The Sewing Place
The Emporia => Fun with Fabric => Topic started by: WendyW on April 23, 2019, 00:01:53 AM
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I've hemmed countless prom/bridesmaid dresses since I hung out my shingle, but today's was one of the worst. Just when I think I've mastered every type of fabric possible, they throw something different at me. Today's was a chiffon-weight knit. I always use the trimmed-off part to practice on the fabric before doing the dress, and I tried 2 different rolled-hem feet, and 2 methods with the regular foot before I could get a decent hem on it. Ultimately had to fold once and stitch, then fold again and stitch. Second dress I had on my table today was a satin. I was thrilled to get a nice "normal" fabric, until I got that one under the needle and realized it also was a knit as it did it's best to stretch instead of gliding smoothly over the feed dogs.
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@WendyW I decided after last week that I am no longer making any more knit/stretch/jersey garments of any kind. I have no experience of either of the kind of fabrics you mentioned but they sound hellish. I am officially a stretch wimp, no more :'(
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Some stretch fabrics do give fabulous results but I have met fabrics that stretch but then never go back into the original shape and I don't know what we are meant to do with those.
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And what about the RTW knit clothing that isn't quite cut on the grain, so doesn't hang properly?
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And what about the RTW knit clothing that isn't quite cut on the grain, so doesn't hang properly?
… and that's precisely why I make my own :)
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Knits are the best and the worst, depending on how they play!
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I avoided knits for most of my sewing life, but now I have my overlocker, I couldn't do without them. One or 2 have defeated me [those uber slinky, crinkly, lovely textured ones are impossssssssssible to hem] but most are fab.
For super comfort and recoverablility [and ease of sewing] I highly recommend Frumble Fabrics' 'premium jersey'
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I too quite like sewing knits with my overlocker, but I might draw the line at "chiffon weight" and "satin" knits :S
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I’ve been pretty lucky and not really had much of a problem with knits. But I don’t go for polyester and slinky stuff.
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In general I've got a good working relationship with knits. T-shirt and sweatshirt knits are good friends of mine. Those are cotton and know how to behave themselves. The next generation of knits, beginning with those tissue-thin see-through t-shirts, are a whole nother story. Like most youngsters they are stubborn and uncooperative and determined to buck the rules. Wish I could give them a good spanking and be done with it. Unfortunately I don't get to choose the fabrics my clients buy their dresses in.