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- Knits
- How do knits different from woven fabrics?
Knits are stretchy. Wovens aren't.
Knit fabrics are made from one long strand of "yarn" (or thread)
which forms repeated interlocking loops. Woven fabrics are made from crossing
perpendicular independent yarns.
- What special techniques help when sewing with knits?
You'll want to make sure to sew with a ball-point or universal needle,
to start. (Not a "sharp".) Also, to ensure that the fabric stretches naturally
along the seam lines instead of being stretchy everywhere else but abnormally
un-stretchy at the seams, always use a slight zigzag stitch to make the
seam lines. When the fabric is stretched, the zigzags are stretched toward
being straighter, thus giving stretch to the seam.
- Can I use a sewing machine on my own knitting?
Yes, absolutely you can. It works beautifully. You'll probably want to use
a nice wide zigzag stitch to make sure the seam remains stretchy and that
you catch enough yarns in the seam for it to hold on well.
- Tissue Lame'
- What's the difference between the $3/yard fabric I
saw at the discount retailer and the $15/yard fabric I saw at the independant
fabric store that looked the same?
Twelve dollars a yard.
But seriously, there are several things you have to consider to get a good
answer to that question. Look at the fabrics closely. Get a swatch of one
and bring it to compare to the other if possible. Unroll a yard of each off
the bolt and look how it drapes. Touch it with your fingertips and feel the
quality of the surface.
- Does it really look the same? The manufacturer may be using a less
expensive dye process on the cheaper fabric. For example, if there is metallic
gold ink printed on the expensive fabric, yellow may be substituted in the
inexpensive fabric. Also, you may have merely found two fabrics that are
very similar but are not from the same manufacturer
- Is it the same fabric underneath the surface appearance? Even if the same
color or print is applied with the same dyes, it may be a higher quality
fabric in the more expensive version, such as a finer cotton or a 100% cotton
instead of a cotton/polyester blend. It may even be a different fiber altogether
- your authors recently saw the same print in a 100% polyester and a 100%
silk. (It was a horrifying olive green with bright pink paisley. Ugh!)
- Is the quality of the output comparable? The expensive fabric may be perfect
while the cheaper fabric may have printing errors.
- And of course, it may still be that one store is overcharging and the
other one isn't.
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