Fitting the Cece joggers + shorts

Are you planning to make the Cece joggers or shorts and have some questions on fitting? Then look no further as this post is for you!

Cece is available in printed and PDF formats, in sizes UK 6-34 / US 2-30 / EUR 34-62 / AUS 6-34 / 84-155cm (33-61in) hip.

I'm happy to report that the Cece joggers and shorts are designed to have a relaxed fit, so you might find you only need to make a couple of adjustments, or perhaps none at all! 

In this blog post, we'll cover:

• Making a toile
• Choosing your size
• Lengthening or shortening pattern pieces
• How to combine pattern sizes
• Other common trouser fitting adjustments 

NEW PATTERN! Meet the Cece joggers + shorts

Are you ready to step into your cosy era? Let us introduce the Cece joggers + shorts sewing pattern!

Cece (pronounced see-see) is cute, cosy, and super comfy – whether you’re working out, working from home, or chilling out! Be warned, once you've put your Ceces on, you'll never want to take them off.

Read on to find out all about Cece...

Meet the Drew sweatshirt sewing pattern + online workshop!

Say hello to our brand new sewing pattern - the Drew sweatshirt! Speedy to sew, and an absolute DELIGHT to wear, we think you're going to be as obsessed with this pattern as we are. 

This pattern is the perfect introduction to sewing with stretch knit fabrics - whether you make it on a regular sewing machine (with a zigzag stitch) or on an overlocker (serger) is up to you!

But wait, there's more! We’ve also created an online workshop to accompany the pattern - Sew a Sweatshirt on an Overlocker or Serger. This course will teach you how to whip up stretch knit garments with confidence on an overlocker or serger - without resorting back to your sewing machine!

So grab a cuppa, settle in, and let us fill you in on everything you need to know about Drew...

Let's Sew With Knits!

Want to start sewing with knit fabrics but don't know where to begin? Well, you've come to the right place! Whether you've yet to dip your toe into the wonderful world of sewing with stretch fabrics, or you've got a few projects under your belt but you want to take it to the next level, this master blog post with our tips for sewing with knit fabric will have you well on your way to the comfiest handmade wardrobe possible. 

Can I sew knit fabrics on a regular sewing machine?

Absolutely! While overlockers or sergers are great for handling stretch fabrics and creating a professional-looking finish (keep reading for more on this!), you don’t necessarily need one to sew with knits - hurrah! If you’ve got an adjustable zigzag stitch on your regular sewing machine, you can use that instead.

For more, check out Tilly's tips for sewing knit fabrics on a regular sewing machine.

What sewing patterns to use

Lucky for you, we can recommend a wide range of stretch sewing projects using our award-winning, jargon-busting sewing patterns. But we're not just talking about basic tops (although we do love the basics!), we've also got gorgeous designs for a wide range of garments and abilities including our Drew sweatshirt, Billie sweatshirt, Cece joggers and shorts, Erin dungarees, the Iris knickers and our simple to sew Lotta dress. But don't just take our word for it, explore our collection of stretch sewing projects in our knits edit...

SHOP THE KNITS EDIT

How to Sew Buttonholes on Knit Fabric (with video!)

We've tackled buttonholes in detail before on the blog, if you've read through our Tilly Tips For Perfect Buttons post we're sure you'll be feeling confident facing any sewing project featuring any pesky buttons. But this time we want to show you how to sew buttonholes on knit fabrics, such as jersey, ponte or sweatshirting. 

Sewing buttonholes on stretch fabrics might sound rather intimidating, but here at Tilly and the Buttons we're lovers of sewing with stretch (Tilly wrote a book all about it don't ya know?) and we want to show you sewing buttonholes on your comfiest clothes can be straightforward too, with the help of these tips...

1) Interface the area

When sewing buttonholes on knit fabrics it's important to stabilise the area with interfacing so your buttonhole doesn't stretch out over time and unfasten when you least expect it! Even though you're sewing a stretch garment, this is one small area that you don't want to stretch.

