Knit-ty Gritty

Pattern Layout

If you can't tell which is the fabric right side, don't worry, just use the same side for the right side throughout the garment's construction. Chalk-mark or place a piece of tape on the wrong side of each cut piece to prevent confusion.

Use a with-nap layout for pattern placement. Knits can catch the light differently if cut with the grainline running in different directions, resulting in irregular shading.

If a knit runs, it will only run in one direction. Test the fabric by pulling along both crosswise ends. If it does run, position the pattern pieces so runs will start at the lower edge of each garment piece. Fabric at the hemline is less stressed than at the neck or waistline edges.

Correct grainline placement is important. Don't use the fabric edge as a grainline reference; the edge may not be parallel to the vertical ribs of the knit. Instead, chalk-mark or thread-trace a line along one of the ribs. Place the pattern grainline arrow parallel to the marked line to keep the garment from twisting around the body. The exceptions are knits with a horizontal stripe. In that case, align the stripes so they're horizontal and meet at the edge when the fabric is folded. Don't stretch the fabric to straighten it--if you can't make the stripes align, it's best to find another fabric.

When using spandex fabrics, pull to see which direction has the greatest stretch and place the pattern pieces so the greatest stretch goes around the body. The fabric may need to be refolded along the crosswise grain to accommodate the pattern pieces.

Check if the fabric fold is a permanent crease. If pressing doesn't remove the crease, use an alternate layout. Don't place a permanent crease along a center front or back; it will detract from the garment's appearance. If the creased area must be used, place it at the vertical center of the sleeves.

Match plaid or striped designs at the seams. The top of the underarm seam is where the design should match when cutting the bodice and sleeves. To make matching easier, trace a full pattern for the front and back, and cut one fabric layer at a time. For patterns requiring two pieces be cut, flip the pattern over for the second piece to ensure a right and left side. Align a stripe completely across a pattern piece to avoid a barber-pole effect when worn (2).

From the July 2004 issue of Sew News magazine.