I used to be really scared to sew knit fabrics but after a lot of research and a lot of practice, I love sewing with knits. One misconception is that you need to have a serger (aka overlocker) to sew knit fabrics when in fact most conventional machines come with a variety of stitches that are made for sewing knit fabric. In this video, I share the tools you need to sew knit fabric, some tips for preventing your fabric from stretching and demonstrate the stitches available on a conventional sewing machine that can be used to sew knit fabric.

Tips for sewing knit fabric without a serger

1 Ballpoint, jersey or stretch needle

It’s important to use a ballpoint (aka jersey) needle when sewing knits because the shape of the needle will prevent holes being formed when you stitch. Sometimes, a stretch needle works better, with fewer skipped stitches, especially when sewing specialty fabric, such as swimwear or lingerie elastic.

2 Walking foot

As I demonstrate in the video, a walking foot will help move the fabric under the presser foot and prevent it from stretching out. If you don’t have a walking foot, try putting tissue paper under your fabric. By the way, the sewing machine I reference in the video is the Brother cs6000i, it comes with a walking foot and all the stitches demonstrated in the video.

3 Choose a stitch with stretch

These stitches include a zig zag stitch, triple zig zag stitch, lightning stitch and triple straight stitch (aka triple stretch stitch).

4 Use an overlock stitch to finish raw edges

Your conventional sewing machine likely has a few overlock stitches that simulate the appearance of stitches created on a serger. Use these to finish a raw edge before hemming and topstitching.

5 Topstitching

My favorite way to topstitch knit fabric is with a twin needle. I have a video about that right here. Alternately, you can use a zig zag or triple zig zag stitch.

Now that you know how to sew with knit fabric, make sure to check out on of the patterns below that are designed for use with knit fabric. These are some of my favorite things to sew and to wear and I’m sure you’ll love them too.