Beginner · Applies to the whole project · 7 steps
How to sew knit fabric
Knit fabric doesn't need an overlocker — it needs the right needle, a stitch with give, and a lighter touch. Almost every problem people have with jersey traces back to one of those three.
Why it's worth learning
Tees, sweatshirts, leggings and comfortable dresses are all knits. They are also faster to sew than wovens because there are no zips, darts or buttonholes.
What you'll need
- Ballpoint or jersey needles (80/12 for most jersey)
- Polyester thread — it has a little stretch
- Clear elastic or stay tape for shoulder seams
- A walking foot if your machine has one
Fabric notes
- Cotton jersey with about 5% elastane is the friendliest first knit.
- Interlock is more stable and less clingy — a good choice for a first tee.
- Very drapey rayon jersey and thin ribbing are much harder; leave them until later.
The steps, in order
- 01
Fit a ballpoint needle
A sharp needle cuts knit loops and creates the ladders that appear along a seam later. A ballpoint slips between them.
- 02
Pick a stitch with give
Use a narrow zigzag (about 0.5 mm wide, 2.5 mm long), your machine's lightning-bolt stretch stitch, or a triple stretch stitch. A plain straight stitch will pop.
- 03
Cut with the stretch running around the body
The greatest stretch must go across the chest and hips, not up and down. Check the direction before you cut every piece.
- 04
Stabilise seams that must not stretch
Stitch clear elastic or stay tape into the shoulder seams and any waist seam. Without it, shoulders grow and the garment drops over time.
- 05
Never pull the fabric through
Let the feed dogs do the work and just guide the fabric. Pulling is the single cause of wavy seams and stretched-out hems.
- 06
Cut neckbands shorter than the neckline
A neckband at roughly 85% of the neckline length draws the opening in so it sits flat. Measure and calculate — guessing gives you a gaping neck.
- 07
Press, don't iron
Lower the iron, hold, lift. Sliding a hot iron along a knit seam stretches it while it is warm and it stays that way.
Mistakes worth avoiding
Using a universal needle
It punches through the loops and small holes appear along the seam after a few washes.
Straight-stitching a seam that has to stretch
The thread has no give, so the stitches snap when the seam is pulled over a shoulder or hip.
Skipping shoulder stabilisation
The shoulders stretch, the neckline widens and the tee slowly turns into a different garment.
Practise it on a project
Want the steps for your own project?
Add a photo of the garment you have in mind and the Sewing Guide writes the whole plan around your measurements, your fabric and your experience level.