How to sew with knits
Will my machine sew knits?
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If you have a basic sewing machine featuring several stitch styles:
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If you have a fancy sewing machine with many stitch styles:
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If you have an older sewing machine or industrial sewing machine with only a straight stitch:
While most people would probably say no, I say yes! Just because you only have a straight stitch at your disposal doesn't mean you should avoid knits altogether. The garments you sew with a straight stitch will be more prone to developing holes in the seams if a stitch snaps but you have a sewing machine right there ready to run over any seams again if need be! Besides, if you are gentle when putting on the t-shirt, you can likely avoid breaking any threads. Increase your straight stitch length slightly to allow for a bit more stretch. To finish your seams you could sew another row of straight stitching or choose a knit fabric that isn't prone to unraveling (a jersey for instance) and skip seam finishing altogether!If you have a serger:



My knit fabric won't cooperate while I cut out my pattern - do you have any tricks?
Trick #1: Cut on the floor
You won't have to worry about your knit slipping off the table as you cut if you spread your fabric out on the (clean) floor. If you have a large table that allows you to cut with your entire fabric spread out flat, this will work even better!
Trick #2: Cut out a single layer of fabric
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Trick #3: Use weights
Place heavy items (rocks, soup cans, pattern weights) on your pattern piece and on the fabric around the pattern piece. Weighing everything down will help to combat the shifting of your scissors so that the fabric stays in one place and un-stretched as your scissors move along the edge of the pattern piece.
Trick #4: Use a rotary blade or slide your scissors
It is important to cut extra carefully when working with knits because the scissor's movement can easily pull the knit fabric out of place resulting in jagged edges or misshapen pieces. A rotary cutter eliminates any issues caused by scissor blade movement. If you are using scissors to cut, slide the bottom blade of your scissors along the floor or cutting surface and move the top blade up and down. This can be tricky to get the hang of but it will result in much more accurate cutting!I want my t-shirt to be the best that it possibly can be! Do you have any tips for cutting out the pattern pieces?
Tip #1: Keep the direction of greatest stretch in mind when placing pattern pieces
Double check (or triple check!) that you are laying out your pattern pieces so that the direction of greatest stretch runs around the body (rather than up and down the body). If you cut your pattern pieces so that the stretchiest direction of the fabric is vertical along the body your knit garment will stretch and sag out of shape. When cutting out the neck band for a t-shirt, you have a couple of options for placing your pattern piece on the fabric. If your knit fabric is especially stable and you are worried that your neck band won't be stretchy enough, place your neck band fabric on the bias (at a 45 degree angle to the grainline). If your knit fabric is sufficiently stretchy, place your neck band so that the longest edge is aligned with the direction of greatest stretch (and the narrow edge is aligned with the grainline). This will allow the neck band to stretch around the neck to help to retain the shirt's shape. [caption id="attachment_6165" align="aligncenter" width="850"]
Tip #2: Ensure your pattern pieces are completely on grain
Cheap store bought t-shirts often have a very obvious problem - they twist around the body as you wear them so that the side seams are angling towards the front and back. This twisting problem occurs because the grainline is not running vertically down the shirt front and back, instead, it is on an angle. When the manufacturers cut out the fabric they stacked many, many layers of knit and then sawed through them to cut out the pattern pieces. Either the blade of the saw was not sharp enough or the layers of fabric were too thick for the saw to handle, as a result some of the fabric layers (likely the loose ones on the top and bottom of the stack) shifted as the saw cut resulting in twisted, off grain pieces. Don't replicate this common problem while sewing your custom t-shirt! Place your paper pattern piece on the fabric and measure from either tip of the grainline to the fabric selvedge to make sure that the grainline is aligned to the selvedge evenly (pictured below).

Tip #3: Cut notches outwards
Knits can be prone to 'runs' just as you might see on a knit stocking. Cutting notches inwards as you might normally do when cutting out a pattern weakens the seam allowances of the garment. As you wear and wash the t-shirt you might be horrified to notice that your t-shirt is unraveling at the seams where you cut your notch! Instead of cutting notches inwards, cut little triangles of fabric outwards. If you prefer not to perform this fiddly cutting technique, you could just mark your notches with chalk or a pencil - easy peasy!
Best wishes while you cut out your Strath Tee! If you take the time now to ensure your machine is operating at full capacity and that your fabric is accurately cut out, the actual sewing of the t-shirt will be a total breeze. Use the #StrathTee to show us the fabric you've chosen and to give us a look at your seam sample progress!
Comments
sewing: jersey knit scout tee - imagine gnats said:
[…] Thread Theory Designs – HOW TO SEW WITH KNITS […]
How to Sew a Men’s T-shirt – jeansshirt said:
[…] a ballpoint needle into your machine and test your stitch style (check out this post if you are wondering how to choose a stitch […]
John Thomas said:
I wonder what the technique for sewing knits was when there were only straight stitch machines available for home sewers? Stretch thread was probably not the ‘go to’ solution, maybe slightly stretching the fabric as it was being straight stitched.?.
ThreadTheory said:
I haven’t used stretch thread myself but I imagine it would work well! My technique is as you say: Stretch the fabric ever so slightly as you stitch and use a longer stitch length. You will never end up with as strong of a garment as you would when using a stretch stitch but it will be perfectly serviceable. If you material appears puckered even after ironing, refrain from stretching the fabric at all and just use the longer stitch length.
ThreadTheory said:
I would love to try that some time! I haven’t yet and have always been curious :).
How to Sew a Men’s T-shirt | Thread Theory said:
[…] a ballpoint needle into your machine and test your stitch style (check out this post if you are wondering how to choose a stitch […]
Strathcona T-shirt Sew-Along | Thread Theory said:
[…] Choosing a stitch style […]
Shayna said:
Ooh! And get thee some stretch thread! It comes in a cone and you sew with it in the bobbin only. Especially key if you’re just using a straight stitch.
Terzi Begum said:
Very helpful post, thank you!