How much do you know about the different types of knit fabrics?
Recently I bought a piece of Ponte di Roma fabric. I didn’t really know what it would be like but it was a plain color and that’s what I wanted.
It turns out I was very impressed working with the fabric. It has medium stretch and a very stable fabric. The dress I sewed with it turned out lovely!
Here is a description of the fabric from the Fabrics Galore website: This soft and sturdy fabric is a double-knit material, which essentially means there are two layers of fabric knitted together with two sets of needles. Ponte Roma is a thicker fabric, with a slight horizontal ribbed appearance, and is available in lightweight, midweight and heavyweight varieties.
This fabric is great for beginners or those that have a hard time working with knit fabrics.
Liverpool knit fabric is a double knit, poly spandex blend. It is textured on the right side of the fabric and smooth on the wrong side.
This fabric is less stretchy than other knits, is generally 2-way stretch and is more structured and less flowy.
Since it is more structured than other knits, Liverpool fabric is easier to work with than other less structured fabrics.
It is the perfect fabric for beginners or those that find sewing more difficult.
Below is a description of one of my favorite types of knit fabric for my most comfortable dresses! 😊
Double brushed knit is a polyester and spandex blend that has 4 way stretch. It has gone through treatment that brushes the surface of the fabric giving it a suede look and feels incredibly soft.
You can get this fabric in single brushed, which is brushed on one side of the fabric or double brushed, which is brushed on both sides of the fabric.
Double brushed knit fabric is drapey and has good stretch and recovery. Double brushed knit is not as stable as Liverpool or Ponte de Roma knits but is not difficult for experienced sewists to work with.
For best results in using double brushed knit use a stretch needle and polyester thread.
ITY stands for interlock twist yarn which is a method of giving the yarn a twist as the fabric is created which increases the stretch and durability of the fabric. The fabric is made with a polyester and spandex blend and is soft to the touch with lots of drape. ITY knit comes in 2-way or 4-way stretch and vibrant colors.
ITY fabric is also heavy so I find that I need to take in seams when I use patterns I have used on other stretch fabrics. The fabric is also slippery so sewing it is more difficult and I would recommend it for experienced sewists.
A tip I found when working with ITY fabric is to sew with some tissue paper between the needle and fabric. This gives some stability and the tissue paper can easily be torn away once the seam is finished.
Using ball point pins and machine needles helps a lot when sewing with knits. Using ball point or stretch needles avoids skipped stitches.
Which is your favorite fabric to use? Feel free to leave a comment and let me know! 😊
