I’ve got a new series for you! Or rather, a variation on a series I started 3 years ago called “Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits“. You can find that series linked in my header above – basic stuff like finding the grainline, getting the right length for a neckband, etc. In this series, Lazy Tips … More Lazy Tips for Fixing Knits: Too Much Print!
If you’ve ever seen my fabric haul videos, you know I’m crazy about rayon knits. All rayon, all the time! There are a few downsides to rayon knits though, so I thought I’d do a post about the pros and cons. Pros: Amazing drape. Rayon drapes like a dream. It has a natural weight that … More The Pros and Cons of Rayon Knits
I haven’t done a Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits in ages, so here’s one inspired by discussion on Melizza’s blog the other day: My lazy way to sew a t-shirt cuff so that the serger does all the work! You may well already sew your cuffs like this already – but I know a few people don’t … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Quick and Easy Knit Cuffs
From the comments on my recent wrap dress hacks (1 and 2), it seems like lots of us either like wrap dresses or *want* to like them but have trouble making them fit! I thought I’d share some of the logic that I worked my way through with my own hacks, in hopes that it helps … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Anatomy of a (Faux) Wrap Dress
Tips for knits don’t come any lazier then these, folks! This one is for my ladies with big booties: Do you ever find that your hem sits higher in the back? A big butt takes up horizontal and vertical space in a skirt, and we need to account for that when we cut ur fabric. … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Even Skirt Hems
This is one of those happy accidents of sewing! I’ve tried it with both fold-over elastic and picot elastic, and they both work well. I’ve got a rainbow stash of elastics ordered off Etsy, so expect plenty of piping in the future! Here’s how: First, serge the elastic onto the edge of the fabric. (I … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Flat piping knits using elastic!
Confession: I really don’t think I’ve ever set in a woven sleeve properly. I ALWAYS have little gathers! One of the many reasons that I love sewing with knits is that sewing sleeves is completely painless and foolproof. No gathered basting stitches, no fancy matching of notches…. just a couple of pins and one quick … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Setting a Sleeve Flat
I’ve been doing a lot of unselfish (but oh so fun) sewing for other people lately, including 3 dresses and a top for my sister and as many shirts and pants as possible for my baby niece! As a result, I’ve got nothing to blog! Instead, I’ll give you another lazy tip: When hemming circle … More Lazy Tips for Sewing (Any Fabric): Easing Circle Skirt Hems with a Serger
I’m a bit obsessive about this tip: For the love of pretty fabric, prewash your knits! Wash ‘em in hot water, dry them on hot, and for good measure, wash and dry them again! I learned my lesson on my second-ever tee shirt. I was so excited by the success of my first tee that … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Prewash, dang it!
Time for another lazy tip! Last time I talk about how to sew a basic tee, which almost always involves a folded band stretched and sewn around the neck. Being supremely lazy, I never bother with the pattern piece for the bands. It’s not just laziness, either… Ever knit has such different stretch and recovery … More Lazy Tips for Sewing Knits: Choosing the right length for a knit neckband
