Knit tops are easy garments to sew. They fit into our casual lifestyle so well, that it is worth being able to make these yourself.
I will go over some techniques which can be used in a variety of knit tops. The easiest top to make is a t-shirt so we will start with that. There will be three lessons: the first deals with fabric preparation, layout and cutting; the second deals with sewing techniques and finishing the neckline; the third and final lesson will be on seam finishes and hemming. After these three lessons, I am going to add a fourth lesson which will deal with making the collar and placket for a rugby shirt.
Sewing books hold a wealth of information. Two that I highly recommend are Kwik-Sew's Sweatshirts Unlimited (which includes a master pattern) - the book deals with a large number of variations on a basic sweatshirt. Most of these techniques are useful for all knit tops. The second book I recommend is The Stretch and Sew Guide to Sewing Knits by Ann Person.
First, selecting a knit. If you are fortunate to have a fabric store near you that stocks good knits, you are very lucky. Most of us don't have good knits available in our local store. The majority seem to be cheap blends of polyester and cotton, that pill after a few wearings and look old and worn very quickly. Once you are familiar with knits, you will be able to pick out the good ones that do come in. Good knits for t-shirts will have a high percentage of cotton in them and they have a substantial feel as well. Rub the knit against itself to see if it begins to pill. If it does, don't bother buying it; sewing time is precious these days and it's just not worth wasting that time on inferior fabric.
If you don't yet know how to "feel" good knits, then shop over the internet for knit fabrics. Most mail-order companies will send you swatches of the fabrics that you are interested in. Don't be afraid of mail order - it is fast becoming the best source for fabric these days, as our smaller independent fabric stores are falling by the wayside. High overhead combined with extremely low prices on fabrics from the east, and sold by the large chain stores, are just two factors causing the demise of the small fabric store but that is a whole other story.
For t- shirts, I prefer to use cotton interlock or jersey; I also really like knits that have 5-10% lycra added to them. Lycra gives the fabric memory so that it retains its shape through many wearings and launderings. It also adds strength to the fabric. A blend of polyester and cotton is okay if the polyester is less than 50%. I find that a blend of 65% polyester, 35% cotton (which is common) pills quickly and is also clammy to wear. I once sewed a knit top from a fabric that was 85% cotton, 15% polyester. I wish I could find more knits like that one, because I wore it to death and it didn't pill or shrink.
If you are confused by all the terms for knit fabrics, such as jersey, single and double knits, interlock, ribbing, you're not alone. So let's take a look at these types of knit fabrics.
Single knits mean that they are knit with one bed of needles, similar to knitting a sweater. The two sides look distinctly different, with the right side looking smooth like the front of a sweater. The wrong side has purl rows that are easy to see. Here are some scanned pictures of a single knit.
Single knits also curl along the cut edges. Along the horizontal cut, they curl to the right side. Along the vertical edges, they curl to the wrong side. This can be quite annoying when sewing narrow seam allowances together, as the edges curl under as you are sewing them and it can be difficult to keep the two edges even, let alone keep an even seam allowance. A trick here is to cut your seam allowances at least half an inch wide to avoid this problem. But, if you like patterns that have 1/4" seam allowances, you have already cut your garment out and this is not an option. I personally find 1/4" seam allowances a bit of a trial with a jersey or single knit as you have to keep uncurling those edges to keep a proper seam allowance.
Single knits make very nice t-shirts as they are a nice weight. They are cooler to wear than double knits. They also drape nicely so if you want a cowl neckline on your t-shirt, or if your pattern has gathers, look at a single knit rather than the heavier double knit.
Shirred dress in jersey
The shirring detail on the sleeve of this two-piece dress would only work on a single knit or jersey.
Picture scanned from Burda World of Fashion April 2002
Single knits are also called "jerseys".
Obviously, double knits kind of mean twice a single knit. In other words, double knits are knitted with two beds of needles working in unison. The right and wrong sides look almost identical and, if you can't tell the difference, simply be consistent when cutting and sewing your pieces out. To flip the two sides in one garment may result in different shadings being apparent.
Double knits are heavier than single knits, so you may find them too heavy for a summer top. They lay flat, unlike single knits, so the seam allowances can be pressed open if desired. As they have more body than single knits, double knits make good candidates for skirts, dresses, pants, and cardigan jackets.
McCalls 3528
would hold its shape nicely in a double knit.
Pattern is Nancy Zeiman's design from the summer /02 catalog
For years, I heard the term interlock and didn't really understand what that meant. Actually an interlock is a double knit that has been knit with fine yarns. So it feels lighter, is cooler to wear, but has the great quality of a double knit - the edges don't curl. Right and wrong sides look the same, unless it is printed as in this example. The stitch looks like the right side of a single knit, but it is usually finer.
Now, there are more types of knits, such as sweater knits, raschel knits, sweatshirtings, but we are going to stop here as the preceding knits are the ones that are generally used for t-tops and simple knit tops.
Before cutting out your pattern pieces, pre-treat the fabric as you will care for the finished garment. Therefore, if you plan on washing and drying this garment, do this to the uncut fabric. This is necessary to remove the shrinkage that always happens with natural fibres. If your knit is a synthetic, you will want to remove the sizing on the surface of the knit. Sizing, which is sprayed on at the mill, can cause skipped stitches when sewing. Also, many people are sensitive to the chemicals used in the manufacture of fabrics and washing the fabric before handling it, can help remove odours that can be problematic for some people.
Let's move on to thread and needle choices.
