Sewing with Stretch Fabrics – a Beginner-Friendly Guide
Hi, I’m Em, you may have seen me around on the Ellie and Mac Facebook group. I love sewing all sorts from bags to clothes, but my speciality is sewing with stretch. I love how forgiving it is for fitting, and I love how children’s clothes just last forever!
If you’re new to sewing with stretch, you’re in the right place. I know stretch fabric can feel intimidating at first, but once you learn how it behaves and have picked up a few hints and tips, you’ve got a whole plethora of new patterns to explore.
Whether you’re looking to make the comfy Urban Leggings, the perfectly fitting Eliana Baby Tee, or just want to make some ear warmers, this guide will set you on your way to sewing with stretch.
What is Stretch Fabric?
Stretch fabric is any textile that can expand and recover its shape. Unlike stable woven fabric, which is much more structured, stretch fabric will move with your body.
There are 2 types of stretch:
· Mechanical stretch – comes from how the fabric is made, knitted fabric will have this type of stretch
· Fibre stretch – come from adding elastic fibres into the fabric, added elastane (aka Spandex/Lycra) will create this effect
Stretch and Recovery
When sewing with stretch fabric, you need to consider 2 main factors: how much it stretches and how well it recovers.
Stretch
Stretch refers to how far a fabric can expand from when it is laid out flat. You can test this easily.
· Hold 10 cm of fabric alongside a tape measure or ruler
· Stretch it comfortably, don’t pull it too much
· Measure how far it extends
If 10 cm stretches to 15 cm, that’s 50% stretch
(This can also be done with inches. Hold 4" of fabric alongside a tape measurer...
- 4 inches to 5 inches: 25% stretch.
- 4 inches to 6 inches: 50% stretch.
- 4 inches to 7 inches: 75% stretch.
- 4 inches to 8 inches: 100% stretch.)
Different projects require different amounts of stretch, the pattern instructions will often tell you what is needed. They will also specific whether 2-way (stretch just across the width) or 4-way (stretch across the width and along the length) is needed.
As a rough guide:
· T-shirts: 25-40%
· Fitted dresses: 40-50%
· Leggings/swimwear: 50-75%
Recovery
Recovery is how well the fabric returns to its original shape after being stretched. This is crucial for garments like leggings, swimwear, fitted dresses, cuffs and neckbands, but less essential for loose-fitting tshirts, sweatshirts, joggers. If a fabric has poor recovery it will become baggy at the knees, elbows, or waistband over time.
To test recovery of your fabric, stretch the fabric firmly, holding for 5-10 seconds, then release. If it snaps back quickly to the original size and shape, it has good recovery.
There’s a really great video over on the Ellie and Mac YouTube site here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQy-jPtNNAk
Essential tools for Sewing with Stretch Fabric
You don’t need fancy machines to sew with stretch, though a lot of people do choose to have these. A simple sewing machine with a zigzag stitch and the right needle is all you need to get started. However, as with most things, once you decide you love sewing with stretch, you can expand your machine collection to help make things quicker.
One of the most important tool you need to sew stretch fabrics is the right needle. A ballpoint needle slides between the knit fibres instead of piercing them, preventing skipped stitches and small holes when the fabric is stretched. Polyester thread is also useful, as it has slightly more give than cotton thread, so will help prevent snapped stitches.
If you’re sewing on a sewing machine, a walking foot can help feed the fabric easily and prevent stretching the fabric when sewing. I’ll admit I’ve never used one, but I have heard good things about them.
If you’re sewing your knits on a regular sewing machine, you’ll need to find out which stretch stitch you prefer to work with. Some machines have loads of stretch stitches to play with, others just have a zig zag, which is ultimately all you need. A stitch called a “lightning bolt” is a very robust stretch stitch which you can find on some machines, but it is much more time consuming than a narrow zig zag and trust me, isn’t fun to unpick!
I would advise that you play with your machine and work out what works best for you. You may want to try using a slightly longer stitch length, or lower the pressure on your foot (if you can). However, unless you are basting, or using a specialist thread, I would avoid using a simple straight stitch as this is likely to pop when the fabric is stretched.
Once you get into sewing with knits, an overlocker (serger) is a great addition to your sewing toolbox. However, you don’t need one to sew with knits, but it does give a more professional finish, and speed up sewing time.
Knit Sewing Pattern Suggestions
Here are some project suggestions to get you started (all links are my aff link, doesn’t cost you any more, but gives me a small bit of commission to help fund my sewing addiction):
Oversized Tee Pattern
Oversized Tee Pattern – a loose fitting tshirt with recommended fabric with 50% stretch. However, due to the loose fitting nature of this top, I’d recommend maybe trying a fabric with 25% stretch and a fabric with 50% stretch to see how different fabrics behave with the same pattern.
https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/oversized-tee-pattern?aff=2338
Eliana Baby Tee Pattern
Eliana Baby Tee Pattern – for a more form-fitting tee, the Eliana is a great option. I love wearing mine under dungarees and as a base layer. Even better comes as a tshirt or a tank top – even more versatile.
https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/eliana-baby-tee-pattern?aff=2338
Endurance Color Block Leggings Sewing Pattern
Endurance Color Block Leggings Sewing Pattern – if you’re feeling more adventurous, have a go at the endurance colour block leggings. I love the way these use up those little scraps, but also they can get you used to sewing with stretchier fabrics such as athletic knits.
https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/endurance-color-block-leggings-pattern?aff=2338
Straight Fit Basic Tee Pattern
Straight Fit Basic Tee Pattern – great for a basic tshirt. It even has a colourblocked option, which means you can use it with those smaller scraps as well.
https://www.ellieandmac.com/products/straight-fit-basic-tee-pattern?aff=2338
Final thoughts
I’ll admit, sewing with knit stretch fabrics can be daunting at first if you’re used to sewing with wovens. There are a few things to consider, but once you’ve had a play and worked out what your preferred stretch settings are, it opens up a world of comfy, quick-to-sew garments for all the family.
If you’re new to sewing stretch, remember to carefully consider the fabric for your project, pick the right needles, practise sewing some stretch stitches before you get going, and most of all, have fun!
-Written by Em Stevens
