. You will be surprised to discover how rewarding knitting can be to sew.