Sewing Stories: Team Button's Rhi on Learning to Sew Knits

Hello! It's Rhi - the Marketing Manager at Tilly and the Buttons, here to talk about my experience of learning to sew knits. It’s fair to say that I have the least sewing experience of Team Buttons - I’m still on my sewing journey, having only started sewing in November 2020. 

My machine isn’t high end - a Singer Confidence 7463. I was so fearful of sewing with stretchy fabrics - having listened to the rumour that knit fabrics are difficult to handle, or that you need an overlocker. But *spoiler alert* this is a myth!

I hope my experience will help any other stretch sewing newbies out there and motivate you to tackle that project you've been avoiding... Here are the stretch sewing projects I started my knit sewing journey with:

How to Sew a Secure Seam Opening (with video!)

You probably know how to sew a seam without leaving any holes... But what if you do want to leave a hole - a hole with a purpose?

If you're making a wrap-style garment, such as the Pearl cardigan sewing pattern, you'll need to leave an opening in the side of the hem band for the tie to go through. I'm going to show you how to do this in a way that makes the opening both strong and tidy.

You can use this method on other projects too where there is a facing or double layer of fabric around a seam opening. It's a very similar set of steps if you want to create thumbholes in your cuffs, for example.

It's one of those techniques that may cause a bit of head-scratching the first time you do it, but just keep in mind what we're trying to achieve, which is to join together the seam allowances that go around the opening, on the inside, so they're not left loose. We've made you a video which we hope will make understanding the process easier...

Inspiration and Fabric Picks for Pearl!

We hope you're loving our Pearl wrap cardigan sewing pattern as much as Team Buttons have been! It's Abi here with your latest dose of sewing inspiration and with all of us making a variety of versions over the past month, we've got loads of Pearl inspo and fabric picks for you - yay!

MEET THE PEARL CARDIGAN!

The choice of fabric really informs the silhouette, so you can have a lot of fun here! If you want to show off the balloon sleeves, a knit with slightly more structure such as French Terry, interlock or jacquard knit will do the job nicely, whereas a drapier fabric will result in a softer look.

Pearl is perfect for medium-weight, drapey knit fabrics with at least 20% stretch. Look out for Hacci knit, sweater knit, jacquard knit, stretch velvet, ponte, interlock, lighter weight French terry. 

ORDER PEARL HERE

If you want to pick a chunkier fabric for Pearl (like some of the heavier knits in this blog post), you may want to select a stretchier material such as ribbing for the neckband, hem band and cuffs. It's a good idea to pick a fabric with good recovery for the neckband, hem band and cuffs, in other words, a fabric that pings back down to size easily after stretching, to avoid these pieces getting stretched out during sewing or becoming loose with wear.

Now let's get some inspiration!

Super Soft

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Ideal for your softest and most snuggly fabrics, lean into the ballet cardigan vibes with cashmere or fluffy knit fabric. You'll be stroking your arms all day with one of these options!

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Fitting the Pearl Cardigan

Are you planning on making the Pearl cardigan sewing pattern and want some extra info and guidance on fitting? Well, you've come to exactly the right place! In this blog post we're going to talk you through the most common fitting adjustments you can make to your Pearl cardigan, if you feel like you need them. 

Pearl is available in printed and PDF formats sizes UK 6-34 / US 2-30 / EUR 34-62 / AUS 6-34.

Luckily, as Pearl is made from knit fabric (AKA everybody's fave fabric), and is a wrap cardigan, you can tie it as loose or as tight as you like, it's relatively easy to fit - yay! We've got a blog post in the coming weeks with tips and tricks on how to fix a gapey neckline just in case you need a hand in this department. Otherwise, keep reading for info on fitting Pearl!

In this post we're going to cover: 

• Choosing your size 
• Lengthening or shortening the bodice or sleeve 
• How to combine different bust and waist sizes 
• Full bust adjustment
• Small bust adjustment

Choosing your size 

Meet the Pearl Wrap Cardigan Sewing Pattern

Today is an exciting day as we get to share our latest sewing pattern with you - squee! Meet the Pearl cardigan sewing pattern, speedy to sew and packed with delicious details and multiple sleeve options. 

The great thing about Pearl (and there are many great things) is that versatility is its middle name - you can wear this design with soooo many outfits. Pair with your Jessa jeans or a Bobbi skirt for an elevated casual look, or throw it on over an Indigo dress for ultimate effortlessly-cool vibes. You'll be whipping up a quick Pearl cardigan for every day of the week!

ORDER PEARL HERE

Excited to learn more about the Pearl cardigan? Let's get to it...