Hi Everyone! Welcome to Hemming Techniques Part 2: Sewing Hems on Knit Fabrics. Knit fabrics are beautiful and provide a very authentic look and feel to the garment. Unfortunately for most, these fabrics also bring with them a bit of fear and anxiety. I experienced those same feelings early on but after hours of experimentation and research, I've overcome those fears. I love to sew with knit fabrics and hope that these tips and techniques will encourage you to practice sewing with knits too!

Are you ready? Let's go...

In the video posted below, I share with you several tutorials for hemming knit fabrics. First, we take a look at a basic double turned hem, then we look at using a twin needle, and finish off with a quick look at using the walking foot. One of the primary secrets to hemming a knit fabric is the use of fusible interfacing for knits - it works wonders! The other necessity is pressing with steam to regain the shape of the original hemline - watch the video to see the techniques in action. Experimenting with the techniques and figuring out which method works best for you and your machine is the key to success!

Pattern Overview (Liberty Jane designs using knit fabrics):

• Liberty Jane Free T-Shirt
• Liberty Jane T-shirt Variations
• Liberty Jane Baseball T-shirt (AG, WW, Boy Doll, AGAT, Ellowyne, Journey Girls, BFC Ink.)
• Liberty Jane Off The Shoulder Tee
• Liberty Jane Cortina Couture Top
• Liberty Jane Malibu Halter Top
• Liberty Jane Sorrento Top
• Liberty Jane V-neck Tee

Resources: Here's my long list of knit fabrics and knit fabric notions - so much good stuff!

Mood Fabrics Shop online or visit them in New York and LA:

• Stretch Rayon Jersey - Turquoise, Sky Blue, Rose Pink, Magenta are some of my favorite colors.
• Rayon Blends -  Blue Floral has been used on the Welliewishers™ Baseball t-shirt cover
• Performance Jersey - Great for yoga pants, tank tops, and leggings. Try Calm Pacific paired with Black Cotton-Viscose

Harts Fabrics: This store is fantastic! If you're ever in Santa Cruz, CA be sure to look them up! 

• Cotton/Spandex Jersey - Red Floral and Barnacles Print are cute!
• Sweater Knits - like Navy Stripe
• Fun Designer Overstock Fabrics - Ella Moss Slub Knit, Splendid Melon Jersey
• Rayon Blends - Polka Dot, Teal Stripe
• Bamboo Knit - love the Mini Stripe!
• Swimwear Knits (fantastic selection!) - inventory is constantly changing, many of our previous pixie packs were sourced from Harts!

Girl Charlee (Great online source for knit and ribbing fabrics):

• Cotton Lycra (lots to choose from just pay special attention to the scale of the prints)
• Ribbing Fabrics for binding on tees, sweaters, and hoodies
• Specialty Knits - Vegan Leather, stretch lace

Fashion Fabrics Club:

• Bamboo/Lycra Blend Knits
• Cotton/Lycra 

Spandex World: Large selection of lycra blend knit fabrics.

• Rayon Lycra
• Cotton Lycra

Fabric.com: 

• Pellon EK130 Fusible Knit Interfacing Black White (currently not available)
• Rayon Slub Knits - great for basic t-shirts and tank tops!
• Stretch Jersey Knits
• That adorable Flamingo Print Knit shared by Marilyn a few months back!
• Stretch Lace - Floral
• 3/8" Stretch lace trim (great for hems!)

The Fabric Fairy: Great selection of knits!

• Cotton Lycra
• Swimsuit Fabrics

JoAnn Fabrics In-store and online:

• EK130 Fusible Knit Interfacing
• Cotton Spandex  - My go to for basic white or black tees - easy to sew, steams well and works great with iron-on designs!
• In Store - I love to check out the "Red Tag" tables usually in the back of the store. The inventory is always changing and I frequently find slub knits and sweater knits there.

