How to Sew Knits Without a Serger
- 1). Set your stitch length a little longer than normal. Nine stitches per inch will work. Place the knit fabric in the sewing machine under the presser foot, as you would for woven fabric. For a double knit, sew a 5/8-inch seam. For a single knit, sew a 1/4-inch seam. Single knit fabric tends to roll at the edges, so it's treated a bit differently.
- 2). Pull gently on the fabric as you sew, to slightly stretch the knit. This creates ease in the stitches, so they won't break when the fabric is stretched.
- 3). Finish a double knit 5/8-inch seam with a zigzag stitch, if you wish. Knits do not ravel like woven material, so it is usually not necessary to finish the seam edges. Press the 1/4-inch seam of a single knit to one side, and topstitch it.
- 4). Hem a knit garment by using a zigzag stitch. Or use a double needle to sew a straight seam, gently pulling on the fabric as before.
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