Knit Knowledge–Ribbed Knits, Ribbing & Pile Knits
Ribbed knits are the stretchiest of the three main types of knits. Ribbed knits are characterized by the vertical ribs that you’ll see when you give the fabric a little stretch.
100% cotton ribbed knits tend to be very soft and are great for the bodies of tees, pajamas, baby clothing and lots more. They aren’t great for necklines or trim that needs good recovery, though, because they tend to stretch out and not bounce back.
I find cotton ribbed knits the most difficult to work with because they stretch so much. You have to take the greatest amount of care with them to not stretch while you’re sewing. With ribbed knits, a walking foot is really a must! It’ll help prevent seams that look like this (more about hemming tomorrow):
Ribbing is actually a type of ribbed knit. It sometimes comes in a tube rather than flat on a bolt. Ribbing usually has a small amount (3%-5%) of lycra or spandex mixed with the cotton fibers. Because of the lycra or spandex, ribbing is perfect for neckbands, trim and waistbands. (The Comfy Sleep Set in Stitch magazine uses cotton/spandex ribbing for the waistband.)
In addition to the three main types of flat knits that we’ve already discussed, there are knits that have a pile or texture to them. French terry is smooth on the front side and has loops on the back. French terry works well for lightweight loungepants and sweatshirts. Sweatshirt fleece is similar to french terry only the loops on the back side are cut and brushed for a softer feel. Sweatshirt fleece is usually a bit heavier than french terry as well. Both french terry and sweatshirt fleece have very little stretch. Sewing either of them is similar to sewing woven fabrics.
Stretch terry is the fabric that you’ll most often find in hooded baby towels. It’s the opposite of french terry with the loops on the front and a smooth back. Stretch terry is usually cotton on the front with a backing of polyester and has a good amount of stretch. Velour is basically stretch terry with the loops sheared off and brushed smooth. Cotton velour is luxuriously soft and squishy. It, too, usually has polyester in the backing and stretches well. It’s a perfect choice for baby clothing and loungewear, and our favorite use for it this time of the year is in cloth tissues. They are so, so soft on sore runny noses.
Oh, the questions! They are awesome. Many of them I can answer. Some of them, though, have sent me off researching. I love it! Keep ’em coming! For an entry into this week’s drawing, add a comment to this post with either a question that you’d like me to answer on Friday–I won’t get to answer them all, but I will answer as many as I can–or comment with an answer to this question from me: Today’s question is, “What is your favorite knit print that is available to purchase today?” If you don’t yet have a favorite, go do a little window shopping and see what you can find. You can start at The Fabric Fairy and dream a little about what you’d spend the $20 gift certificate that Caroline has donated if you win!
Knit Knowledge–Interlock Knits and Jerseys
INTERLOCKS
I’m starting out with interlocks, specifically cotton or cotton/polyester blend interlocks, because I always recommend that beginners start with interlock. Honestly, given a choice, I will almost always choose cotton interlock when sewing knit clothing for my family. It has such great qualities. Interlock has a nice weight to it–not too heavy, not too light–which makes it easy to sew and comfortable to wear. It has a good amount of stretch and good recovery. (Recovery is a knit fabric’s ability to bounce back to the size it started. Some knits stretch out and stay stretched until they’re washed and dried.)
Interlocks have the traditional “v” knit shape in the weave on both the front and the back of the fabric. In solid colors, it’s really impossible to tell a difference between the sides of the fabric.
I use cotton and cotton/polyester interlock for the main body sections of tops and pants and for neckbands, armbands and legbands. If you use it for a waistband, though, you will need to hide elastic inside. (Cotton/lycra or cotton/spandex blends are better for elastic-free waistbands. We’ll get to those later.)
JERSEYS
Jerseys are lighterweight than interlocks. If you grab a t-shirt from your closet, you’ll most likely find that it was sewn with cotton jersey. Jerseys are easy to recognize. They have that “v” knit pattern in the weave on the front and the “-” purl pattern in the weave on the wrong side of the fabric. Jerseys also roll on the cut edges.
It’s the rolling that often makes jerseys difficult to work with. I have a couple of suggestions for dealing with the rolling. Experience has shown me that the best way to deal with it is to cut and sew right away. The longer you leave a jersey to sit after you’ve cut out your pattern, the more rolling you’re going to have to deal with. When you first cut, the fabric will lie fairly flat. Another thing you might try is spraying the edges with a little spray starch, then ironing to help them hold their shape while you sew.