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:

Tips for Sewing with Sweatshirt Fabrics

When the weather gets cooler, sweatshirt fabric is one of my favourite materials to sew with. Not only does it make for the comfiest clothes, it’s also pretty easy to sew – woohoo! Sweatshirt fabrics – by which I mean sweatshirt fleece, loopback or French terry – generally have a low stretch percentage so, unlike many other knit fabrics, they are easy to cut, handle and stitch without stretching out of shape or creating rippled seams.

If you’re tempted to dive into the wonderful world of sweatshirt fabrics, I’m going to share my top tips for sewing with them. We also made a video summary of the main tips if you’d like a quickie version ;)

1) Choose an appropriate project and type of fabric

Sweatshirt fabrics are ideal for making casual clothes, loungewear and activewear. They trap warm air, so will keep you toasty in the winter, plus they are moisture-wicking, so perfect for your workout.

They usually have little stretch (although the amount does vary), so match them with a looser-fitting garment pattern that you can get on and off easily – maybe it has a zip opening, or you could make the neckband in a stretchier jersey ribbing.

There are a few different types of sweatshirt fabrics available. When shopping for them, it’s common to find fabric labelled as one of the following:

How to do a Full Bust Adjustment For Knit Fabrics

Garments made in jersey and other knit fabrics generally don't require many fit adjustments, thanks to the stretch in the fabric. Having said that, if you find that your me-mades feel tight across the bust, with excess fabric pooling above, you may benefit from doing a full bust adjustment. 

In this blog post I'm going to talk you through how to do a full bust adjustment on a dartless bodice sewing pattern designed for knit fabrics - such as our Billie sweatshirt, Agnes top, Coco top and dress, Romy top and dress, Tabitha t-shirt and more. We've previously published tutorials on how to do bust adjustments on darted bodices and dartless bodices for woven fabrics - these both have step-by-step instructions and some nifty diagrams to show you exactly what to do, and you should deffo bookmark them to check them out at a later date if you haven't already! 

How do I know if I need a full bust adjustment? 

Generally speaking, knit garments are much more forgiving than woven garments when it comes to fitting. The stretchy fabric means we often don't need to worry if things are a little bit tight, and stretch garments are also often relatively casual in style and fit, meaning fitting is usually relatively simple overall. Because of this, you might not need to do a bust adjustment on these types of garments, even if you often do a full bust adjustment for woven garments - yay!

However, if your boobs are on the larger side and you usually find that even easy-fitting t-shirts and sweatshirts are either too tight in the bust area, or fit across the bust but have a lot of excess fabric pooling above, then you probably need to make a full bust adjustment. Luckily the adjustment I'm going to show you today is super easy and you'll be done in no time :)

Help! How much do I have to add to the bust? 

Meet the Billie Sweatshirt and Dress Sewing Pattern!

Here's a riddle for you - what's ultra-comfy, casual, modern, and your next favourite make? Answer: it's the Billie sweatshirt and sweater dress! Billie is the newest member of the Tilly and the Buttons sewing pattern family and we can't wait to tell you more. 

As we're spending a little (a lot) more time than usual at home at the moment, we decided to create a pattern that you'll feel great in, wherever you are and whatever you're doing - whether that's in Zoom meeting after Zoom meeting, glued to your sewing machine, or lounging on the sofa! 

With multiple sleeve versions, and the choice to make a top or a dress with optional cutaway pockets, the question is: which version will you make first? 

Excited to learn more about Bille? Let's get to it...

*Update!* Billie now comes in a choice of TWO size bands - a UK 6-24 OR a UK 16-34.

THE DESIGN

When designing the Billie sweatshirt and sweater dress, Tilly wanted to create a quintessential sweatshirt pattern with a twist. And what better way to elevate a garment than with on-trend sleeves and super cute pockets?

Inspiration and fabrics for making your Nora top

If you haven’t already heard, there’s a new knit top in town that is destined to become one of your favourite things to make! Just like our popular Coco pattern, Nora is quick and easy to sew and will slot into your wardrobe like it’s always been there.

