In this video tutorial, we detail all the steps for sewing knitwear garments and accessories without a serger. Discover our tips and other advice for using your favourite jerseys and sweatshirts without any problems!

1. Mesh and its uses

Mesh

Knitted fabrics are the result of interlocking loops of yarn (called stitches), unlike woven fabrics, which are made by interlacing stretched threads. It is this interlocking of stitches, or knitting, that makes knitted fabrics stretchy. It is a generic term that encompasses all knitted textiles. Knit fabric can be knitted on the right side (the loops are formed one after the other) or on the wrong side (the loops are reversed), which gives a different appearance between the front and the back.

The first diagram therefore shows the interlacing of a knitted fabric and the second that of a woven fabric.

Jersey knit

Jersey is a technique for manufacturing knitted fabric; it can be recognised by its knit stitches forming ‘V’ shapes and purl stitches forming ‘bridges’, knitted with threads of varying thicknesses. It is knitted using the jersey stitch.

It can be knitted with natural fibres (cotton, linen, bamboo, wool, etc.), artificial fibres (viscose, Tencel, etc.), synthetic (polyester, elastane, etc.) or blends of these fibres (cotton polyester, cotton viscose, cotton elastane, etc.).

Jersey is naturally stretchy; this quality varies depending on the type of fibre used and the tension of the stitches. Jersey with loose stitches and elastane is particularly stretchy. It is ideal for sewing T-shirts, dresses, leggings, pyjamas, underwear and bodysuits. We recommend it for baby and children's clothing.

Jersey in clothing manufacture

1 - Ponti Roma jersey or Milano jersey is a specific knitting technique that produces a thick, substantial fabric. It is perfect for making dresses, skirts or jackets with good structure and a beautiful drape.

2 - Sherpa can be made on a knitted base, which makes it stretchy. It is a synthetic material that imitates sheep's wool, making it heavy, warm and insulating.

3 and 6 - Jersey fleece is thicker. The reverse side has looser looped stitches. It is less stretchy due to its weave and thickness. It is easy to sew. It is used for sweatshirts, jogging bottoms, sportswear dresses and cardigans. It is available in a lightweight version (fairly fine yarns, unbrushed reverse side: ‘French terry’), an all-season version (medium yarns, brushed reverse side) and a warm version (brushed front and back). It can be used on cotton-elastane or cotton-polyester-elastane fabrics; elastane makes it more comfortable, while polyester makes it more resistant and gives it volume.

4 - Viscose jersey is more fluid and tends to ‘move’ more when sewing. It is therefore more delicate to work with. It is mainly used in women's clothing for its beautiful drape.

5 - Honeycomb knit is a fabric with a honeycomb structure, creating a textured, airy and comfortable effect. The embossed effect is achieved by layering two layers of fabric woven together. It is a very absorbent fabric.

7 - Knitted mesh is a highly stretchable material that replaces knitwear.

8 - Terry jersey is a fabric composed of a mesh base with small loops on the front, making it highly stretchable. It is a soft, fluffy and voluminous fabric, perfect for clothing, but also for accessories.

9 - Knitted velvet or Nicky knit is a short-pile knit. It is a velvet on a jersey base with a soft side. It is mainly used for pyjamas, blouses and sweatshirts.

10 - Straight or tubular ribbing: the complementary knit to jersey!

Ribbing is used to form cuffs, collars, and the bottoms of sweatshirts or T-shirts.

This thick knit is knitted in ribs of varying widths. A 1*1 rib is a subtle rib knit with one knit stitch and one purl stitch, which forms the rib (each row is identical). A 2*2 rib is knitted with two knit stitches followed by two purl stitches, which widens the rib effect, etc. Ribbing is very stretchy. It is usually knitted with yarns containing elastane to increase its stretch and improve its durability. Ribbing comes in straight (fabric knitted in flat rows of varying widths) or tubular form; the stitch is knitted in a tube without a ‘stop’ between each row. In the case of tubular ribbing, the tube is opened by cutting one side and spreading the entire strip flat. Place the pattern pieces across the width of the ribbed fabric and cut. In general, the cuffs, collar and bands at the bottom of the legs or body are folded in half lengthwise to reinforce the bands and ensure a perfect fit (the cuffs, collar and bands are therefore ‘double’).

