| Cutting & Sewing Sweater Knit |
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Whether custom knit, purchased by the yard or recycled from a knit
garment, sweater knit can add value, texture and interest to a project. Following are some
tips to make your project look its best.
- Handle cut sweater knits carefully. Avoid stretching or pulling during cutting or
construction.
- Cut seam allowances 3/4" wide when using conventional seam construction techniques,
and serge the excess fabric off or trim after stitching. The wider seam allowance allows
you to handle bulky knits without worrying about the knit loops unraveling.
- Cut seam allowances 1/4" wide when using lapped construction.
- When joining two pieces of sweater knit, secure a 1"-wide tear-away stabilizer
strip behind the sections before moving them to the machine for stitching.
- When working with loosely knit pieces, prevent possible runs by straight stitching
1/4" on each side of the cutting line before cutting the knit into sections.
- For loose or bulky knits, apply fusible interfacing to the wrong side to stabilize and
encourage them to perform more like woven fabrics.
- Use fusible interfacing to permanently shape a knit section. Shape the fabric as
desired, then fuse interfacing to the wrong side.
- Many multicolor knits actually have a lovely "wrong" side that gives the
appearance of a coordinating knit.
- Try to utilize the original ribbing in both conventional and unusual ways.
- Cut through ribbing at
existing seams to preserve as much continuous length as possible and increase your design
options.
- When separating ribbing from a garment, include a 1/4" seam allowance.
- To retain the grain when cutting a knit, cut along the knit ribs.
- Simplify construction by utilizing existing sweater or dress sleeves as the sleeves and
cuffs of the new garment.
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. Set the sleeve
sections aside. 
