Stretch fabric patterns

Sewing with knits can be a daunting experience for someone who is new to them, but it doesn't have to be. As someone who took the plunge as a seamstress awhile ago, I recently acquired a new appreciation for working with knits as a designer. Knowledge is key, so before my first knit pattern is released this week, I wanted to share a little bit about my experience of designing a knit pattern. There is a lot to consider when sewing with knits: types of knits, sergers vs. sewing machines, types…

I am really truly excited that so many of you are commenting to say that the KNITerviews have inspired you to get over yourself and try sewing with knits! I...

Sewing knits and stretchy fabric beautifully is actually very easy, and this can all be done on a sewing machine. No serger required.

How to hem curves on knits - this trick will help you get smooth hems on stretch fabrics using your regular sewing machine

Sewing with stretch fabrics can be a little intimidating, especially if you're used to working with non-stretchy materials like cotton or linen. But with a few tips and tricks, you can successfully sew stretch fabrics and create comfortable, stylish garments that will look great and feel great to wear. Here are some of my favorite tips for sewing with stretch fabrics: Choose the Right Needle One of the most important things to consider when sewing with stretch fabrics is the type of needle…

In my sewing patterns created for stretch fabrics i often talk about the required fabric in terms of stretch percentage. For example, in the Briar tee pattern i say that you need to use a fabric with at least 20% stretch. For my maternity patterns i generally suggest fabrics with at least 40% stretch. I feel like this is the best way of explaining exactly how stretchy your fabric should be to work with the design, but i know that if you’re not familiar with that measure it can be a little…

Selecting fabric for your garment sewing project can be daunting. Learn about woven and knit fabrics, and choosing fabric with the right drape for your garment.

With the Sylvan sewing pattern, you can make a racerback dress, a tank top, or a cropped tank top using knits with more than 60% stretch!

Learn how to make a tube top with this easy tutorial. Make a DIY tube top sewing pattern with your measurements from stretch fabric.

So have you ever had trouble getting nice gathers on stretchy fabric? Well here’s my little trick: put a bobbin of elastic thread in your machine instead of your regular thread, and sew two lines of stitches at the longest stitch length. I normally sew them at 3/5″ from the raw edge and just under 5/8″ from the raw edge. The fabric will gather up automatically and evenly! Perfect gathers every time. It even helps prevent those icky wavy seam joins that can happen with knits. Just make sure…