A Quick and Neat Seam Finish for Sweater Knits Using a Sewing Machine

Yup, it's another post about seams....

A couple of weeks ago on #fabricchat (a Twitter chat that takes place most Fridays at 4pm ET, hosted by @lbreton of Three Dresses Project) we discussed seam finishes. Indeed, we all want the insides of our garments to be neat. Although a serged edge was rather popular among the fabricchatters, and has been my default seam finish, I admit that sometimes I'm not thrilled with the serged edges on my sweater knits. After a wet block or a washing they can sometimes look a little frayed -- ok for a pullover, but not so good when they show on the inside of a jacket.

A bound seam with both edges bound together is neat and lasts longer. It's also nice because it can be made reliably without a serger. Adding top stitching will keep the seam flat, but the whole process requires three passes on the sewing machine -- two for the binding and one for the top stitching.  And so I've been experimenting with a "binding" simply to hide the edge and not encase it, combined with top stitching to hold the seam flat. The raw edges do not show. The finish is done with two passes of narrow zigzag, which keeps the seam stretchy and makes it stable. I'm still experimenting.

Public side on top, inside on the bottom -- with a little practice it has potential.

In this example I used a very thin, space-dyed tricot for the mock binding. The sweater knit fabric I'm practicing on is double knit merino wool available in the shop. This edge finish is still quite new for me and may require some fine tuning.

If you'd like to give it a go, here's how:

Step 1. Cut a 2-inch strip of tricot (or other lightweight knit) for the edge covering, perpendicular to the tricot selvage.

Step 2. Fold the strip in half lengthwise and place layers in order. If it's important for the seam to lay toward the back piece, let's say, then the seam must be sewn with the back piece on the bottom. From the bottom the layers would be back piece, then front piece. (Back and front are placed with right sides together.) On top is the folded tricot strip. All raw edges are lined up like in the pic below.

 

Step 3. Sew the seam with half inch seam allowance using a narrow zigzag, sometimes called a wobble stitch. My stitch width of 0.5 mm and length of 3 mm kept the seam nice and stretchy.

Step 4. Trim the seam allowance.

Step 5. Steam (Don't touch iron to fabric.) the seam as sewn. Then steam the binding toward the seam allowance. Then open the fabric and steam the seam allowance to one side, the "back piece" in this example.

Step 6. From the right side, top stitch with narrow zigzag through the layers of fabric seam allowance and tricot.

The result is a nice, flat seam on the public side and a neat finish on the inside. The two passes of narrow zigzag keep edges from fraying. The narrow zigzag top stitching is barely visible and doesn't appear wobbly with a sweater knit. A walking foot is highly recommended. Also be sure to lessen the pressure on your presser foot with sewing sweater knits, if it's possible with your machine.

I'll use this seam finish for my next garment. It'll be impossible for me to top stitch the sleeve seam, so I'll probably do a double fold binding there. If anyone gives this finish a try, please let me know how it turned out.

O!

Blanket to Coat

The four rib fabrics for the project, before blocking

It's been one of those days. We've all had them. I've had them before, but I've had such smooth sailing of late, it was a real shock to have a slow or no progress day today. A relatively easy project I was making with the fabrics pictured above turned into trouble.

Not a complete failure, but not what I expected. I'll have to "save" this one by redesigning on the fly. The mockup was a rib fabric; the "good" fabrics are also rib, but heavier. The design worked for the mockup but wasn't quite right for the real thing. All that time spent relearning something I already knew -- that it's not always easy to substitute one fabric for the other and expect the same results. Fortunately, I think by moving a seam or two, I'll be able to reduce the bulk causing the problem and make this thing work. To be continued...

What to do when a project goes bad? Well, I'm going to try to be helpful to someone else and hope that sharing some of the things I've learned will help her to achieve good results with her project.

Paula C. wrote me a little while ago asking for some advice. "I have been looking for a sweater coat, but can't find what I want. I had an ah..ha moment and said to myself..make it." At this point, Paula is considering turning a sweater knit blanket into a sweater knit coat. She even sent me a picture of the blanket. 

From the picture and description, the blanket looks to be a classic seed stitch, a purl fabric. (See Knit Fabric Glossary.) Nice! It has ribbed edges, which will definitely work for the bottom of the coat and sleeves Paula realized. But Paula, if you end up using this blanket, be careful. Pressing an acrylic knit with an iron is absolutely not recommended. It's actually possible to melt acrylic yarns and "kill" the knit with an iron, making the fabric lose its stretch and recovery properties. Steaming seams during the sweater coat construction may be necessary, but you probably don't want the hot iron to touch the fabric. Googling "steaming acrylic knits" brings up lots of info. (You may not necessarily have to "block" the final product, as some of the links suggest.)

Have you chosen a pattern yet? Be sure to choose something with simple lines like BurdaStyle's Knee Length Coat 12/2010 #101 (and you can omit the pockets). When laying out your paper pattern on the fabric, place the pieces so that the direction of greatest stretch in the fabric goes sideways across the coat and around your body.

BurdaStyle 12/2010 #101 (Clicking will bring you to this pattern on the BurdaStyle website.)

If you download the available PDF instructions, you'll see that there are pattern pieces for front and neck facings. Though I originally thought a binding would be best to finish the cut edges, you might consider a facing instead. If you go that way, I recommend a lightweight jersey, maybe rayon, for the facing. I think the easiest way to deal with facings and knits is to use the paper pattern pieces to cut the facings out of fusible interfacing first. Fuse the interfacing to the lightweight jersey. Next, cut out the jersey pattern pieces using the fused interfacing as your guide.

If you end up using this pattern, Paula, remember that you won't be using the suggested fabric. Sometimes this works, like when I used lacy, unstable knit to sew a Renfrew Top, when stable knits are recommended.