(see below for how to assemble a ribbed collar)

11 - Openwork or pointelle jersey can be recognised by the small holes that create a pattern. This knit is delicate and therefore often used in lingerie.

12 - Cotton jersey is the most common type; it is used to make T-shirts, pyjamas and loose-fitting dresses. Comfortable and easy to care for, it is ideal for making children's clothing. It is easy to sew.

13 - Linen or bamboo jersey is similar to cotton jersey in terms of functionality. It is very absorbent and therefore ideal for summer and baby clothing.

14 - Technical knit and swimwear knit can be used to make specific sportswear.

15 - Stretch cotton jersey (or cotton elastane) increases elasticity. It is used for leggings, T-shirts, lingerie and sportswear, and is highly recommended for close-fitting garments.

2. Preparing jersey for sewing

The direction of jersey

Jersey knit is stretchable widthwise. It is knitted in successive rows and therefore has a direction. The pieces must be placed grainwise, parallel to the selvedge (perpendicular to the rows formed). This ensures that all parts of the garment have the same elasticity.

Special care must be taken when placing the pattern pieces on the jersey. If the pieces are slightly off grain, your garment will ‘twist’ with each wash because the knit will "move " (you will then see the side seams of your T-shirt twist with use).

The cut

Fold the fabric along the grain, right sides together. Align the selvedges side by side if the fabric is to be folded in half, or face to face if your fabric is to be folded in thirds (then fold the two selvedges together in the middle of the fabric to form a gift-like package), depending on the cutting plan provided with the pattern. p>

Place all the pattern pieces in the straight grain, pin them carefully, avoiding stretching the fabric.

Trace the outline of the pattern (adding seam allowances if these are not included in the pattern) with a soft tracing tool to prevent the tip of the tool from snagging the knit fabric.

Cut out the pieces. I prefer to use a rotary cutter rather than scissors to prevent the jersey from moving.

Rolled edges: no need to overcast

Jersey fabric naturally tends to curl at raw edges. The stitches tighten. A raw edge can be left as it is without overcasting because it will not unravel. It's magic! However, a hole made in the middle of the jersey will tend to get bigger because a stitch cut in the middle of the fabric will unravel.

Personally, I prefer to overcast raw edges anyway to flatten the seam allowances and prevent the curling from creating visible bulges under the garment.

3. Sewing jersey

Overlocker or no overlocker?

An overlocker is ideal for sewing jersey because it stitches, cuts the edges and overcasts them in a single operation. The seam is also very stretchy because it adapts to the fabric.

However, you can definitely do without an overlocker!

Sewing with a conventional machine is perfectly feasible and even simple!

Equipment for sewing without an overlocker

A few basic investments are necessary to sew jersey fabric easily with a sewing machine:

• A jersey needle : this special needle with a slightly rounded tip allows you to slide between the stitches without piercing them and therefore without damaging them. (This needle is also used for overlockers).

Needle size: the thinner the jersey, the finer the needle you should choose.

Thin jersey: 60 to 80 needle.

Medium jersey: 80 to 90 needle.

Thick jersey: 90 and above.

Find it at the ikatee online shop

• A twin needle (optional) : this allows you to create attractive, stretchy hems. They come in different sizes (depending on the desired spacing between the two stitch lines). Two bobbins are installed on the machine: there are usually two bobbin slots. If this is not the case, place the two bobbins on top of each other. Thread the two threads in the usual way, then thread one thread through each eye (one thread per needle). When sewing with a straight stitch, two parallel lines of stitching will be created and the bobbin thread will form a zigzag under the jersey between the two top stitching lines.

Find it at the ikatee shop

• Foam thread (for the bobbin): this multi-fibre polyester thread has a fluffy, puffy appearance. It is soft and stretchy and is used to give elasticity to your seam. As jersey is stretchy, it requires a seam that is also stretchy, otherwise the seam may break when worn (when putting on the garment). Foam thread is used in lingerie, sportswear and swimwear, and more generally for all knits. It is recommended for the bobbin for single-needle seams but is unnecessary when using a twin needle, which already forms a stretchy seam thanks to the zigzag -zag formed on the reverse side by the conventional bobbin thread. Foam thread is not recommended as the top thread (the thread that is visible on the right side of the seam) because foam thread in the bobbin is sufficient to ensure the stretchiness of the seam. Furthermore, foam thread has a foamy appearance that is not ‘attractive’ on the outside, and the seam would be less “linear” on the right side. Finally, the range of colours available for foam thread is much more limited than that of ‘traditional’ sewing threads and having a thread colour that matches the fabric is important on the right side of jersey. So, simply choose a foam thread in a similar colour or a neutral colour, as the foam thread will only be visible on the wrong side of the jersey. NB: Foam thread spools are often sold in small cones of approximately 1000m of thread, at a price of around £6 to £10. You don't need to have every colour, just a few basics will do!

