Excursions into Sewing Knit Fabrics

CatwithSevenToes · February 8, 2025, 3:36pm

Welp, the shirt I’m going to make for my wife is looking like it’s going to be an interesting task. Quite interesting indeed, .

Also, if anyone has any tips for their particular machine, might as well add that, could be interesting and useful.

Machine: Singer Traditions 2250

Useful Notes:

Should use a ball point needle.
overcasting foot (which I will not be using, at least while testing).
Fusibles, interfacings, etc should be a knit interfacting. (Which, I may get the overcasting foot after all as I’ll most likely have to order this, ).

Stitches:

So far, it looks like B is going to be my choice (from videos, and the machine’s manual).

Miscellanious:

I’m guessing this knob could be used to adjust the pressure foot tension. (Isn’t described in the manual, but older models had the adjustment in this location, and in the parts documentation it is called the “pressure bar regulating screw”).

I will definitely have to play around with this knob for a while. The setting that seams to make the best looking stitches makes it where the face plate won’t fit now. Huh!

Also, under the lighting bracket, there is a hex screw that can be used to adjust the pressure foot. I will not be messing with this, as the previous knob is affixed to the same mechanical arm…Maybe, as adjusting it would allow the face plate to be set properly. I’ll have to run some experiments before I do that though.

Videos: These are videos I’ve found fairly helpful for getting into the mindset.

How to sew a blind hem on fabric

No Serger, No Problem! Find Out How to Sew Knits on Your Sewing Machine (Good description of the needles used).

Sewing Machine Presser Foot Pressure - Tension (Good explanation for pressure foot tension).

Learn How to Sew: Sewing with Knits & Stretch Fabrics (Episode 10) (The first video I watched).

(All I have at the moment, and have no knit fabrics other than what I have for the shirt. , might need to make a trip to the thrift store).

Manders · February 8, 2025, 8:25pm

I only recently learned that you can make clothes without a serger

ceep · February 9, 2025, 12:04am

Best way to hem knits that I have found: Press up the hem. Use water soluble hem tape to hold it in place but NOT right at the edge where you’re going to sew the hem. Use a double needle in your machine (ball point) and two spools of thread on the top. Set the machine to straight stitch and make the stitch a little longer than you would normally sew with. Loosen the top tension a tiny bit.

CatwithSevenToes · February 9, 2025, 1:58am

Another thing to add to my test list, heh.

I believe my sister is sending me some knit fabrics, as well as an ironing board, and another sewing machine. So will see what that one is capable of, and test…test…and test some more, heh.

CatwithSevenToes · February 16, 2025, 7:00am

Alrighty! The three line stitch option works like a charm, and I believe I can start planning to cut out partial shirt patterns to start testing sewing a knit v-neck. Once that test is&

20250216_005440

LittleCogs · February 16, 2025, 8:43am

My machine came with an overedge foot, and I tried it on woven fabric before I borrowed my mum’s Overlocker. I was pleased with what it could do, and it led me to trying out other things that came with my machine that I had never used.

I found it was important the fabric was in the right position, as if it was too far right, I got quite a lot of bunched up fabric in the hem.

CatwithSevenToes · February 18, 2025, 5:46pm

Ok! By Zeus’s smelly armpits, I think I’m getting better…ish.

I am definitely far more absent minded, which is going to make this fun, (put the pleats on the wrong side) , but meh, can’t fix that. Just have to make absolute certain that I double/triple/quadriple/etc check before I start on the final shirt.

Some things I’ve learned (or haven’t learned, ).

At least this fabric doesn’t iron like the cottons and others. No matter what I tried, I couldn’t get the edges to iron flat.
The two decorative pleats are a lot nicer on this fabric (i presume the inability to iron it flat really helps).
I really want to do something with the neck, and I’m really leaning towards bias tape (and I had read there is knit bias tape).

ceep · February 20, 2025, 11:16pm

I always finish my necklines with a (visible) band. I can’t see a facing ever working on a knit in a satisfactory way, but I’m sure open to seeing it is you’re successful!

CatwithSevenToes · February 21, 2025, 12:57am

That’s the look I’m wanting, and I am just a tad leary about the neck facing (erm! Leary is the wrong word… uncertain, that’s a better word). The orange knitted fabric is a bit stiffer/thicker than the fabric I got for her shirt. I can’t find any knitted interfacing around here anyway, but not just that, I’m not sure what to do about the bias tape for the neck area. I may just have to test a piece of the fabric after I get everything cut out (to make sure I have enough, luckily, I don’t think I’ll have to worry about cutting on the bias with the knit fabric).

Meh, I’m still not there yet. I need to make the arms for the test piece so I can be sure the arms as is will be fine, or if I’ll have to change them as well.

And I just now understood/saw this. Ok! So some changes are probably necessary.

BINGO! That explained what was going on in my mind…

Interchanging Knit and Woven Fabrics & Patterns

MamaRhi · February 21, 2025, 2:37pm

I have found stretchy interfacing with bra making suppliers on Etsy, if that’s helpful.

CatwithSevenToes · February 21, 2025, 6:14pm

Hmm! I think I’ll just have to go with the arms as is. They seem to be fairly tight (kind of hurt my bum arm getting it off). Unfortunately, I just don’t know how the fabric is going to be. It is a bit looser than this fabric, so maybe they won’t be as tight as this one.

And this will be a big help.

SEWING PATTERN HACK TO MAKE SLEEVES BIGGER!!! How to do a bicep adjustment the easy way!

Yep, the sleeves are too tight. Welp, a little more adjusting before I get started. Pppp!