Serging on knits

[DorothyL]

Are you using knit interfacing?

Dorothy

[LeapFrog Libby]

The incident I related happened before I heard of FusiKnit interfacing.. I now use it all the time when it is needed.

[SmilieFace]

I used a knit interfacing, and I was pretty sure I had it stretching the right way. I did sew the waistband to the skirt instead of to the waistband itself to tack it in place. I used the knit stitch on my sewing machine. Should I have not sewed it to the skirt?

I will add in the elastic. Unfortunately, I can't take out the stitching at the top of the skirt -- the knit stitch is impossible to remove! Should I add the elastic using a straight stitch or using the knit stitch? (I think it's called the knit stitch, anyway.)

[sewingmom]

Sounds to me that you will not get the stretch back. The waist opening is what it is now because the interfacing is fused on and the waistband is on already and can't be taken off. (Most of us never use the knit stitch because it is nearly impossible to remove. Use a very narrow zigzagstitch instead.) To fix the problem now., adds zipped in the back or side seam. Just my 2 cents worth. The skirt pattern is lovely and I think you can save this project. If the skirt will pull over your head easily then put it on that way and leave the zipper out.

[DorothyL]

This summer I discovered many of my skirts were too big at the waist so I just cut the bands off and made new ones with elastic in it. Is that a possibility?
I don't like the stretch stitch except on stretchy woven fabric. For knits I use a narrow zig zag. I just like that better.

Dorothy

[kaitlinnegan]

I almost always use a small zigzag just for the reason of "unsewing." I am somewhat prone to sewing right side to wrong side, wrong sides together, etc.

I think you probably didn't do anything wrong with the interfacing. The typical knit interfacing you get from Joann's doesn't have much stretch in either direction, although it does have a little crosswise stretch. There are some stretchier interfacings you can buy online, but I haven't used them (pro-stretch is one, I think).

As for the elastic, will you then be topstitching the skirt to attach the elastic?

[DorothyL]

I think you probably didn't do anything wrong with the interfacing. The typical knit interfacing you get from Joann's doesn't have much stretch in either direction, although it does have a little crosswise stretch.

Actually, one of the reasons for interfacing is to stabilize, so it is really supposed to reduce stretchiness. So if you are expecting to take advantage of the inherit stretch in a knit, don't interface.

Dorothy

[LeapFrog Libby]

Nancy Zieman talks about using a narrow zig zag stitch for knits.. She actually came up with a name for it. She calls it the wobble stitch because it looks like a not so perfect line of straight stitching. It barely zigs at all, but it does the trick. I use it on fleece all the time, because my serger does not do well on 2 layers of fleece. My Janome does a great job with them , though. I just set the width on the most narrow and then use whatever I want on the length setting. It really works perfectly..And is not to bad to rip out if you have to.. LOL

[SmilieFace]

Actually, one of the reasons for interfacing is to stabilize, so it is really supposed to reduce stretchiness. So if you are expecting to take advantage of the inherit stretch in a knit, don't interface.

Dorothy

Good to know. Next time, no interfacing. I zig zagged in the skirt and it looks cute!

[lendube]

But by the same token, interface if you don't want stretch, i.e. necklines, armscyes, etc.