Find it on the ikatee website

• Sewing thread: for the machine bobbin, you can use standard cotton or polyester thread. I recommend polyester thread, as it is more durable than cotton thread. It will also be paired with a polyester spool thread; using threads made from the same material is preferable in order to optimise the characteristics of the materials.

• Clips or pins
• A rotary cutter for cutting fabric (optional but recommended as it prevents the material from stretching when cutting)

Sewing

• Choosing the stitch

There are several stitches for sewing jersey; all of which can be lengthened or shortened as desired.

The important thing is to create an elastic seam.

The elastic or stretch stitch : this is not available on all machines (see your manual). It is used to sew parts that need to remain stretchy (collars, hems, etc.). This stitch is already quite stretchy and it is not necessary to use foam thread in the bobbin. The disadvantage of this stitch is that it is not very attractive because it is not linear.

The zigzag stitch or zigzag stitch: This is also used to sew parts that need to remain stretchy (collars, hems, etc.).

Overlock or serger stitches: these also allow you to sew and overcast at the same time.

Although perfect for their intended uses, zigzag or stretch stitches have one drawback: in my opinion, the aesthetic result is not ideal (zigzag effect). It is therefore possible to use the straight stitch for ALL seams by using foam thread in the bobbin.

The straight stitch (which is my favourite!): generally set the stitch to 2 to 2.5 mm (4 to 5 stitches per centimetre). It is perfect for straight seams on shoulders, sides, etc. as these seams do not need to be as elastic. For other seams, you can also use it by putting foam thread in the bobbin.

• Fabric feed

Jersey knit fabric is stretchy and will therefore tend to stretch during sewing.

First point: let the machine set the sewing pace! Do not hold back or pull the fabric. If you pull on the jersey, the fabric will stretch slightly and the seam will cause the fabric to ‘pucker’. Simply guide the jersey without applying pressure.

Using a dual feed foot (or feed dog foot) makes it easier to feed the fabric under the presser foot. Some machines have this as a standard feature (e.g. the PFAFF passport 2) or offer it as an option. It is a good investment for seamstresses who want to sew jersey regularly.

Without a dual feed foot, test sewing on jersey samples, reduce the pressure of the presser foot if the feed is poor (if your machine allows this) . Alternatively, slide and pin a sheet of thin paper, such as tissue paper or pattern paper, under (or on top of) the jersey to stabilise the fabric under the presser foot. Simply remove the paper after sewing by pulling it off gently.

• Reinforce seams (shoulders, etc.)

Some seams need to be reinforced because they are subject to a lot of wear and tear (the shoulders, for example) . In this case, it is recommended to use an additional strip of jersey or cotton twill tape on the wrong side of the jersey and stitch it through the layers.

• Sewing hems

Make a fold or hem and then sew either with a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch using a twin needle. If using a twin needle, place two spools of thread on your machine. There are usually two places to put the spools; if you only have one, place the two spools on top of each other. Thread the threads in the same way, then thread one thread through each eye of the twin needle. Reduce the stitch length. Test on a sample using a straight stitch. If the seam tends to pucker, reduce the thread tension. The bobbin thread will form a zigzag stitch between the two straight stitch lines and ensure stretch (no need for foam thread with the twin needle).

• Sewing bias binding onto jersey

It is best to use jersey bias binding so that it adapts better to the curves of the fabric and its stretchiness.

• Sewing jersey and non-stretch fabric together

Assembling two different fabrics is easy by placing the jersey on top of the non-stretch fabric and sewing with a straight stitch using a jersey or stretch needle.

• Attaching a neckband

here!

• Forming a ribbed collar (or cuff, etc.)

The technique explained above is obviously valid for a ribbed cuff or ankle bracelet.

Get to your machine! You can confidently start sewing jersey without a overlocker!