HOW TO SEW STRETCH KNITS WITHOUT A SERGER

“I want to make this stretch knit dress…but I don’t have a serger machine…”

If you are in this situation, I’ve got just the tips for you :) I know not all of us have a serger machine at home, but I bet all of us wouldn’t mind a super comfy dress, top, or bottoms made of a luscious stretch knit fabric! 

Well, I’ve already shared some tips on my YouTube channel and Instagram, but here I’m going to put it all together into one little roadmap you can use whenever you want to sew stretch knits without a serger. 

Let’s get started with the first step:

1️⃣ SEWING MACHINE SETTINGS

✅ You want to make sure that you are going to use the right needle on your sewing machine to achieve the right stitch. For knit fabric, there are several options of sewing machine needles. You can use stretch, jersey, or a ballpoint needle. This is to avoid any skipped stitches when sewing knits. A ballpoint needle has rounded tips that will penetrate the fabric without piercing it, so that you won’t get any holes along your seam. 

2️⃣ SEAMS

✅ There are different seams that you can use on your sewing machine instead of a serger, but this depends on your fabric and project. For example, you can use an overlocker imitation seam on your machine, as you can see in the photo below that’s number 10 and 11 on my Janome 8077. 

✅ You can also use a zigzag, on this machine that’s number 8. Using a narrow zig zag works well, one that’s about 0.5-1mm wide and 2.5mm long. This is primarily for joining details in your project. Otherwise, for the hem, neckline, and sleeve it’s perfectly good to use a coverlock, or otherwise topstitch using a double needle. Another option is to hand sew a blind hem stitch.

✅ Try a few different ones on a scrap piece of fabric to see which one you like best. In the photo below, I used the overedge stitch, which I preferred. 

3️⃣ PRESSING 

✅ This can be one of the most overlooked, but one of the most important steps in the sewing process, especially when sewing with knit fabrics. Pressing your seams gets rid of any waviness, which causes a bad fit. You want to set your iron to the right settings, which of course depend on your fabric, to get the best press possible. This is different from ironing, when you are trying to get wrinkles out of fabric. Here, your method is important. You want to impress the right shape into the fabric, so especially when you are working with waviness in your seams, you want to carefully move and hold your iron to almost solidify the right compressed shape into your fabric.

✅ Your tools have an important role in getting a good result, so, I highly recommend getting a Wooden Tailor’s Clapper. This handy thing aftering steaming the garment flat, cooling it down and drawing out any moisture. 

And that’s it for this little run-through of how to sew knit fabrics without a serger! It’s not as complicated as it may look in the beginning - so I hope these tips will help you in overcoming that little barrier of not having a serger :) 

👉🏻 Here’s a run-down of what we talked about:

1. Sewing Machine Settings: Use the right sewing machine needle, like a ballpoint. Use an all-purpose thread, which is stronger than serger thread on a regular machine. Stitch 4-5 mm from the edge when sewing to avoid an uneven and overstretched edge. 
2. Imitation Seams: Use a narrow zigzag, overedge stitch, a topstitch with a double needle, or a blind hem stitch. 
3. Pressing: Don’t forget to press and use a wooden clapper to get rid of any waviness. 

If you want to watch my video tutorial on the exact techniques I use for sewing knit fabric without a serger, you can check it out here: 

And here’s a list of the products I mentioned above in a neat little list for you: (Affiliate links) 

Sewing Machine: https://amzn.to/3kbZShg 

Iron: https://amzn.to/3CjZi7e 

Serger: https://amzn.to/3qKywm8 

Tailor’s Clapper: https://amzn.to/3tJNGHN 

Sleeve Ironing Board: https://amzn.to/3oAxcPV 

Twin needle stretch: https://amzn.to/3HrdaQt 

Stretch: https://amzn.to/3qG6zff 

Ballpoint: https://amzn.to/3DplmOU 

Jersey: https://amzn.to/3HwIbm3 

Serger: https://amzn.to/3DvmUHi 

Happy Sewing! 

xx Tiana