Sewing with knits can seem intimidating at first, but once you conquer it, it can be the most satisfying sewing project to do. Once you know all the ins and outs, sewing a knit garment can be easy and quick. Sew a t-shirt in an afternoon? Totally doable.

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Here are 8 tips on how to sew knits with your sewing machine.
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You can sew knits with a sewing machine using the correct configuration. You may think you can only sew knits with a serger (also known as an overlocker machine outside of the US) and a coverstitch. Many mistake the two machines to be the same, but not quite. |
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Let’s break it down - a serger or overlocker trims and encloses the seam edge with 2 to 4 spools of thread, all in one step. A coverstitch also encases the seam edge but does not have a blade to trim the seam, but if you fold the raw edge in, you can stitch hems to finish the ends of your garment.
Look at an existing t-shirt in your closet or in the shops next time. Can you identify a serged edge from a coverstitch?
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You'll need to set up a few things to sew with knits on your sewing machine.
1) First, use a ball-point needle. Stitch settings and needle choice make all the difference when sewing with knits. A regular sharp needle pierces through the loops of the knit creating rips and tears on the fabric, whereas a ball-point needle glides through them.
The same point goes for your sewing pins when securing knit pieces together.
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2) Loosen up the tension of your sewing machine. This allows for more flexibility and stretchability.
Sewing them with too taut a tension will cause waving along your seamline. For a looser tension, adjust it to a lower number (in most machines, 5 is the neutral tension but do check your instruction manual to be sure).
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3) Instead of using a straight stitch with knits, look for your machine's lightning bolt stitch design. This stitch allows for more movement, whereas a straight stitch will cause your seam to pop and rip when you stretch the fabric.
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Stretch stitch or the "lightning bolt" stitch. |
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If your machine does not have a lightning bolt stitch design, select a zig-zag stitch, and if your machine allows editing stitches, make the width narrower and the length shorter to mimic the lightning bolt.
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Don’t worry about your stitches looking crooked on the inside of your garment; with the lightning bolt and a smaller zig-zag stitch, and it will be hardly noticeable on the front of your project.
4) Depending on the weight of the knit you are using, lighter-weight knits may need stabilizing on the edges of your seams—iron-on fusible knit hem tapes to the seam edge to give them more structure and prevent curling.
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5) Remember to always press your seams, even with knits.
After stitching, your seams may look crooked, but after pressing with a bit of steam, they'll neatly flatten. The great thing about knits is that most don’t fray, so seam finishes are unnecessary.
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6) For a coverstitch faux look, use a twin needle for top-stitching. Thread the two eyes of the needle with separate spools. You may need a secondary spool pin on your machine if you do not have it. This time, you can use a straight stitch.
On the face of your fabric, two adjacent stitches run along with one another, flip the fabric to the back, and you’ll see the bobbin thread zig-zagging from one row of stitches to the other, creating that stretch we need to sew with knits.
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7) I highly recommend using a walking foot. This allows you to feed your fabric from above. Working with the feed dogs below to feed under the presser foot evenly will give you more uniform-length stitches.
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8) Lastly, with whatever sewing project you do, test your stitches on scrap fabric, and it's better to test on the same material as your final project. Adjust your settings as needed to achieve the desired look. So many factors go into sewing, which means there's no formula for having perfect stitches each time, so always test your sewing settings first.
Now you're ready to sew with knits confidently!
Happy Sewing.
Carla
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For More Sewing Techniques, Tips & Tricks |
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