You can make Nora from a multitude of knit fabrics - from single jersey, to sweater knits, double knits, and stretch velvet – there are so many lovely options to choose from. The best part is the fabric can transform the shape, from being more structured, to floatier and fluid.

Five Freyas for Louise

I have a confession to make… I am completely obsessed with making Freyas – anyone else with me?

It's Louise here, the sales and communications manager at Tilly and the Buttons. Last month we launched our latest book – Stretch! Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics – and have been busy bees collectively getting our sew on so I thought I'd share my makes with you : )

Did someone say fabric shopping?

Hold the phone! Our online shop is now stocked full of gorgeous knit fabrics perfect for your Stretch! makes. We often get asked where we get our fabrics from so we thought we’d do the leg work for you and put together a selection of the most dreamy fabrics.

Handpicked by Tilly, from glitter sweatshirt fleece to super fun prints on the softest french terry - we've got you covered. They tick all the boxes when it comes to comfort and quality, look good enough to eat so won’t hang around forever.

Check out our dreamy drawstring jersey yarn - perfect for making the Stella hoodie and joggers, we also have stretch interfacing which is great to stash in your sewing tool box. Finally, by popular demand we have a batch of our coveted secret pyjamas squad patches for sale - grab one to join the the gang : )

Ready, steady, sew!

Inspiration for Your Stretch Makes

It's Louise here, the sales and communications manager from team Buttons – a sewist with a passion for fashion! Last month we launched Tilly's latest book – Stretch! Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics – and I have been pinning to my heart’s content to inspire our next Stretch! makes. I have so many ideas for fabric, styling and embellishments... it’s pretty much all we can talk about in the office at the mo! What are you planning to make? Please do share!

BIBI
The pencil skirt is a confirmed classic but there are plenty of ways to reinvent this oh so chic style. I have soooo much inspiration for making our Bibi I just don’t know where to start.

Make a statement with colour or print on Bibi – style it with a tucked in top or Frankie tee thrown on for effortless cool. You can have fun playing with length and try a midi or maxi – it’s perfect with a front or back slit. You may have guessed it but we love Bibi as a pinafore which can be casual or smart depending on the fabric used – Jenny made a gorgeous version in lilac, our current new favourite colour.

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

First Peek at My New Book!

It’s been a secret for far too long… I’m so excited to finally share with you the title and cover of my new book - Stretch! Make Yourself Comfortable Sewing with Knit Fabrics.

Published by Quadrille, the book will be out in early March 2018 – and you can pre-order it NOW from Amazon.co.uk (UK) or Amazon.com (North America)!

Pre-orders really help by showing potential stockists that there’s interest in the book – so I really really appreciate it when anyone orders their book in advance :)

So what’s the book about? Two key words in the title say it all – “stretch” and “comfortable”. A perfect follow on to my first book Love at First Stitch, it’s about stretching your skills by learning to sew stretchy knit fabric; and getting comfortable with these fabrics so you can make clothes that are so comfortable you’ll want to wear them every day!

Stretch! is jam-packed full of techniques and tips for choosing, cutting, fitting and stitching jersey, double knit (or ponte), sweatshirting, sweater knits, stretch velvet and sequin knits. Knit fabrics have a reputation for being tricky to sew – but I want to show you that, with a few tricks up your (handmade) sleeve, they’re actually not that difficult after all. In fact, once you know how, knit fabrics are speedy to sew, a dream to wear – and totally addictive!

Five Tips for Sewing with Ponte

There's a little subtitle for this post which reads, “When your sewing pattern is designed for woven fabrics”. Since we listed ponte di roma or double knit alongside woven fabrics as a suggested material for sewing the Martha dress, we’ve had some questions about how to sew with it and any special considerations or changes you’d need to make. So today I thought it worth discussing tips on sewing ponte when the pattern you’re using is primarily designed for woven fabrics.

Learn to Sew Jersey Tops - Take Our Online Workshop From Home!

Want to be able to make comfortable, wearable tops for every day?

