Knit garments are comfortable to wear and relatively quick to make. However, some sewers shy away from sewing with knits because of the clingy nature of lightweight or stretchy versions. My solution is to line my knit tops, dresses, skirts, and pants. I usually do not recommend lining the sleeves of tops or dresses, but knit jackets can benefit from a lined sleeve. A lining makes you feel more confident when wearing your knit garments, and it even has a slimming effect. The extra layer enables sheer knits to appear opaque without needing additional garments such as camisoles or slips. The added lining also can prevent static cling from affecting the outer garment layer. I love making knit garments, and those with a lining feel more substantial, hang better, and look more expensive. To get you started, I will take you through different knit fabrics that work well as a lining, and show you two lining techniques with different garment applications.

Lining fabrics

There are many types of fabrics that work well as a lining for knit garments. Experiment by layering the knit fashion fabric with different linings to find out which you prefer.

Tricot knit

This knit is used to make many types of clothing, from swimwear to underwear and athletic wear. The fiber content is typically a blend of polyester or nylon and spandex. This fabric works best when lining stretchy and lightweight knits. It skims the body beneath the outer fashion fabric and prevents it from clinging to you.

Travel Knit, a branded polyester fabric available at Hobby Lobby, is similar to tricot, but it contains no spandex and has little lengthwise stretch, making it a suitable lining for pants and jacket sleeves.

Power net/mesh

Most power net fabrics are made from a blend of nylon…