For WA State Locals:

• Pacific Fabrics (Downtown Seattle by Safeco Field) Great selection of swimwear knits on the back tables!
• Fabric Depot - Portland, OR area. Largest fabric store in the Us, I believe! Great selection of 4-way stretch mesh (in store) as well as vegan leather, and knit blends.

Knit Notions:

Fusible Knit Stay Tape 1/2" width rolls (need to be trimmed to 1/4"): Sewing Machine plus

Velcro® Brand Tape  - 3-yard rolls available at Home Sew

Twin Needle - 1.6mm size 70 or 80 is what I use for doll tees (Klasse or Schmetz). I have a universal style, but if you can find one for stretch, it might work even better!

Coffee Filters - I'd suggest Amazon! ;)

Steam Iron - You might be surprised to know that the one I'm using the in the video is just $15! There's a large variety of irons to choose from, take your pick, I'm sure any will do fine!

Week Two Task:

• Practice a few hem techniques - share your examples with us in the group!

Next Tuesday - Week 2: Hemming Chiffon or Silky Delicate Fabrics

Hi Everyone! Over the past few weeks, we've explained a few techniques to make sewing with knits a bit easier. It's been so fun to see the response! Many of you are gaining confidence and mastering this challenging fabric - which is the goal- Horray!

This week we touch on two additional topics:

1. How to Use a Walking Foot - A walking foot is an attachment you can buy for your machine. It is brand/model specific, so jsut be sure to have the information handy when shopping or researching it. You can find them at a variety of places - local quilting/fabric shops, online stores like Quality Sewing (they have a customer support hotline, and they're fabulous to work with! Use coupon code Pixie20 to get 20% off your order) or Sewing Machine Plus, or even Amazon (you just need to know exactly what you're looking for). 

The walking foot might look intimidating, but it's actually pretty easy to use. The benefit of the foot is the additional feed dogs built in to the foot itself. They work in combination with your machines lower feed dogs to push the fabric through with equal pressure from both sides of the fabric, which reduces the stretching of the knit! Be sure to watch the video to see the instalation and demonstration of a few types of stitches and seams.

2. Sewing Neck Binding and Neck Bands - Whether you're looking for an alternative to a knit hem or you're just interested in a new type of finish, these are both great techniques to master! In the video I demonstrate both styles: a binding and a band. I also show you how to substitute a binding or band for an exisitng hemline. Many patterns are designed to use a band/binding (like the t-shirt variations, baseball tee, or v-neck tee) but some (like the free t-shirt) are designed with a hemline that can be finished in an alternate style for a new look! These techniques can be used not only on the neckline, but also on the sleeve hem or waist/hip hemline! Once you master this technique you will gain confidence in sewing with many types of knit fabrics!

A few tips to remember:

• Always cut a binding or a band on the bias, even on a knit fabric. This will provide the greatest amount of stretch and result in a nice flat/tight circular shape for your binding/band
• I prefer a finished width of 1/4" for both bindings and bands, so I cut them at 1" width. This allows to 1/4" seam allowances and the remaining 1/2" is folded in half resulting in a 1/4" finished width. If this it too small for you to work with, you can add to the width which will result in a wider band/binding (adding another 1/4" will result in a 3/8" finished width).
• Adding fusible knit stay tape (has stretch) or fusible interfacing for knits to your shirt neckline before attaching the binding may help provide added stability to your fabric.
• I've used the walking foot in the video, but you can use a standard presser foot when sewing bindings/bands. 
• Steam is your friend! It's pretty magical to watch how well pressing with steam works, don't skip this final step!

There are two videos posted below. You can watch them here (streaming) or click the text link Walking Foot Download or Neck Binding Download to go to a download page where you can download the video to watch offline.

Got questions? Be sure to jump over to our private facebook group and comment under the Knit Fabrics - Walking Foot and Bindings post. We're happy to help you confidently sew with knit fabrics!

