Stretchy fabric novice

[Sheilago]

I bought a t shirt online, that is way too long, making it look like a nightie( not a good look!) I need to cut about 4” off and hem it. I’m mainly a quilter and craft sewer and although I have made clothes way back in the past and scrubs during Covid, I’ve not really used stretchy fabric.
 Does anyone have a Janome machine, who can advise which stitches are best? I’ve googled, but can’t find anything too clear. I’ve got a TXL607. I’m guessing that I’ll need to finish the edge and then turn it up and hem.

[Acorn]

Do you have a twin needle?  That is going to give the best result.

[realale]

When I hem the extensions to my son's t-shirts I first overlock the edge then turn it under and top stitch using a very narrow zig zag stitch - it almost looks like a straight line. As his t-shirts are mainly for work I don't bother with the double row of stitching. A good thread colour match is a good idea though.

[Ouryve]

On Jane I use either wht your manual describes as multiple zigzag, stitch 8 or for daytime t-shirts, I like the effect of your stitch 20, which mimics a coverstitch quite nicely.

[So Chic]

I generally use a twin needle but that zigzag looks good so I might try it on my next t-shirt. 

I shorten t-shirts by turning the hem up, stitching about an inch from the edge but don’t cut off the surplus until after you have sewed it, as this gives a flat hem.

[Sheilago]

Thank you all very much for the tips. I do have a twin needle, but have never used it, so I’d be wary of using it on my first attempt. I’ll have a go with the zigzag type stitches and see how I get on.

[Ouryve]

And, yes, stitch all of the width of the stitch through both layers for nice even stitches. To trim, fold the hem right back on itself, right sides together, so only the surplus that you want to trim off is poking up.

[BrendaP]

Thank you all very much for the tips. I do have a twin needle, but have never used it, so I’d be wary of using it on my first attempt. I’ll have a go with the zigzag type stitches and see how I get on.

If you need to cut 4 inches off the tee shirt you will have enough fabric to try out the various options and then use teh one you like best.

If the stitch you choose has width to it a single turn will be sufficient.  Either turn a very accurate hem and carefully sew over the edge of the fabric (not at all easy if you are stitching from the right side) or turn a more generous hem, stitch so that there is a small amount of fabric beyond the sewing and and then trim as close as you can to the stitching; use duckbill scissors if you have them and be careful not to cut into the stitching.

[Morgan]

Some great tips shared already - mine is to use a stretch or super-stretch needle. 

[Ouryve]

Or a jersey needle. My janome prefers jersey needles, pfaff prefers stretch. Or it might be the other way round. Skipped stitches if I get it wrong so I soon find out.

[Ohsewsimple]

I’m not a lover of twin needle work on  jersey.  Never seemed to get a good result. 
I prefer a 3 step zig zag to a normal zig zag.  It’s wide enough to make the hem lie flat and doesn’t give the problems that a plain one often does.  That’s a nice finish @Ouryve.  Not used that before. 
I used to use a feather stitch and also a Greek key stitch.  Either of those works because they go back and forth building in elasticity.  But they take time. 
Nowadays I have a cover stitch machine.  I sometimes like to sew it upside down.  It’s a nice look but is also so easy to get right to the edge of the hem!

[So Chic]

@Sheilago   Sorry, but I also meant to mention the Jean Muir finish as well,  it gives a very professional finish as the double rows mean the hem stays flat and doesn't curl.

[Elnnina]

Oh that is interesting So Chic regarding the Jean Muir hem finish - I just happen to have the book  High Fashion Sewing secrets by Claire Schaeffer and it is mentioned in this book - also found a reference to this on PatternReview.com.

Now just a few weeks ago I was asking questions about coverstitching, and of course the trouble I was having trying to get this looking right, and one of the snippets I picked up off the internet was to use strips of a wash away stabiliser and I used Avalon as I already had this,  I used two strips of this on top of my right side hem and the results are fantastic no tunnelling and the hem looks very neat.  By using this stabiliser it means that the stitch has gone through more fabric, and then when the stabiliser is washed away it gives more room for the stitches to settle in and thus no tunnelling.

Like you Sheilago I am new to sewing with today's modern knit fabrics, and on today's modern machines the only time I had stitched knit fabrics before was back in the 1960's/70's and then this was on a straight stitch machine and a ball pointed needle.  Now of course there is so much more to sewing knits and I am about to start on quite a journey - hope you have fun with this as well.  I also treated myself to a lovely book Sew Knits with Confidence by Nancy Zieman and I watched her video on this on You Tube as well - very helpful indeed. 

Thanks to others here on TSP I also bought some knit fabrics from Pound Fabrics, Birmingham, and they are beautiful, not at all thin and nasty curling knits but substantial jacquard type knits  ranging from £5.00 - £9.50 per mtr.  so I am going to be very busy.

[Tamnymore]

@Elnnina I've just ordered up some clearance jersey from Pound fabrics. I'm afraid I'm one of the people acting as an enabler for Pound fabrics purchases.

I've managed to get a reasonable result with a twin needle but I always like to have a practice first. I generally find that a narrow zig zag stitch works fine as several of you here are suggesting .

[Acorn]

If you do use the twin needle it can help to put some wash-away interfacing underneath the hem as you sew it - it makes it lie flatter.