Want to take your sewing skills to the next level with an introduction to sewing stretchy jersey fabric?

Don’t have an overlocker or serger – or just don’t like using it?

Fancy taking a Tilly and the Buttons workshop – but can’t get to London?

No problemo... Introducing our first online workshop that you can take from the comfort of your own home - Learn to Sew Jersey Tops… on a regular sewing machine!

Watch the trailer!

Who is the workshop for?

Learn to Sew Jersey Tops is suitable for advanced beginners and improvers - you’ll need to be comfortable using a sewing machine and have experience sewing a few things already. I’ll take you through essential tips and techniques to get you feeling confident sewing jersey on a regular sewing machine, without overwhelming you with too much information. If you’re a fan of the Coco sewing pattern, a loose-fitting garment designed for low-stretch knits, the Agnes top, which we'll be sewing in the course, is the perfect next step to build your skills and get to grips with handling stretchier knit fabric and sewing a close-fitting top.

Why jersey?

Jersey tops are comfortable, wearable and practical for every day. They’re also quick to sew and easy to fit once you know how. Yet many people are scared of sewing stretchy jersey, and you might think that you need to get an overlocker or serger to be able to sew with it. I want to show you that it doesn’t have to be tricky, and that you can sew jersey on your regular sewing machine. I’m hoping to get you hooked on sewing jersey!

What will I learn?

• How to make the gorgeous and wearable Agnes top, in a variety of different styles – destined to become your new wardrobe staple!
• Tips, techniques and tools for sewing jersey on a regular sewing machine
• How to choose the right jersey fabric for your project
• Techniques for cutting and stabilising jersey so it doesn’t stretch out of shape
• No-fuss fitting for jersey tops (so much easier than fitting woven clothing!)
• How to attach a neckband that won’t gape
• Steps for sewing both plain sleeves and puffed sleeve
• How to use elastic to create adorable ruched necklines and sleeves
• Transferrable sewing skills that you can use again and again

You’ll also get a free digital copy of the Agnes sewing pattern to print and assemble at home, plus a discount for the printed pattern (available through the course platform).

How do online workshops work?

One of the best things about sewing is that you can do it from the comfort of your own home, at a time that suits you, without having to travel anywhere special, or schedule any time off work. Now you can take a sewing workshop with me (Tilly) in your own time and space too. You can even do it in your pyjamas if you like!

When you register for the workshop, you’ll get instant access to a member-only course website. The lessons are taught through a combination of video, text, and printable check lists, viewable on your computer, tablet or smartphone. Yes, video! It’s so helpful to see sewing in action, in moving images.

I’ve designed this course to be manageable and actionable – the lessons are broken down into bitesize chunks, with practical action points so you can get sewing straight after watching each step. You can record and track your progress as you go to keep you motivated, and I’m hoping that the participants will form a supportive online community.

There are no set dates or deadlines for this workshop – you’ll get instant access, and you can start and finish the course at a time that suits you. While we can’t guarantee “lifetime access”, you know, in case of digital apocalypse or something, you’ll have access to the course for as long as it’s available – we’re not planning to take it down any time soon. It’s self-paced, so it’s totally up to you whether you binge watch the whole thing in one weekend, or spread it out over ten or more evenings – whatever suits you. And you can pause, rewind and rewatch the lessons as much as you like – so if you forget how to do something, you can always check back.

How much is it?

Less than half the price of a face-to-face workshop, with no travel costs either – hooray! The fee is $69 (US dollars), which includes a digital version of the Agnes sewing pattern. If you'd like a printed version of the pattern, there's a 20% discount code for workshop participants - you'll see it on the Agnes sewing pattern page of the workshop once you've signed up.

In British pounds, that’s roughly £45 (sorry I can’t tell you exactly how much it is as currency conversion rates fluctuate). The reason the price is in US dollars rather than British pounds is because that’s the only currency used by the course platform - I’m sorry if that’s annoying for British people, we'd like to develop our own course platform in the future if the workshop is popular so we can get around limitations such as this. Good news for our friends in the US, though! ☺

Remember – you can revisit this workshop as many times as you like, whenever it suits you.