Hi Everyone! We'll be rounding out the month with a few extra tutorials focusing on finishing knit fabric edges without hemming. These are frequently my go to methods when working with delicate fabrics like sweater knits and sequined knits. 

The patterns mentioned in the videos can be found here:

• LJ Rashguard (shown in the Secialty Knits video)
• LJ Slip Dress (shown in the FOE video)
• LJ T-shirt and Cropped Sweater (Shown in the Specialty Knits video)

In this video I'll show you a technique I use to hem any style knit tee. All you need is stretch lace 1/2" width or narrower if you can find it. The stretch lace adds stability while still allowing the hemline to stretch. Whenever I caome across narrow stretch lace, I load up on it! 

You can also fold your hem so that a narrow edge of lace peeks out from the bottom along the base of the hemline (Shown in the Killara pattern, excerpt included here).

One other option is to use a narrow 1/4" lace and tuck it into the fold of the doube turned hem (shown in the WW Baseball T-Shirt pattern, excerpt included here - right click the image to save it)

How To Sew with Fold Over Elastic

In this video I'll show you how to sew fold over elastic (FOE) as a binding on a knit fabric. You can use this on a variety of fabric types as well. There are several examples of this used in patterns found on larougetdelisle - LJ SLip Dress, LJ Free Swimsuit, LUB Dainty Things and Days of the Week Panties/Cami.  You can find FOE at a variety of places - in stores (like JoAnn Fabrics, or Hobby Lobby) as well as online (Search Etsy or look in the baby daiper making supplies, there's lots of cute FOE with that stuff!)

Sewing With Specialty Knit Fabrics

In this video I'll show you some examples of sewing on swim knit and sewing on a sequined fabric. I've found that sewing with these delicate types of fabrics just requires a bit of patience, and testing to get it right. Be sure to use a new sharp stretch needle (or a ball point needle), I find that this works best. I've used a regular twin needle on the FOE and it works great. If you can find a stretch twin needle, that works well too! For the swim knit, a stretch twin needle is a must, a regular twin needle tends to skip stitches.

I hope these tips and techniques have given you confidence to sew with knits! I'd love to see what you've made :) Share your projects wit the group under this Facebook post: https://larougetdelisle.com/groups/SewingWithCinnamon/permalink/652252744967767/

Happy Sewing!

Cinnamon

I've been sewing for quite a while and I'm always on the lookout for interesting, beautiful, authentic looking knit fabrics. The larger stores carry a small variety and usually what they have is not the "ready to wear" on trend type knits that I'm looking for. Here's a list of sites I visit regularly to find great knit fabrics:

*Original post 4/13/17 - updated as I find new treasures!

Mood Fabrics Shop online or visit them in New York and LA:

• Stretch Rayon Jersey - Turquoise, Sky Blue, Rose Pink, Magenta are some of my favorite colors.
• Rayon Blends -  Blue Floral has been used on the Welliewishers™ Baseball t-shirt cover
• Performance Jersey - Great for yoga pants, tank tops, and leggings. Try Calm Pacific paired with Black Cotton-Viscose

Harts Fabrics: This store is fantastic! If you're ever in Santa Cruz, CA be sure to look them up! 

• Cotton/Spandex Jersey - Red Floral and Barnacles Print are cute!
• Sweater Knits - like Navy Stripe
• Fun Designer Overstock Fabrics - Ella Moss Slub Knit, Splendid Melon Jersey
• Rayon Blends - Polka Dot, Teal Stripe
• Bamboo Knit - love the Mini Stripe!
• Swimwear Knits (fantastic selection!) - inventory is constantly changing, many of our previous pixie packs were sourced from Harts!

Girl Charlee (Great online source for knit and ribbing fabrics):

• Cotton Lycra (lots to choose from just pay special attention to the scale of the prints)
• Ribbing Fabrics for binding on tees, sweaters, and hoodies
• Specialty Knits - Vegan Leather, stretch lace

Fashion Fabrics Club:

• Bamboo/Lycra Blend Knits
• Cotton/Lycra 

Spandex World: Large selection of lycra blend knit fabrics.