100% cotton jerseys have a minimal amount of stretch and are great for the bodies of tees. They work well in pajama pants and baby clothing, too. You’ll also find jerseys made from a list of other natural and synthetic fabrics along with blends of natural and synthetic fibers. I prefer cotton/lycra and cotton/spandex jerseys in the tops that I sew for myself because of the nice drape and the extra stretch that the spandex or lycra adds. Those same cotton/lycra and cotton/spandex jerseys also work well in yoga-style waistbands on skirts or loungepants because of their superb recovery.
Keep the questions coming! Remember that you’ll get an entry into Friday’s drawing for a $20 gift certificate from The Fabric Fairy for every question or comment you post this week (one comment or question per person per blog post, please). Today’s question for you, in case you don’t have a question for me, is “If you’re already comfortable with sewing knits, what type of clothing do you sew most often? If you’re not, what items of clothing do you think you’d choose to sew if you were?”
Knit Knowledge – Introduction & Overview
Welcome to Knit Knowledge Week! I’m asked questions about working with knit fabrics really often, so I thought I’d spend a week sharing some of my knowledge with you. I’m quite certain that I don’t know everything there is to know about working with knits, and I still occasionally discover a new technique that works better than what I was doing before. Everything I’ll share is what I’ve learned through my own hands-on experience.
My plan is to spend the week sharing a bit each day. Here’s the lineup that I have planned: Monday: Knit Overview, Tuesday: Interlock Knits & Jerseys, Wednesday: Ribbed Knits & Ribbing, Thursday: Hemming & Simple Applique, Friday: Questions & Answers and the Giveaway.
This week will require some participation from you, too. In order for me to have a Q&A on Friday, I need you to post any questions that you have in the comments section Monday through Thursday. Then, I’ll choose as many questions as I can and answer them on Friday (if I haven’t already answered them during the week).
Friday’s post will also include an exciting giveaway! Caroline at The Fabric Fairy has generously donated a $20 gift certificate that you can use in her store to purchase some knit fabrics from her incredible selection to try out for yourself. Just comment on my posts Monday through Thursday (one comment per post, please), and I’ll hold a random drawing on Friday morning.
Alrighty, let’s get started with a quick overview.
OVERVIEW
First off, don’t be afraid of knits! Knit fabrics, primarily cotton and cotton-blend knit fabrics, are what most of us live in! Once you become comfortable sewing them, you’ll be ready to sew up whole wardrobes of comfortable clothing that you and your loved ones will love to wear.
THE BASICS
ThinkQuest explains, “Knitted fabrics are made from a single yarn or a set of yarns. In making cloth, a knitting machine forms loops in the yarn and links them to one another by means of needles. The finished fabric consists of crosswise rows of loops, called courses, and lengthwise rows of loops, called wales. This looped structure makes knitted fabrics more elastic than woven cloth. Garment manufacturers use knitted fabrics in producing comfortable, lightweight clothing that resists wrinkling.”
Simply put, knit fabrics have stretch. Some, like sweatshirt fleece, have only a little stretch. Others, like cotton ribbed knits, have a whole lot of stretch.
The stretch in most knit fabrics runs across from selvage to selvage. When you place your pattern pieces on knit fabrics that show grainlines rather than direction of stretch, you generally want the grainline to run perpendicular to the stretch.
The right tools:
Before working with knit fabrics, you’ll want to switch out the regular foot on your machine for the walking foot. Your sewing machine has “teeth” that guide the bottom of the fabric under the foot while the needle sews. A walking foot has similar teeth that grip the top of fabric so top and bottom pass through under the needle evenly. This feature helps a great deal in cutting down on the amount of puckering that you’ll see in your knit fabric seams.
It’s also a good idea to switch out your sharp sewing machine needle for a ballpoint needle. Sharp needles cut through the knit loops on your fabrics and leave the fabric with small holes which tend to grow larger as the garment is pulled on and off. Ballpoint needles are designed to glide through the loops instead without causing harm to the fibers. Knit garments sewn with ballpoint needles will hold up much better over time.
The third tool that I think is worth mentioning is a serger. It’s a bit of an investment, and you definitely don’t needone to sew knit garments. (All of my patterns include instructions for sewing with a regular sewing machine, as well as a serger.) However, if you’re planning to sew a lot of knit garments, a serger will give you a nice finish to the inside, as well as a sturdier finished item. Once you get the hang of using a serger, you’ll also find that serging together a piece of clothing is much faster than sewing!