What equipment do I need to take part?

You’ll need a sewing machine with an adjustable width zigzag stitch, plus a computer, tablet or smartphone to watch the lessons on. You don’t need an overlocker/serger or coverstitch machine for this workshop! There are a few other low cost supplies that I find helpful for sewing jersey fabric – I’ll talk you through them in the workshop.

Any other questions? Take a look at our FAQ, or feel free to ask in the comments below.

I’m looking forward to welcoming you to the workshop!

[Many thanks to Dan Matthews, Jimmy Barnett and Charlie Moore at ramshackle.tv for their incredibly hard work producing the videos! If the Vikings can make it to Canada...]

Tips for Sewing Sweatshirt Knits

Sweatshirt fabric is lovely and easy to sew with, and will create super snuggly outfits to see you through the winter. My sweatshirt Cocos have quickly become wardrobe staples, and there are some other cute patterns out there that you may like to try – such as Lola by Victory Patterns, Linden from Grainline, and White Russian by Capital Chic Patterns.

Today I’m sharing some tricks I found helpful for sewing with thick sweatshirt material. My starting point is my usual method for sewing knit fabric (as opposed to woven fabric) on a regular sewing machine, so use these tips alongside the tips in the Coco sewing pattern instructions and/or our Learn to Sew Jersey Tops video workshop.

1) Beware shrinkage

Sweatshirt fabrics can shrink quite a bit. I discovered this the hard way! Embarrassing story – my red Coco sweatshirt was originally supposed to be a dress, but the second time I washed it, it became so indecently short I had to re-hem it as a top! So you may want to pre-wash your fabric twice before cutting it out, and also add some length to the hem and sleeves to be on the safe side. For the second (black) version, I lengthened the hemline by about 7cm (3in).

2) Allow extra fabric for folds

As well as lengthening the hem to allow for shrinkage, if the pattern your using isn’t designed specifically for thick sweatshirt fabric, it’s a good idea to increase the length on any area that involves a fold, since thicker fabric needs extra allowance to fold over itself. I found I needed to add about 7cm (3in) to the depth of the funnel neck piece on Coco, since the fold was so bulky. It’s also a good idea to create a deeper hem allowance so the thick hem doesn’t pop out or sit awkwardly.

3) Ease off on the presser foot pressure

Since sweatshirt fabric can be pretty thick, it helps to reduce the presser foot pressure on your sewing machine so you can get multiple layers under it without too much squidging. Your sewing machine manual will tell you where the presser foot pressure dial is on your model, if it's adjustable.



4) Adjust the stitch length

I also lengthened the stitch length slightly from my usual 2.2mm to 2.6mm, and lowered the thread tension slightly, again to avoid too much squidgeage (technical term) of the thick fabric under the stitches. (You can sew with straight stitch on the vertical seams and zigzag stitch on the horizontal seams as usual.)

5) Go easy on the iron

Not so much a must, just a time-saving tip ;) The good news is that I found I didn't need to use my iron much between stitching. Don’t tell me off! Finger pressing was enough to fold most of the seams down neatly enough before the next bit of stitching, and I just gave everything a good press at the end. Hooray!



Do you have tips of your own for sewing with sweatshirt knits? Do share!

Sewing Knit Fabric on a Regular Sewing Machine

Update: You can now take our online video workshop from home!

Learn to Sew Jersey on a Regular Sewing Machine

Want to sew with knit fabrics but don’t own an overlocker or serger? No problem! While overlockers or sergers are great for handling stretch fabrics and creating a professional-looking finish (I love mine), you don’t necessarily need one to sew with knits. If you’ve got zigzag stitch on your regular sewing machine, you can use that instead. In fact, the instructions in the Coco sewing pattern and Agnes sewing pattern assume you are using a regular machine (but if you are lucky enough to have an overlocker or serger, go ahead and use it if you prefer!).

