How to sew knitwear on a regular sewing machine

Knitted fabric is perhaps one of the most common and frequently used in sewing. A huge range of clothing can be made from this beautiful material. First of all, it should be noted its durability, practicality, ease of wearing and cost-effectiveness. If you don’t trust store products or simply have the opportunity and time to make such fabric yourself, you should prepare properly, be patient and get to work.

In our article you will find useful tips, instructions and rules for making knitwear. We will help you sort out all the issues that arise during the work and tell you how to do everything quickly and efficiently, as well as what seam to sew the item on a regular sewing machine. There are many important nuances to consider during the sewing process:

• Choice of threads. For this purpose, there are special threads created specifically for knitted material.
• The needles also differ in their purpose. You should pay special attention and consult with a consultant in the store.
• The type of machine you plan to use for sewing.

All this can affect the quality of the future product and the correct execution of all stages of sewing.

Knitting needles

The most important step in preparing for any work is preparing the workplace and accurately selecting the tool with which you will manipulate. The first step when sewing knitted fabrics is to pay attention to the choice of needles. This is the part that has direct contact with matter, and therefore the quality and correctness of processing largely depends on it. Most universal options are not suitable because they create gaps in the seams without creating an even stitch.

There are several types of needles. They differ in their form and function:

• Universal ones have a sharp edge and are not always suitable for such work.
• The rounded tip version is called Jersey. The special shape allows you not to pierce the thread and make a seam neatly.
• Stretch. This variety also has a special rounded edge.
• For denim, the needle tips have the shape of an acute triangle.
• Microtex is an elongated and narrowed version of the previous version.
• Skin needles cannot be confused with anything; they have a characteristic appearance with a hollow and a sharp end.

For sewing knitwear, the second and third options are best suited. Before purchasing, consult with the seller or consultant. There may be a special set available. In this case, it is better to take it, since you will be able to practically select needles for comfortable work, and this can only be done when sewing on a machine. You should take your choice seriously. All your work depends on it. It is better to choose everything carefully than to waste your time and energy using the wrong tools.

IMPORTANT: Needles must be selected according to the type of product, otherwise the seam will be uneven and the stitches will skip, which will not give the desired result.

Threads for knitwear

Another important factor is the selection of threads, that is, the material from which we will directly sew the fabric. Since it is necessary to use a special machine, the source material must be selected accordingly.

IMPORTANT: Ordinary sewing machines cannot cope with this job and are used in extreme cases. To achieve the desired result, you should use flat-seam models. The seams when working with it have a peculiar pigtail shape.

To correctly select threads used in knitted fabrics, the following characteristics should be taken into account:

• They must be thin, elastic and strong enough; this can only be verified by trial and error. A few stitches later, you will find the best option for your machine.
• The thread must be new; you should not use long-worn and old stocks of skeins forgotten in closets.
• The best options are special reels, but in order to save money it is better to use regular small reels.
• Adjust the tension correctly. If you encounter any difficulties, contact a specialist or more experienced friends.

In addition to a good thread, you should monitor its tension. No matter how durable the material is, there are still stretching indicators that you should not go through, otherwise the thread will break at the most inopportune moment. But too little tension has a detrimental effect on the sewing process and weakens the seam, which makes it weak.

What is the difference between a knitted overlocker?

The purpose of an overlocker is usually to finish the edges of a cut piece to prevent it from fraying or unraveling. But this is unusual for knitted material, so here the overlocker is used for a different purpose. Its peculiarity is to give the product elasticity. With strong tension and tight sewing, the material becomes durable and absolutely cannot be stretched. If you try to stretch it, it will simply tear.

In the case of weak tension, the products will have the appearance of a mesh structure with weak stitches. They will stretch easily, but their strength leaves much to be desired.

The knitted version combines elasticity and seam strength. It is able to withstand greater loads compared to other options, while having excellent stretch. This is achieved through the use of a special strip in the design, which tensions the thread during the seam, and then relaxes it after the needle passes through the link.

IMPORTANT: Thanks to this property, most of the product models use a knitted seam.

The choice of needles, threads and the technique itself is an important element when sewing.

There are other points that distinguish the material from a number of others.

1. When sewing and seaming parts, different seam formats are used, which ensures the following qualities of products and clothing.
2. Extensibility. A special property used in many types of clothing. Thanks to it, the fabric fits perfectly and takes the required size. There are several classes of tensile strength. It should be taken into account that the stitches must also have this property, otherwise when the main fabric is tensioned, the seams will simply burst and everything will deteriorate.
3. Unraveling can be helpful if stitching is not done properly. The part can be easily loosened to the required level and remade according to the specified parameters.

IMPORTANT: Consider these properties when choosing the main material for clothing. The peculiarity of stitching parts, the ability to stretch and unravel easily are definitely advantages. But this type requires a lot of effort when working and is quite difficult to perform.

Why may the machine not sew and what should I do?

If, despite all the manipulations and carefully selected material, the device refuses to sew and no matter how you try, nothing good comes out, most likely the reason needs to be looked for elsewhere. Pay attention to the model of the sewing machine and the year of its manufacture. The fact is that too old models were not configured for knitwear, which was not so common at that time. And since the setting does not provide for this type of work, it is natural that sewing fails.

This may occur due to a mismatch between the shuttle and the needle.

If you want to remake your machine, you can call a specialist who will correct the defect and allow you to sew even on older versions. However, this is not always possible even for the most experienced and professional craftsmen. Factory settings make themselves felt. She may take some types of material, but not all. Therefore, if you want to work without difficulties and in comfort, spare no expense and buy yourself excellent modern equipment that can turn long, monotonous work into joy.