So those are few basics to get you started. To get your giveaway entry today, you’ll need to leave a comment. You can either leave a comment with a question that you’d like me to answer about sewing with knit fabrics, or you can answer my question for today, “What’s your favorite thing about wearing clothing made with knit fabrics?”
Oh, one more thing! As a thank-you for joining me this week, I’ve added a 20% discount code that you can use on any of my patterns through Friday: KnowKnits.
Happy 1st Birthday, Charlie!
Our little guy, Charlie is one year old! We affectionately refer to him as “Charlie Brown” all the time, so I was beside myself with excitement a few months ago to run across this Peanuts cotton knit fabric. I combined my Patrick Curved Raglan and my new Austin Lee Coverall to make his 1st birthday outfit.
I knew that I wanted a quilted bib to go with it, and I found the perfect cotton woven coordinate at Joanns last week. I used Busy Quilt Mom’s Perfect Fit Bib pattern for the bib. (We have a collection of these that I really need to show off to you. It’s a lovely pattern!)
Here’s the birthday boy in his Patrick Curved Austin Lee Coverall:
Charlie loves cuddling with stuffies, so I used the Bit of Whimsy Nutmeg Gnome pattern to sew up this sweet lovey for him as a first birthday gift.
Yay! I think this lovey is going to get lots of love!
Charlie had a wonderful birthday celebration, and he thoroughly enjoyed his birthday cake!
Happy Birthday, my Charlie Brown! You bring such great joy to our whole family. What an incredible blessing you are!
The Austin Lee Coverall & Romper is Ready!
The Austin Lee Coverall & Romper Pattern goes on sale at noon today!
I’ll be back tonight with pictures from Charlie’s first birthday party this afternoon, and tomorrow I start my series on sewing with knit fabrics. I’m really excited about sharing my knowledge, and they’ll be a fun prize at the end of the week . . . and a discount coupon code that will be good on any of my patterns all week.
The Winner of Stitch Giveaway #2
All the entries–printed, cut apart and folded–ready to be chosen.
And, the winner is . . .
. . . Laura B of Lil Bean Baby! Congratulations, Laura! Laura is an amazing seamstress and her knitting is just incredible. You have to take a minute to go check out her blog. And, I happen to know that Laura is expecting a new little bean that the Comfy Sleep Set will be perfect for! Hmmm . . . I wonder if she’ll pick the Dino Dudes or the Mod Blooms interlock.
Oh, and you might have noticed that my helper for the drawing is wearing a Comfy Sleep Set in a bigger size. I have had quite a few moms ask if I could draft up sizes 18 months to 4T so that big brothers and sisters can have Comfy Sleep Sets, too. I checked in with Stitch, and they said they’d be happy for me to add the bigger sizes! I’m sure it’ll take me several weeks to get it done, but they’re coming. (This draft actually needs a little work–the neckline is bigger than I’d like it, and there are a few other little adjustments to be made. Jamie’s totally happy with it, though. He loves having Dino Dude pjs to match little brother, Charlie!)
Snow Day!
It’s coooooold outside, and six inches or so of snow fell overnight here in Dallas. We’re feeling a little cooped up inside since sleet and ice-covered roads from earlier in the week have kept us from being out and about. We’re doing our best to make the best of it, though.
Since schools and businesses are closed, Ray gets to spend his birthday home with the family. Jamie and I made chocolate chip banana muffins this morning while everyone else slept in a little.
I do have a few projects on my cutting table, though. Celebrate the Boy starts at Made-by-Rae on February 15th, and I’m so excited that Rae has invited me to share a free pattern/tutorial on March 11 to go with my recently release Undercover Bottoms Boxer Briefs pattern. It’ll be something that I think you’ll love. It’s a perfect clothing item for layering in the winter and keeping cool and comfy during the summer.
I also have plans for an All-About-Knits Week starting on February 14th. Be sure to drop in and read while I share some of my knowledge of knit fabrics and tips for working with them.
My testers are just about finished with the coverall and romper pattern. I just have to do a few final tweaks, and I have to decide on a name. It should be ready to sale by the end of next week.
Lastly, in case you missed it, my New Year’s resolutions were published on the last page of the Spring Stitch magazine:
I’m really excited about sewing a whole season’s wardrobe for Charlie and Jamie. I’m thinking of shooting for a summer wardrobe. (Planning now while there’s six inches of snow on the ground seems a little odd, but summer will be here in no time!) I was also thinking that it might be fun to have you join me. Maybe a One Wardrobe for One Season Challenge? Anyone interested?
