Knits and Wovens: Whats the Difference? - Threads A knit is either sold as a tube or flat On flat knits, factories apply round blobs of starch or glue along the lengthwise edges to prevent them form curling Along the width, or cut edge, the fabric doesn’t fray The lengthwise edges of a woven fabric, called the selvages, are strong and don’t move The cut edge along the width of he
Guide to Garment Fabrics - Threads A reversible fabric woven on jacquard looms Flatter and more durable than its cousin, brocade Usually woven in a solid color Damask is one of the oldest fabrics Uses: Shirts, dresses, jackets, home decor Machine- or hand-washable, some (woolens) require dry-cleaning Sewing Difficulty: Easy to moderate Denim Contents: Cotton, cotton blends
A Guide to Indispensable Elastics for Garment Sewing 1 For this application, use a woven or knitted elastic, and extend the garment’s edge by adding twice the elastic width plus 1 2 inch for seam allowance Sew with a straight, zigzag, or knit stitch, and a ballpoint, universal, or stretch needle to avoid piercing the elastic’s fibers 2
4 Essential Stay Tapes for Knits - Threads 1 2-inch-wide fusible woven stay tape 1 2-inch-wide fusible woven stay tape: This stay tape is cut on the straight or cross-grain and is stable It is thin and has a little give, but it is not meant to go around curved edges
Sewing with Handwoven Fabrics - Threads Handwoven fabrics are spectacular treasures, yielding the most gorgeous garments However, the very qualities that make these textiles special can also make them challenging to work with
A Handy Chart of Fusible and Sew-in Interfacings - Threads This handy chart, excerpted from Denise L Bean’s article, “Interfacing: The Inside Essential,” Threads #103 (Oct Nov 2002), breaks the choices down into three main types—woven, nonwoven, and knit— and then in terms of thicknesses Consult this guide the next time you approach a wide selection of interfacing in-store or online , and
Know Your Knit Fabrics - Threads Although, in a woven fabric, the terms warp and weft refer to the direction of the two sets of yarns making up the fabric, in a knit fabric, these terms describe the direction in which the fabric is produced: A weft knit—which is what hand-knitted fabric is—is one made with a single yarn that’s looped to create horizontal rows, or courses
Underlining with Fusible Interfacing - Threads Sheer woven, 36 inches wide, with a crepe-like texture and some crosswise stretch It’s available from Professional Sewing Supplies, 2623 Boylston E, Seattle, WA 98102 (206-324-8823) They don’t have a website, unfortunately This is a great product that adds subtle shaping and stability to almost any fabric 2
Combining Fabric Weaves and Weights - Threads Loosely woven fabrics, lace, and novelty knits can complement tightly woven taffeta, velvet, menswear wools, and even denim Treat them similarly to fabrics of varying textures Use a knit and a woven together, a woven and leather, a knit and leather, chiffon and wool tweed, taffeta and denim
Stretch Fabric on Cross grain - Threads A woven pattern often has to be cut a size or two smaller, or appears much to large Although you have a fair bit of sewing experience, sewing with knits is another experience altogether Knits are much more forgiving in the fitting department, and are sewn much differently than wovens