Hi all, it’s Gina here for Tie Dye Diva patterns. One of my favorite things about sewing with apparel fabric is the variety of knits available. It seems like every day (well not really, but you know what I mean!) there’s some type of knit fabric on the market I’ve never heard of and I need to touch them, pick them up, see how they drape, test their stretch, fall in love with them!
Sewing for little ones means I can play with a wide variety of knits in small quantities. I narrowed myself down to five very different types of knit fabrics available from Cali Fabrics, and I selected the New York Minute Dress pattern and Sterling Leggings pattern both from Tie Dye Diva to show off what these knit fabrics can do.
This first New York Minute dress features the hood, kangaroo pocket, and long sleeves options that perfectly show off this Gray Snakeskin Brushed Jersey Knit.
This mid to heavy weight fabric has a smooth, soft face and a brushed back that feels like fleece. With 40% stretch and surprisingly good recovery, this fabric is definitely a winner. Plus, I had no problems sewing with it and found it rather delightful!
The leggings are made using this Hot Pink Premium Cotton Lycra Jersey. It’s a mid-weight knit suitable for cooler weather with 4-way stretch and good recovery thanks to the spandex. I also used some of this hot pink fabric for some fun pop of color in the dress.
This is a great stable knit fabric for beginners, and it was very easy to sew with. I noticed there were several other colors available too. After my daughter wore these pants all day, there was little to no bagging at the knees or bottom, so I’m definitely satisfied with this one!
This second New York Minute dress features “ribbed” hems, inset pockets, and short sleeves options. I have to say that I was very excited to work with this next fabric as Liverpool seems to be one of the popular fabrics of the season!
This is Neon Pink Crepe-like Double Knit, aka Liverpool. The front has a crepe texture, and the back is more like a techno knit. It has great stretch and some drape, and the color is definitely bright neon. My only recommendations with this fabric is to clip or file your nails before you sew with it. If they have any rough edges they will “catch” the crepe side. When pressed it comes out, but I was “snagging” this fabric all over the place! Also when you’re done, you may need to clean out your machine as it seems to shed a bit as well.
With that being said, it was very easy to sew, and it works well with the pattern I used. Although the New York Minute dress pattern is often used with fleece fabrics, it does well with this fabric as it has some structure, so it definitely works as a warmer weather dress.
This coordinating version of Sterling Leggings were made using Black Grunge Double Brushed Poly Spandex (top fabric pictured above). I couldn’t stop touching this amazingly soft fabric, and I seriously fell in love with it! This light to mid-weight knit has excellent 4-way stretch and recovery. Also since it has more than 100% stretch, I’d recommend possibly sizing down in your pattern. I made my daughter a size 3 with a size 5 length, and it fits and looks amazing on her! I also used this as the “ribbing” fabric for my New York Minute dress above, and the print worked perfectly with the neon Liverpool.
Now double brushed poly is definitely the IN fabric at the moment, and now I can see why, but it doesn’t come without its dark side. I’ve heard a lot about how difficult it is to sew, as it does act differently than other knits. I had no problems using my serger, but when it came time to finish hems on my coverstitch, I knew I’d need to practice with some scraps first. It took several attempts to avoid skipped stitches (I’ve heard the same with sewing machines), but my recommendation is to definitely use a stretch needle on your machine and play around with scraps first to get the right settings for your machine. Also a little do-it-yourselfer tip, tissue paper between the fabric and the feed dogs works wonders when you’re desperate!
To tie this second outfit together, I decided to add an infinity scarf which I made using this luxuriously soft Charcoal Heather Lightweight Rib Knit. I really like the way this quick sew turned out and will probably be borrowing it from my daughter. Even though it’s a simple rib knit, it is good quality and looks much more expensive than it is. If you’re making something with a sweater knit, I think this rib knit would accent it well and keep it looking high class!
I really enjoyed working with all five of these knit fabrics and sharing with you how different each outfit looks even though they’re both the New York Minute Dress and Sterling Leggings patterns.
If you asked me to choose which fabric I loved the most, I would be hard pressed because I actually loved all of them, but I think I would have to choose the double-brushed poly in the end. I couldn’t believe how soft it was and how lovely it wore on my daughter! There are so many colors and prints available too, I think I’m going to have to make myself something next…
Oh, and before I go, I machine washed all my fabric on delicate cycle and dried on low. No one has time for hand washing and hang drying, so I thought I’d pass that little extra on to you all. Great looking fabrics that are easy to care for! You gotta love that!