Sewing Knits Series
Spandex, stretch, elastane… however you refer to it, this 1950s invention transformed the sewing world. Stretchy fabrics!? Crazy!
Long gone are the days when all our garments were made from restrictive, woven fabrics. Today, knits have become part of our daily uniform. T-shirts, shorts, dresses, underwear, swimwear and more - we could make our entire wardrobe from stretch fabric if we wanted! And yet, it’s a fabric that’s struck fear into the heart of many a sewist…
Sewing with knits doesn’t have to be ‘something other people do’ anymore! Our Sewing Knits Series takes the mystery out of stretch fabric and covers everything you need to know to show it who’s boss.
In this two-part series, we guide you through the specific skills and techniques you need to know to confidently sew with stretch fabrics on a regular sewing machine, and then give you a pattern (the Kealy T-shirt!) to put those skills into action.
Thank you to our amazing sample makers & models, Nisan and Lilli! Find them on Instagram at @the.social.fabric and @frocksandfroufrou.
Please note: This listing is for a digital resource and pattern only.
Part One - Sewing Knits Skills Kit
Our Sewing Knits Skills Kit covers machine settings, tools, stitch types and more. We teach you how to apply this information through the use of samplers - an approach that gives you the opportunity to practise and fine-tune skills before applying them to a wearable garment with the Kealy t-shirt pattern. These small examples can be stored with construction notes and used as a reference to inform future makes as you continue on your journey of sewing with knit fabric into the future.Skills covered in this Kit:
- Tips for sewing knits - including machine settings, needles etc.
- Tips for cutting knits
- Sewing knit seams
- Zig-zag finish
- Overlocked / serged finish
- Overedge foot to mimic overlock
- Overlocking curves
- Sewing a neck ribbing
- How to calculate neck ribbing ratio
- Tips for making a neck ribbing pattern
- Using fusible hem tape
- Hemming with a twin needle
Part Two - Kealy t-shirt pattern
Time to put everything you've learned about how to sew with knit fabric to use!
Garment details
Kealy is a classic T-shirt with a relaxed, easy-wearing fit that finishes at the hip. With two sleeve length options (short or three-quarter) and a banded neckline, Kealy is a versatile piece that suits both solids and prints, the bold or understated.
Pair it with the Barkly skirt for a simple combo, or layered with the Stow dress in cooler weather.
Suggested Fabrics
The Kealy T-shirt is compatible with light or medium weight jersey knits with a minimum of 20% stretch.To determine the amount of stretch in a fabric:
- Fold the fabric crosswise (selvedge to selvedge)
- Take a 10cm (4in) portion of the fold between your fingers
- Stretch the fabric and measure the new length
- Subtract the original length (i.e. 10cm / 4in) from the new stretched length, then divide it by the original length and multiply by 100.
Example: If 10cm of fabric stretches to 14cm the calculation would be: (14-10) /10 x 100 = 40. This means the fabric has 40% stretch.
Fabric requirements and finished garment measurements can be found here.
Notions
- Coordinating thread
- Stretch needles
- Stretch twin needle - size between 2,5/80 - 4,0/90.
- Fusible hem tape - stretch. We recommend using Heat N Bond Stretch (either Light or Ultra).
The Kealy T-shirt is designed to be relaxed in fit.
Select a size based on your high bust measurement and then check the finished garment measurements for your size before choosing to do a Full Bust Adjustment (FBA).
The garment has positive ease (it is not designed to stretch over your curves like a garment with negative ease would), so check the finished garment measurements before choosing to grade between sizes.
Knit fabrics will adapt to your body more than woven garments, so are more forgiving in fit.
Pattern is available in our extended size range.
This pattern is drafted for a B cup bust and a height of 170cm (5'7"). Use the LENGTHEN / SHORTEN lines on the pattern to make alterations to the length.
Fabric requirements and finished garment measurements can be found here.
Difficulty
This is the perfect project for advanced beginners, intermediate makers and beyond. Sewing samplers allow you to purely focus on the sewing experience, without needing to get it perfect the first time. Just select the techniques you would like to try, or start with the easier ones (like sewing knit seams) and build yourself up to the trickier ones (like sewing a neck ribbing). As always we suggest you slow down and enjoy the process!
Are you new to sewing knits? Build your confidence by getting your machine settings right, then learn to sew and finish seams.
Ready to level up? Let’s refine techniques, like stabilising a hem before stitching, learning how to calculate neck ribbing ratios or make your own neck ribbing pattern.
Keen to learn a whole heap of new skills? Go you! Work through the resource from beginning to end.
Once you're feeling at ease, dive into the Kealy t-shirt and really stretch your newfound skills. (See what we did there? LOL.)
Digital product details
The Sewing Knits Skills Kit: 29 pages of sewing with knits skills, tutorials and content. The booklet is suitable for printing on both A4 and US letter sized paper, or can be viewed onscreen using a PDF viewer.
The Kealy t-shirt pattern: The pattern is suitable for printing on both A4 and US letter sized paper. A copy shop version is also included in the file (A0 or US 36" x 48")
SIZE A - J
Print at home pattern: 27 pages (a printing plan is included in the instructions so that you can choose to only print the pages you need for your size or preferred view).
Print shop version: 2 x A0 pages.
SIZE G - P
Print at home pattern: 35 pages (a printing plan is included in the instructions so that you can choose to only print the pages you need for your size or preferred view).
Print shop version: 2 x A0 pages.
The pattern includes embedded layers. This means that you can select only the size/s you would like to print.
Have a question?
If you have any questions please see our FAQ and Digital Product Policy.