Sewing & Ironing Knit Fabrics

Due to their stretchability, knit fabrics require careful handling while sewing and ironing. Keep the following in mind as you become accustomed to working with knits:

8-1. Tips for Sewing Knit Fabrics

• Ensure the needle and thread thickness is appropriate to avoid creating holes in the fabric.
• Always perform a test stitch to check if the needle, thread thickness, and thread tension are correct.
• Loosen the thread tension slightly for both top and bottom threads.
• Using a Teflon foot on your sewing machine can reduce friction and allow for smoother sewing.
• Let the machine feed the fabric naturally; avoid pushing or pulling the material as you sew.
• Maintaining a consistent sewing speed helps prevent stretching and achieves a neat finish. Minimizing the use of pins can contribute to this.
• For small pieces and curves typical in dog clothing, basting stitches before machine sewing is advisable.
• If the fabric stretches while sewing on a domestic machine, reducing the presser foot pressure can help prevent this.
• When finishing edges with a home sewing machine, place a zigzag stitch close to a straight stitch and trim away the excess seam allowance.
• After sewing, use an iron to settle the seams.

8-2. Tips for Ironing Knit Fabrics

• To prevent stretching the knit fabric, press the iron down rather than sliding it sideways.
• Be cautious not to drag the iron across the fabric.
• Applying steam can set creases more easily, so use it judiciously.