• Rayon Lycra
• Cotton Lycra

Fabric.com: 

• Pellon EK130 Fusible Knit Interfacing Black White (currently not available)
• Rayon Slub Knits - great for basic t-shirts and tank tops!
• Stretch Jersey Knits
• That adorable Flamingo Print Knit shared by Marilyn!
• Stretch lace - Floral
• 3/8" Stretch lace trim (great for hems!)

The Fabric Fairy: Great selection of knits!

• Cotton Lycra
• Swimsuit Fabrics

JoAnn Fabrics In-store and online:

• EK130 Fusible Knit Interfacing
• Cotton Spandex  - My go to for basic white or black tees - easy to sew, steams well and works great with iron on designs!
• In Store - I love to check out the "Red Tag" tables usually in the back of the store. The inventory is always changing and I frequently find slub knits and sweater knits there.

For WA State Locals:

• Pacific Fabrics (Downtown Seattle by Safeco Field) Great selection of swimwear knits on the back tables!
• Fabric Depot - Portland, OR area. Largest fabric store in the Us, I believe! Great selection of 4-way stretch mesh (in store) as well as vegan leather, and knit blends.

Knit Notions:

Fusible Knit Stay Tape 1/2" width rolls (need to be trimmed to 1/4"): Sewing Machine plus

Velcro® Brand Tape  - 3-yard rolls available at larougetdelisle!

Twin Needle - 1.6mm size 70 or 80 is what I use for doll tees (Klasse or Shmetz). I have a universal style, but if you can find one for stretch, it might work even better!

Coffee Filters - I'd suggest Amazon! ;)

Steam Iron - You might be surprised to know that the one I'm using the in the video is just $15! There's a large variety of irons to choose from, take your pick, I'm sure any will do fine!

Do you have tips or places you find great knit fabrics? Share them in the comments below :)

Hi Everyone! Today's post is all summed up in the video below :) I'm taking you into my sewing studio and demonstrating a few of the techniques I use when sewing with knit fabrics on a standard sewing machine. I'm using a Bernina 330 for this illustration. If you have questions about specific sewing machine models, we're ready to help! Georgette has joined us to moderate questions in the facebook group as well. She's worked for Quality Sewing for years and has a vast knowledge of many sewing machine brands models. So ask away... we're here to help! 

If you have questions specific to this post and the topics mentioned here, please post them as comments to this Knit Hems and More FB post - Happy Sewing!

Topics covered (with minute marker timeline for easy reference):

• Intro
• @1:00 Sewing the shoulder seams and finishing options 
• @3:18 Hemming the neckline
• @5:56 Working with knit sleeves
• @7:43 Finishing the armscye seam allowance
• @8:30 Finishing raw edges
• @9:50 Double turned hemline
• @14:54 Single fold hemline sewn with Twin Needle
• @20:30 Bonus - Coffee Filter as stabilizer (it works amazingly well!)

Hi Everyone! Are you ready for a deep dive into the topic of "sewing with knits"? I hope so! Honestly, knit fabrics are pretty much my go-to choice when designing new pieces. I think that's what set Liberty Jane apart early on in the miniature world of doll clothes design. My general rule is "make real clothes, but at a smaller scale" basically fashion in miniature!

When shopping for fabrics, my first question is, "Would I wear something made out of that?" This generally leads me to pick up a variety of knit fabrics. Very rarely do I get excited over quilting cottons. Seriously, the best test is to go look at your own closet (or a child's). Feel the fabrics and you'll quickly see that to make authentic looking items, it's important to consider this fundamental design principle first.