Other times, when you change fabrics, you get surprises like what happened to me earlier today. 

Getting all settings on your sewing machine and serger (if you use one) correct before you start is important. Also it's good to figure out edge finishes, before you start. Here's a link to the bound edge I use, in case you decide to use a binding. If you finish your seams with a binding, be sure to use a thin, stretchy fabric.

All the best with your project, Paula! I hope I've helped a little.

O!

A Different Kind of Flatlock

The "ladder" side

I think the best thing about writing a blog and having an online presence is all the interesting people I get to meet. Sometimes I eventually get to meet them for real, in person. Other times we continue our online friendships via Skype or Google Hangout to craft together or chat. Sometimes the meeting is only the exchange of email.

Recently, I received an email from Olha, who does wonderful work with Halifax Charity Knitters. Olha was researching ways of  "speeding up the process of turning [hand knit] squares into blankets". Currently squares are sewn into blankets by hand. The 3-thread flatlock as a solution is what first came to my mind, and Olha's research brought her to the same conclusion before I had the chance to mention it.

The 3-thread flatlock is a good choice, when you want to connect fabric edge to fabric edge. It's not an invisible stitch; the flatlock stitches become a design element. I'm sure you've seen flatlock on certain athletic wear, where it's not just used for the design, but also for comfort -- no pesky, thick seam allowances pressing into the skin. For sweater knits, flatlock can be used to lengthen or widen a too short or too narrow piece of fabric. Just remember the stitches will show.

I wouldn't recommend the flatlock for the raw edges of sweater knits. The look wouldn't be tidy. It's possible to turn under the raw edges as I did for my Crazy Crushed Can Cowl/Hat, but honestly, I wasn't too happy with that seam. I wanted to reduce bulk with a flatlock, but I ended up putting it back in with the turned down edges!

Now this is where I was to post pics of my sample of the 3-thread flatlock stitch at the serger, with notes on settings, and things to watch out for.

Not. Gonna. Happen.

I spent 2 hours trying to make it all work with fabric I thought was similar in feel to hand knit. I must have had beginner's luck the last time I did this. I simply was not happy with my results this time. I wasn't neat enough or my  looper tension was too loose or needle tension too tight. When I got it right, I tried putting yarn in the upper looper, which threw my tension off yet again.

And I then remembered an easier way. Ohla, I think this easy method might work. It can be done on a regular sewing machine. In fact, that picture at the top of this post is an example. Here's the reverse side.

The sewing machine mock flatlock is sturdy and has suitable elasticity. I used a polyester thread and set my sewing machine for a wide zigzag, 6.5 mm, the widest on my machine. The stitch length was 2 mm. I allowed the needle's swing to the right to go just over the edge of the fabric. My overedge foot (Janome foot C) made it easy to guide the fabric, although I know it can be done with any general presser foot that can handle zigzag. Once I was finished sewing the seam, I opened the fabric, gently pulled the stitches flat. I'll continue to experiment with Woolly Nylon in the bobbin, which has more of a yarn quality, and I'll also play with tensions a little more.

I first saw this method used in this fleece socks YouTube video from Jalie.

I think this stitch has possibilities for the blankets of squares, Olha. I wish you all the best with the work you do.

I can picture this type of seam in a couple of home fashion projects (with sweater knit fabrics) that I have in mind. Or maybe even some socks!

O!
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Click here for more information on Halifax Charity Knitters.

Needles and Knits

Bamboo Clementina and four different needle packs

I don't think I've really emphasized this on the blog before, but if you sew knit fabrics, your sewing machine needle needs to be of the ball point variety. If you've sewn any type of knit, you're probably already aware of that. When working with bulkier or openwork sweater knits, a ball point needle is extremely important.  A ball point needle will slip between the yarns of the fabric. If your needle is other than ball point, there's a good chance that the needle will pierce the yarns of your fabric -- not a good idea with a fabric that tends to run if the yarn gets damaged.

For most of my sweater knits -- wool, cotton, bamboo,whether jerseys or double knit --  I've found that size 90/14 needle works well. The one exception was with the Tangerine Top. The fabric was Clementina, a bamboo rib. I used a size 80/12 twin needle for the hem, only because I've been unable to find twin ball points in size 90/14. (If you've got a source, please let me know.)

As I understand it, a stretch needle is generally used for knits made with lycra or elastic. It can also be used to sew a sweater knit. The stretch needle also has a ball point. The difference between a stretch needle and a regular ball point needle has to do with the size of the "scarf", the indentation on the shaft directly above the needle eye. (See Threads Magazine: Machine Needle Know-How.)  My serger uses HA x 1SP needles, a type of stretch needle. This isn't the same as the standard ball point for a sewing machine.

So what happens if you mistakenly put the wrong needle in your serger? If you put the standard sewing machine ball point in, when it's the HA x 1 SP that's required? I did this just before my serger went "out of time" last year. The wrong needle may be what caused the problem. I don't know. Apparently "Miss Fairchild" had a similar issue. (Read this patternreview thread. It's not until the middle of page 4, that we learn its resolution.) So that I don't make that mistake again, I now write the word "serger" on the back of all my serger needle packages.

There is often brand and size info stamped onto the shank of the needle. But have you ever noticed that a light reflection often appears on the needle shank just where the pertinent size info is stamped? I've recently discovered it's easier reading this info by zooming in with the camera on my phone, rather than with a magnifying glass or (ha!) the naked eye.

Organ 90/14

Yes, size matters when it comes to sewing machine needles. And so does shape. Remember that many household sergers often require a special needle. Please be sure to choose the right needle for your project and your machine.

Helpful Sewing Machine Needle Links

Organ Needle Co. - Product Information
Schmetz Needles - All About Needles
Threads Magazine - Machine Needle Know-How

O!