Quilt for Haiti

We love you Nancy Geaney!

Knit Picky

This is for Karen :0)

Knit fabric. Scary or not? I happen to like sewing on challenging fabric so at first glance, this seems to fit the bill. Except, it's SUPER easy. Like really easy. Cut the fabric wrong? Stretch it. Measured your body wrong. Stretch it.

Knits

Sewing needle: Stretch or Ball Point

Hem: Twin needle

Thread: Poly/Cotton or Poly

Pins: Ball Point (or use regular sharps within the seam allowance only) or Universal

There are basically a few types of knits - double knit, jersey knit, 2 way stretch.

Within that group, there are sub-categories, but for the most part, those 3 groups are enough info for now.

Double knit is the least stretchy - it's two layers of knit knitted together. It's stable, can be drapey, and can be fairly thin or fairly thick.

Jersey knit - your common t-shirt knit garden variety fabric. Stretches in one direction. Very user friendly and easily found.

2-way stretch- Love this stuff. Stretches in both directions. Has lots of flexibility- this can be good and bad. The hems have a tendency to rolllll. (we'll fix this idea later on)

All of the fabrics are available in a variety of fibers: cotton, poly, spandex, and now even bamboo.

-Pre-wash and dry your fabric. I know there are nay-sayers out there, but for me just do it.

-Be sure when choosing fabric for your pattern, you have chosen appropriately. Often, the commercial patterns that call for knit will actually have a gauge on the pattern back showing how much your fabric should stretch for it to fit properly.

-Change your machine needle to one (I use Schmetz) appropriate to your fabric. Let's be real, it sounds dumb, right? I know. But for real, change your needle.

I often use their "Universal" needle for everything I jam through my machine. These are actually fine for knit. A better one still is "Ball Point" - the purpose of this needle is to go through the fabric in between the knitted stitches as opposed to piercing through the fabric. This can make a hole and/or a run. Check out the seams on a cheap knitted garment from your closet and see what I mean. Holes. Gross.

They also make a "Jersey" needle. This are great for making bathing suits and such out of shiny spandex, but aren't necessary for a cotton jersey dress. Get the Ball Point needle and you are in shape.

-Sewing : stretch your seams a bit when you run them through. They will snap into place again when you are done, but this will prevent the thread at the seam from snapping while putting the garment on. We all have t-shirts where the shoulder seam has ripped out. Be honest. Be sure also to back stitch. You are much more likely to have a seam come undone on a knit than a cotton woven that you didn't back stitch. Hello J. Crew armpits.

-Edge finish. You can certainly leave the seam edges unfinished, but for peace of mind, I tend to always finish my seams with my serger (true love). If you don't have a serger, just a zig zag will do. Again, stretch your seam a small amount. This added reinforcement will be great should a seam snap. We don't want to see heineys hanging out. Buy a serger, it's the best $200 you've spent in awhile.

-Hemming- this is SUPER fun and very professional. Get yourself a "Twin Needle". It is a single shank (that thing that gets stuck up inside the machine and tightened with a screw to your machine) but with TWO needles sticking out the bottom. Check your manual to see where the 2nd spool of thread will go. My Viking has an attachment that you pop into a slot on the front of the machine. Other machines have an adapter that goes onto the bobbin winder. In any event, put 2 spool of thread onto the machine. You are stitching from the front, so choose the thread you want to see on the front side. Now, grab both threads together and thread the machine as normal. When you get to the needle, simply thread each one with one of the threads. It does not matter which thread you use, just thread them both.

Now, be sure to iron and pin your hem all the way around. Place your pins perpendicular to the fabric, it's easier to get them out. Top stitch your hem into place. You will have 2 perfectly even stitching lines on the front and a zig-zag that is formed on the back. The zig-zag offers a bit of stretch so you are in good shape from a utility point of view.

Twin needle hemming is cute with contrast stitching also so go crazy here! the point of the twin needle is to prevent the hem from rolling. The width of the needle stitching helps to stabilize the fabric enough so it can't roll.

I think that covers most of the issues with knitted fabrics. The great thing with them is how forgiving they are in both sewing and fit. Have a blast with them!

Did I miss anything? I hope not. If I did, let me know and I can try to answer your question.

Raining pink and cute

Seriously dying over how super cute this raincoat came out. Still mildly obsessed with the laminated cotton. The girl totally needed the raincoat today with very heavy downpours coming down at bus time! Good timing Mom!

Made the pattern myself and only have 1 change I'd like to make - love the foldover sleeve action, but they are about 1 inch too long - just too bulky - so that's fixed on my pattern and we are ready for another!

The outside is from Amy Butler's Love collection and the lining is super awesome Jennifer Paganelli's line - Matt's Tux. love the color coordinating action between the two.

The was probably completed in a couple hours - it was super simple, lined, a bit of elastic in the hood and a zipper. A bit of topstitching and wa-la. Love it! So does the girl.