Do you love the look and feel of fashion knits but are afraid to sew with them? Like many of you, I love the look and feel of knit. Actually, on the average day I can be found kicking around the studio in a tee-shirt and jeans- okay, shorts if it’s summer but the knit top is always a must. Knits are soft, comfortable and Oh so forgiving with the iron. (that’s right, ironing is not my favorite chore!)
To help everyone push past the nerves, let’s explore a few easy tips for Sewing Fashion Knits with Linda Lee.
Linda’s class places a great deal of emphasis on the prep work and I could not agree more. Here are 5 helpful tips from the class to get you started on your next knit project.
5 Easy Tips for Sewing Fashion Knits
1. To prepare your fabric and determine fabric shrinkage, cut a 4″ size square of fabric and see what the shrinkage is, if any. Depending on the outcome, you may wish to pre wash all of your materials. *Note that this may change the feel of your fabric and I suggest that refer to the care instructions provided by the fabric manufacturer.
2. Swap out your pressure foot for a walking foot on your standard sewing machine. This small swap out will help keep both layers of the fabric moving together in one motion, avoid slippage and help prevent puckering.
3. Lay a piece of tissue paper down to avoid bunching at the start of your seams. It may seem strange but this small tip will prevent the fabric from being pushed down into your feed dogs and getting jammed.
4. To find the right side of fabric, pull the fabric on the cross grain and you will see that the fabric tends to curl in one direction. This is the right side of the fabric. Now, what if your fabric does not curl? Well, Linda suggests selecting the side you like best.
5. Marking a busy knit fabric can be tricky but Linda suggests using a safety-pin to avoid missing the mark. A safety-pin is actually a great idea since straight pins can slip out during sewing and piecing.
Linda’s class is easy to follow and explores different types of knit sewing that include:
- 4 thread, 3 thread, flatlock stitching
- tape stabilizers, fusible yardage
- hem stitches, edge finishes and binding
- and sew much more
Sewing Fashion Knits really holds your hand through the process but my favorite part is the mini pattern pieces. I guess I’m a sucker for the mini!
Since many of you have emailed me asking different questions about knits and shared how this soft, everyday fabric is such a challenge, I am excited to share that for a limited time Craftsy is offering The Sewing Loft readers Sewing Fashion Knits at a 50% discount. But hurry, the offer ends July 30, 2014 at 11:59 MST. Sign up for Sewing Fashion Knits at a 50% discount now!
**Remember, you can watch your Craftsy classes at any time, day or night- even in your pj’s. Sewing Fashion Knits class, I thought it was a perfect fit.
**Disclaimer: This post & giveaway was sponsored by Craftsy. I have watched the video and have shared my honest opinions.
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