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About This Video Series
This series for beginning sewers provides a complete course in mastering the basics. Our experienced Threads editors walk you through the fundamentals, from threading your machine through attaching that final button. The skills explained in Teach Yourself to Sew are perfect for new sewers or for those looking to brush up on the basics. Lessons include hemming, attaching buttons and zippers, how to iron, and sewing a jacket from a pattern.
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Why Don't You . . .? Take a Housecoat Out For a Spin
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How Did They Sew That? How to Create Dazzling Criss-Crossed Gores
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How to Embellish with Pleated Bands for Stunning Organic Detail
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How to Make a Banded Armscye
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Giving New Life to an Old Shirt
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Transfer Muslin Fitting Changes to a Pattern
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All About Needle Felting
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How to Upcycle a Sweater
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How to Clean and Oil Your Sewing Machine
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Highlights
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I am kind of wondering about this video regarding knit fabrics. It seems to be lacking some vital information beginner sewers need to be aware of (which I found out the hard way). It fails to mention anything about the difference in sewing with knit material as opposed to woven, such as the need to use a blunt needle rather than a regular sharp sewing needle; the necessity of using a stretch stitch when sewing rather than a straight stitch (for those of us who have basic machines a zig-zag stitch will work if set at the correct width and length); and nothing is mentioned about the possibility (likelihood) of needing a walking foot so you don't end up with several inches of "extra" top fabric when you reach the end of your seam because the fabric did not feed through the machine uniformly and the pieces are now misaligned and a complete disaster (again, speaking from experience...). Is it possible you might consider including such type of information for those of us who are new to sewing so we don't spend our time and money only to end in tears and feeling like complete failures because we had no idea there was more to working with knit material than this video tends to suggest??
This video is only intended to be an introduction to the variety of knit fabrics available. As it shows, there is a wide range of types, from polar fleece to jersey, lace, sweater knits, and activewear knits with spandex. Each type has its own requirements for successful sewing. For more details on understanding and working with knits, please type "knits" into the search bar; you'll find several articles and videos addressing techniques for handling knit fabrics. As with any textiles, it's a good idea to sew some test seams before constructing a garment. With knits, though, take special care to test seams on the straight grain and crossgrain, as they behave differently.
Carol J. Fresia, Threads Senior Technical Editor