Sewing with knit fabrics doesn’t have to be more difficult than sewing with woven material. It’s just different, because knits behave a little differently to wovens. Here are my tips for sewing knits on a regular sewing machine:

1) Change your needle
Use a ballpoint or stretch needle in your sewing machine. Personally I find ballpoint needles work well for me - they have a slightly rounded tip which passes through the looped structure of the material without laddering it. Other people swear by stretch needles, so see which works for you and the fabric you're using. If you can find ballpoint pins (I can’t!), you may want to use them too – otherwise just take care that your pins don’t leave holes in your lovely fabric.

This is totally optional, but if you want to, you could get a twin ballpoint needle for topstitching areas such as the hem, neckline or pocket. Twin needles form two rows of stitching parallel to each other a few mm apart on the right side of the fabric, and a small zigzag stitch on the wrong side. Sweet! You’ll need a second spool pin for this – your machine might already have two, or you can attach an extra one to your bobbin winder spindle.

2) Make friends with zigzag stitch
Set your sewing machine to the zigzag stitch – rather than the straight stitch – to sew horizontal seams, such as the neckline, armholes and hem. This is important firstly because the finished garment needs enough stretch so you can pull it over your body; and secondly because the horizontal grain of knit fabric can stretch out when you’re sewing it and you may find that straight stitch kinda “sets” this stretched-out-ness. Zigzag stitch isn’t so vital for vertical seams such as side seams and pockets, on which you can try using straight stitch.

Before you begin, make sure the presser foot you’re using has a wide enough slot so the needle doesn’t hit it when making the zigzags. Your sewing machine manual will tell you how to change the stitch to zigzag. Your sewing machine may have a variety of zigzag-style and stretch stitches, and feel free to try them out, but I find the standard zigzag stitch works just fine. Test your zigzag stitching on a double scrap (ie. two layers) of your fabric before you begin. The width of the zigzag will determine how much the stitch stretches – have a play around with the length and width settings to see what works on your fabric, plus what you think looks nice. I like to use 1.5 width x 2.2 length zigzag for joining seams, 2.5 x 2.5 for a neat topstitch.

Sew with the needle starting on the seam line, just as you would when using straight stitch, back tacking (reverse stitching) over either end to secure the stitching. I find that sometimes back tacking with zigzag stitch works fine, other times it looks a total mess in which case I'll back tack with straight stitch.

3) Try a different presser foot
A walking foot or dual feed foot attachment for your sewing machine are useful for helping to prevent one layer of fabric from stretching out while sewing. They grip the fabric and feed both layers of fabric through the machine at the same speed. Which one you need and how you use it will depend on your model of sewing machine (I bought a walking foot for my Janome J3-18, and when I got my Janome 6600P it came with a dual feed foot) so check your manual.

Also take a look in your manual to see if there’s a dial for changing the pressure of the presser foot. Reducing the presser foot pressure (now that’s a tongue twister!) can help stop the fabric stretching too much while it goes through the machine.

4) Take care not to stretch the fabric when sewing
Try not to stretch the fabric as it goes through the sewing machine. Keep the fabric in front of the machine laying flat – if your machine comes with an extension table, that can be helpful, or simply hold the fabric up slightly so it doesn’t hang off your sewing table.

Take your time when sewing knits, taking pauses with the needle down so you can readjust the alignment of the raw edges of the fabric.

5) Forget finishing!
Knits don’t usually fray, so you don’t have to finish the seams – hooray! Of course if you want to, you can tidy up the raw edges using zigzag stitch (or an overlocker or serger if you have one). As with woven fabric, pressing the seams after you’ve sewn them will help make them look much neater.

And there you have it – not so difficult after all! As with so many things in life – and especially with creative endeavours – there isn’t one “right” way of doing this, so much of this is down to personal preference. So if you don’t get on with any of these tricks, don’t fret – test things out and find what works for you. If you have your own tips for sewing with knits, please do share in the comments!

Want to know more? Want to see knit fabric sewing in action? Sign up for our online workshop - Learn to Sew Jersey Tops on a Regular Sewing Machine.