In Stitches

Welcome to the summer and it’s the festival season

The UK will be back to enjoying a summer of festivals and sporting events all over the UK and I am looking forward to running 10K at Tatton Park this summer. I’ll be making my pink leggings for the Tickled P!nk campaign and CapesThorne Hall will be hosting an 80’s inspired summer blast with a rewind back to a time of big hair, vibrant colours and leotards of fun. Stretch fabric is considered possibly one of the most obnoxious fabric to sew and when you are wanting to create athletic wear, stretch dresses and beachwear for the summer, there’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with fabric that just won’t cooperate, so today I’m giving you my top tips for the best way to avoid throwing that machine on the junk pile. First of all, let’s talk about knits and stretch, two very different fabrics when it comes to sewing. Knits: Knits stretch because of the way it’s created. Think about a warm fabric, made from cotton and on close up (zoom in with your camera phone) looks just like the form of a knitted jumper. It’s a looser weave than stretch fabric and the fibres seem a bit thicker. Stretch fabrics: These tend to be fabrics that have a luster; your Lycra’s, spandex, scuba and Elastane. You’ll find these make up your sports wear and dance costumes. They look and feel a little more silky than knits.

Top Tip 1 - Needles

With these two different fabrics, you’re going to o want one of two different needles. Knit fabrics call for a ballpoint needle (sometimes called a jersey needle) and stretch fabrics require stretch needles. Confusing, but that’s the way industry have labelled them. Important to note, the needles have different tips. A stretch needle is pointier than a ballpoint, but still has a rounded tip. These needles miss the loosely spun fibres, but the stretch needle, with a sharper point, can stitch into the tighter fabric better. Use the wrong needle and you Will find your machine is struggling, or at the very least, skipping stitches.

Top Tip 2 - The Right Stitch

A straight stitch is no good, when pulled (think about the stress applied on the seam when you sit down) the thread breaks, seams pop, and you’re in an unfortunate pickle. A zig zag stitch (green) creates a concertina effect, it can stretch and the zigzag will get wider and accommodate the pull on the seam, but it’s still not quite the right stitch to use. It is better to identify the right stretch stitch (red) if your machine has the option and create a stronger hold, with a good stretch so you can really go to town dancing at festivals or lounging on the beach this summer. Note: These can be tricky to unpick if you go wrong, so use a wider and longer stitch length if your machine allows. Do I need an overlocker or a coverstitch machine for stretch fabric? No. You really don’t but if you do, it’s handy but they bring their own problems. It’s all about knowing how to use the tools you have. Unfortunately, people really misunderstand their machines and upgrade in hopes they will find that one true goblet of success. There is no perfect machine and the most basic machine, if it has a zig zag stitch, will do the work admirably. So read your manual, take your time and enjoy, I hope you found the tips helpful and lookout for my videos for more support on my channel. Have a festive summer and enjoy the sun!

Abi x

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