When choosing thread for your knit project, the essential thing to know is that the thread must have some stretch to it. Therefore, this eliminates 100% cotton thread right away. Cotton thread will not give with the seams, but will break and your stitches will pop. Choose good quality cotton/polester thread or 100% polyester thread in a shade to match (or just slightly darker) than your fabric.
If you are sewing with a serger, you may want to put wooly nylon in the loopers as this will provide stretch in the seams. Wooly nylon is also very fine and doesn't tend to leave an imprint on the fabric when the seam is pressed.
Needles - Most problems with sewing knits can be traced to the needle choice. Regular sewing machine needles, called sharps, will pierce the fabric and this will cause runs in knits. Manufacturers have come up with three types of needles to handle this problem.
The first is a ballpoint needle. Rather than piercing the fabric like a sharp, the ballpoint needle separates the yarns and lays the thread down between the fibres. This would be my first choice of needle for a knit fabric.
Universal needles are modified ballpoints, that you can use on either wovens or knits. I tend to use these needles for most of my sewing, but favour true ballpoints when it comes to knits.
The third type of needle is called a stretch needle. Resort to this needle if you are getting skipped stitches on your fabric. These needles may not be available in your local fabric store, but you can easily get them from a mail order source such as Nancy's Notions, Clothilde, or Joanne's Notions here in Canada.
FYI - Nancy's Notions - www.nancysnotions.com
Clothilde - www.clothilde.com
Joanne's - www.joannescreativenotions.com
Email addresses and toll free numbers can be obtained from their sites.
Now, match the needle size to the weight of your knit. The finer the knit, the smaller your needle should be. Use a 70/10 or 75/11 for t-shirt weights; a heavier 90/14 is better for heavier knits such as sweatshirting.
Always begin a new project with a new needle. While you can get away with using an older needle on woven fabrics, you will get into trouble with knits. A dull needle can snag your knit fabric. Once snagged, there is little you can do to repair the damage. Synthetic fibres also dull needles more quickly than natural fibres do, so you may need to change needles during the course of a longer project.
FYI - Needles are the least expensive notion that you will buy, so don't wait for them to break before you replace them. Instead of tossing used needles in the garbage can, put them into an old pill bottle so that they won't hurt anyone.
So, you have your fabric washed and dried, your pattern is cut out along the size lines that you have picked, your machine is threaded and has a new needle. You're ready for cutting out. I really enjoy cutting out a new project. I find that my enthusiasm is highest at this stage. Perhaps it's because I haven't actually met with any failure yet and the envisioned garment is full of promise. I know that many sewers dread cutting out. Perhaps your space is too crowded or you're pressed for time. Be sure to feel comfortable when you are cutting out, because this is the time you really need to concentrate most. Many mistakes can be rectified, but a cutting error often spells the end of a project. Try to cut at a time when you are not tired and when you are not likely to be disturbed. And unplug the phone. Believe me, they can wait half an hour.
Check your fabric for permanent fold lines. A knit with some polyester content is likely to have a permanent crease where it has been folded. Your knit may have two folds, or just one if it has been cut open. If the crease line didn't wash out and the iron doesn't remove it, then re-fold your fabric so that the two cut edges fold into the middle. You will then have two new folds on either side - this still allows you to cut out both the front and back of the top on the fold using only one length of the garment.
Lay-out for knits
Lay your pattern pieces out as for a nap lay-out. In other words, all the pieces of your pattern should face the same direction. If this means flipping one piece upside down to cut it, that's okay. When you are cutting double, you can flip the pieces and still end up with the right ones. The reason for cutting in one direction only is that knits reflect light off the stitches and they will appear to be a different shade viewed from the opposite direction. It would not be terribly noticeable (not like cutting corduroy in two different directions! as I did on a pair of pants once). But it might appear odd at times and will probably bother you.
When laying the pattern pieces on top of your fabric, place the pins in the seam allowances without letting them go past the stitching line. This is a good habit to get into with any fabric, but particularly with knits which might get snagged by a dull pin.
Pinning the tissue to the fabric
Use sharp cutting shears for cutting out your fabric, or if you prefer, a rotary cutter. Long strokes give more accurate cuts than little mincing cuts which produce jaggy and uneven edges.
Once your pieces are cut out, fold them nicely with the tissue still attached and place them inside a container with all the other things you require for this garment. Have your thread and pattern,and anything else you require for the project, in the same container. Then, when it is time to sew, you will be all ready to go and you won't have to waste time looking for essential notions. One thing you will want to place in there now is a piece of seam tape, the soft shiny kind. You will use this to stabilize the shoulder seams of the garment. If you don't have this, you can use clear elastic. I don't use twill tape as I find this a little too heavy for the seam. If I am stuck (and I don't want to make a trip to the store for just this), I cut a piece of the fabric itself on the lengthwise grain, about 1/2" wide. You often see this in ready-to-wear knit tops and it works well. The selvage edge of light-weight fabric, such as lining, can also be used.
Tip: Next time, you're cutting lining (or fine broadcloth) for a project, cut off the selvages into 1/2" wide strips and place them into a plastic baggie. They come in useful for all kinds of sewing.
Next week, we will begin sewing the t-shirt. I will be going over seams for knits. As well, I will cover two neckline treatments: a ribbed neckline and one that is finished with self-binding. See you then. Julie
Copyright protected, July 2002, Julie Culshaw
Any sewing questions? I would be happy to try and answer them: you can email me at mail@timmelfabrics.com