Oh, and before I forget to remind you, Stitch Giveaway #2 ends on Tuesday night, so there’s still time to enter!
My Baby Girl is a Teenager!
Do you ever wish you could slow down time? Samantha, child number three in our family and our youngest girl, turned 13 yesterday! It’s so hard to believe that this young lady was once such a teeny baby, arriving five weeks before her due date. Today she’s a beautiful girl with a smile to share with everyone.
We celebrated her birthday with dinner out on Monday night since we’d heard that bad weather was coming in. We spent her actual birthday huddled up in our house enjoying a “snow/ice day”. Even Dad and big brother, Sean, got the day off to spend with us. Plenty of chocolate cake and mint chocolate chip ice cream was enjoyed by all.
Quite some time ago, Samantha asked me to make her some pajamas from some Little Miss Sunshine fabric that I found online. Since one of my resolutions this year is to teach her some sewing skills, I thought it would be fun to spend the afternoon of her birthday together sewing birthday PJs.
She did most of the cutting, and I did most of the sewing while she watched and we chatted.
The finished pajamas turned out so cute! The top is one that I drafted for Spring Top Week two years ago, and the pants are trace-a-pair-of-ready-to-wear-to-make-a-pattern pants.
We even did a simple applique on the bodice. (Knits are awesome for appliqueing since you don’t have worry about fraying!)
I think she likes them!
Happy 13th Birthday, Samantha! I pray that this year brings many happy memories as you grow in wisdom, faith and love.
Sleeping Comfy with Dino Dudes – Stitch Giveaway #2
Woo-hoo! The Comfy Sleep Set download is all fixed and back up on the Stitch website! If you downloaded it before, please try this one out instead. I think you’ll really like it. At least, I hope you’ll really like it!
Remember this post: Carnival Bloom Skirt? I was so excited about Michael Miller and Moda and their cotton interlocks. I actually mentioned how much I’d love to see some Michael Miller boy prints on interlock, and MM fulfilled my wish with this amazing Dino Dudes interlock! Do you think the folks at MM read my blog? (I want more! Little boys need a selection of adorable designer cotton knits.)
Moving on . . . there’s a giveaway here, I promise! Here’s the latest Comfy Sleep Set that I sewed up for my little guy:
I used my Serger Detailing tutorial to give some extra color to the neck binding in this one:
This cotton/spandex waistband is really awesome. (As a side note, the waistband is cut quite a bit shorter than the opening in the pants where it attaches. You really have to give it a good stretch while you’re sewing it on. The spandex in it will make it bounce right back.) Here are a few pictures of the fit over a cloth diaper. (This is an AI2 that I wouldn’t call super trim or bulky.)
And, here a few pictures of the fit over a disposable diaper:
Ah, the giveaway–that’s what you came here for, right? This week, I’m giving away everything you need to make your own Dino Dudes Comfy Sleep Set: 3/4 yard of Dino Dudes cotton interlock, 1/4 yard of cotton/spandex ribbing and a copy of the Spring 2011 Stitch magazine.
I didn’t forget you moms of little girls, though. If you win and you’d prefer something more feminine than dinosaurs, I’ll let you choose this Mod Blooms cotton interlock, instead.
How to enter:
Entry option #1: Leave a comment here telling me if you were a fabric designer, what would you put on cotton interlock? What subjects, colors, etc. You can link to a favorite fabric, if you’d like, but it’ll take a bit for your comment to post because I’ll have to approve it.
Entry option #2: Like Fishsticks Designs on Facebook: Fishsticks Designs Facebook Fan Page. Yes, I finally put up a FD Fan page. There’s not much there yet. Well, there’s really nothing there yet, but I’m planning to use it for announcements, contests, special discounts, etc.
Entry Option #3: Post something that you’ve made with a Fishsticks Designs pattern on the FD fan page. I can’t wait to see what you have to share!
Giveaway entries will be closed at 10 p.m. central on Tuesday, February 8, 2011.
The Winner of Stitch Giveaway #1
I know you want to know who the winner is. There were 96 comments and 13 blog posts & Facebook links making 109 total entries. Random.org chose entry number 91. Entry number 91 is Sheila! Sheila is an online friend of mine and the owner of the incredibly innovative cloth diaper: Hiney Lineys.
Congratulations, Sheila! I can’t wait to see what you sew up with the Stitch magazine and the bacon and eggs cotton interlock.
Stitch Magazine Giveaway #2 is coming tomorrow morning, and if all goes well, the Comfy Sleep Set pattern download will be back up by then, too!