Don't Fear Knits! I promise you this is going to be a fun month :) We have a lot of content to share and with the use of the facebook group we are able to answer your questions "one on one"! You may be surprised to hear this, but I still don't own a serger, which means I sew all my knits on a standard sewing machine. A serger can be a great tool, and if you use one, that's great! For me personally, I don't mass produce items and prefer to change threads for every item I'm sewing, so I've continued to just use my standard machine and learn the tricks of the trade. Sewing with knit fabric on a standard sewing machine is a skill everyone should master. Which leads me to my third rule: "Never say - I can't do that, it's too hard!" Fearing knits is silly! You can do this - let's get started...

Pattern Overview: For this topic, you can choose to sew with any of the Liberty Jane patterns listed below, for any size doll. 

• Liberty Jane Trendy T-shirt FREE (double turn hems)
• Liberty Jane T-Shirt Variations (neck binding, sleeve binding)
• Liberty Jane Off The Shoulder Tee (single fold hems)
• Liberty Jane V-Neck Tee (v-neck technique)
• Liberty Jane Baseball T-Shirt (Neckband)
• Liberty Jane Cropped Sweater (No hems, fully lined!)
• Liberty Jane Leggings
• Liberty Jane Yoga Pants

Coupon Code: This month's discount code can be used to redeem any Liberty Jane brand pattern valued at 5.99 or less. If you already have the patterns mentioned above, feel free to use it for something else. The code must be redeemed during this month. It expires 4-30-2017. Limit one-time use per person.

Preparation and Supplies: When sewing with knit fabrics, there are a few basic supplies you need. 

• 1/4 yard of 2-way or 4-way stretch fabric
• Sewing machine
• Thread
• Universal or Ball Point Needles
• Iron (with steam function)
• Hook and Loop tape product for closure

There are also a few supplies that you might not know about. These will help you to confidently sew your knit fabric projects!

• Fusible knit interfacing (buy it off the bolt- Pellon EK130, SK135) or fusible knit stay tape 1/2" - 1" wide rolls (either will need to be trimmed down to 1/4" strips)

• Other types of fusible tapes such as Wonder Tape, Stitch Witchery, Steam a Seam lite, etc. These don't have stretch in them though so use with caution. If the seam needs to stretch this type isn't recommended. A "wash away" tape can work, but you'd need to wash the item to regain the ability to stretch the fabric.
• Tissue paper (to stabilize seams, tear way after)
• Narrow stretch lace 3/8" width or less (great for hems)
• Walking Foot

Let's Get Started:

• Choose your pattern/fabric and then go through and cut out all the pieces. If you're new to sewing we have this video to show you how to position the pattern pieces and cut out The T-Shirt Pattern. If you're sewing a t-shirt with a neckband or binding, be sure to cut those pieces on the bias for the most stretch.

• Follow the pattern instructions to begin assembling the item. If you're a beginner, we have this video showing how to sew the LJ T-shirt Pattern.

• If you are able to use the Pellon EK 130 Fusible knit interfacing - I highly recommend it! This is a great way to stabilize the neckline and hems. This product is sold on a bolt and is around $5/yd. It is slightly sheer and has a bit of stretch across the width of the piece.

• Cut the interfacing in 1/4" strips across the width. This will allow you to use it along the seam allowance lines. It will also help you to fold the neck and hem at exactly 1/4"!

• With the rough (fusible) side down, place the interfacing along the neckline on the WRONG side of the knit fabric. Press carefully while turning the strip to fit the neckline. Trim off the end. Repeat for the Shirt Back neckline seam allowances.

• Continue to sew the pattern as directed. I find this is only needed on the neckline seam allowances and then on the hemline. The shoulder and side seams usually don't stretch out too much when sewing. The next image shows the shirt Front and Back right side up (left) and then RIGHT sides together (right). Note interfacing is on the WRONG side of the fabric.

• Now it's your turn! Practice using fusible knit interfacing on your project. 
• Post questions as comments under this Facebook Group Post - please preface your question by stating the pattern used and step number your on. Post finished progect as well  - we'd love to see them!

Next Monday - My favorite knits - A resource guide, and more on hemming knits...