How to sew knit fabric? Our tips for beginners

You're eyeing knit fabric, but you don't know how to sew it? In this new tutorial, we'll guide you through learning how to sew knit fabric, and more specifically, our new ribbed knit fabric from the Les Mots Bleus collection.

View Maison Fauve ribbed knit fabric

Soft, stretchy, and comfortable, and available in a beautiful palette of colors, it is ideal for creating form-fitting garments, such as the Ludmilla dress or the Pirate Breton top. And with a few good techniques and the right equipment, sewing knit fabric becomes much easier!

Equipment for sewing knit fabric

To get started, here is my ideal wishlist:

An overlocker: ideal for joining pieces together and achieving soft, stretchy seams, but above all, strong finishes that will help your handmade garment last,
Special jersey or stretch needles, designed for knit fabric. There is no room for compromise here, or you risk skipped stitches and damage to your fabric,
Weights, to keep the fabric flat when cutting out the pattern. They prevent the knit fabric from stretching, thus limiting pattern transfer errors,
Prym Love weights, useful for holding the pieces in place while sewing without distorting the fabric.

View the Sweat & Knit sewing notions selection

No overlocker? No problem: your sewing machine can also help you create beautiful seams in knit fabric!

Techniques for sewing knit fabric

In the video, we show you the right techniques for working with this fabric with confidence:

Use the zigzag stitch on your conventional sewing machine to maintain the elasticity of the seams. However, you should lengthen it to make feeding easier and preserve the properties of the knit fabric.
Reduce the presser foot pressure slightly to prevent the fabric from stretching or distorting.
What you gain by using an overlocker to join pieces together and create higher-quality, more durable finishes
Sew the hems with a twin needle to preserve the properties and beautiful drape of the knit fabric.
a comprehensive list of sewing notions to have for sewing knit fabric.

The goal: learn to sew knit fabric without distorting it, for comfortable, well-finished garments.

Which patterns to sew with Maison Fauve ribbed knit fabric?

This new fabric was designed to complement your form-fitting garment projects. Knit patterns are developed in a particular way, with specific ease, suited to this type of fabric. Our patterns for stretchy knit fabric follow these rules, are designed for knit fabric, and have been developed and tested for this purpose, notably with our ribbed knit fabric. We especially recommend:

The Ludmilla dress

A feminine, fitted dress, perfect for highlighting the beautiful texture of the ribbed knit fabric. The pattern offers several great versions:

a long dress with a side slit and a long tie belt,
an ultra-comfortable long-sleeved top that is easy to wear every day,
a feminine, ultra-quick-to-sew dancer-style round-neck version,
an original, easy-to-wear faux wrap version (the wrap is fixed).

You can wear the front and back interchangeably.
The pattern was developed for highly stretchy knit fabrics, so we recommend choosing the correct size using the measurement charts provided with the pattern.

View the Ludmilla pattern

The Pirate Breton top

A wardrobe essential, ideal for discovering knit sewing and creating a piece that is easy to wear every day. The pattern has a straight cut, and the result in ribbed knit fabric will be very comfortable and slightly loose. If you prefer a more fitted piece, you can choose the next size down. We also recommend avoiding large buttons on the shoulder, as in the classic Breton version, because ribbed knit fabric is lighter and more fluid.