Tidy Twist Top

LOVE this shirt ... found a great tutorial and I thought I would share it with you. Check a tutorial at Welcome to the Good Life, she used these videos: drafting the pattern and constructing the twist top

P.S. ... if you need a basic knit top pattern, check out BurdaStyle's Lydia ... it's only $1. (I use my own pattern, but I know not everyone is as crazy as me ;p) I hate that it has a faced neckline, but that can easily be changed by using any of these other tutorials that I posted on Craftivision

Spin Around Dress

FREE dress pattern available in a 2T. Check out the complete pattern and tutorial at Making it Little by Little. She also has the complete pattern and tutorial to ADD SLEEVES for wovens and knits!

Knit Cuff Pattern and Tutorial

How to sew a knit cuff ... Check out the complete tutorial at Piccoli Piselli.

Billiard Tee

How cute is this ... there is never enough sewing projects for boys -- it always seems like they are geared to girls! Check out the complete tutorial at Made by Rae.

Knit Ruffle Pants

How cute are these? Check out the complete tutorial at 60 piggies, no pattern included ... she gives vague measurements for a 4t.

Gathered Scarf using Elastic Thread

Check out Craft for the complete tutorial.

Applying Picot Elastic

How to apply picot edge elastic. The example shows underwear, but I LOVE it for necklines and super simple elastic waists on skirts. Check out Stitches and Seams for complete tutorial. Do the topstitching with a double needle for a mock-coverstitch (shown in the above picture).

Faux Cami or Modesty Panel

How to add a faux camisole or modesty panel into a too low neckline. Check out the complete tutorial at Stitches and Seams.

Little Girl Leggings

Check out Sparkle Power for the complete tutorial.

Resource: Where to buy knit and other fabrics

Sew Liberated has some great some great links ... and some that are really expensive. Be sure to read the comments as there as some great resources there as well.



Made by Rae shares her sources in her tutorial for making baby tights.



MADE tells us where to get some in downtown LA, with some online links at the end.



**My** favorites are Spandex World and Fabric.com.



jersey, interlock, etc ....

Tips for Sewing with Knits

For some reason knits are scary to most home sewers. You don't need a serger, here are some of my favorite tips and techniques for sewing with knits on your regular sewing machine.

Sew, Mama, Sew has some tips, plus how to do a mock-coverstitch.

Sew, Mama, Sew has even more tips on embellishing and appliques using knits ... including adding woven ruffles to knits fabric. Just remember to remove your gathering stitches after sewing on with a zig-zag or it wont stretch!!

MADE has some tips on her tutorial for the 90-Minute shirt, inlcuding binding with rib knits.

Fishsticks and Fries has tips including hemming.

Hemming Techniques for knits ... VIDEOS!!!

Including: Coverstitch, Rolled-Hem, Lettuce Edge, Faux-Coverstitch, ZigZag

Sew, Mama, Sew has an all about sergers, (that serger is a GREAT beginning serger and reasonably priced!)

Threads primer on sewing knits.

My favorite book, Sew U: Home Stretch by Wendy Mullin. She discusses sewing with a traditional sewing machine as well as a serger and even touches on coverstitch machines (lightly).

Some recommend using spray starch to help stabilize knits while sewing ... I've never tried it since I use my serger and not my sewing machine ... but here is a recipe on how to make your own spray starch (scroll to the bottom).

Coverstitch Tutorials

Coverstitch machines make 2 (or 3) lines of parallel stitches on the top and the underside looks like serger loops. You can find anything you ever wanted to know about coverstitch machines, tutorials and attachments on Stitches and Seams.

Here are *some* of the things they are used for: hemming, binding, necklines, beltloops

I have the Brother 2340, purchased from allbrands.com. LOVE it.

Knits vs. Wovens, What's the Difference?

Are you unsure of what the difference is between knits and wovens? Check out this great article at Threads. Here is a great article on knowing your knits at Threads, or this one at Threads also discusses which types of knits are best for different projects.

Shirt Necklines

Need some ideas on how to finish the neckline on some knit t-shirts? Here are some ideas for you.

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Sew your own professional looking bound neckline on t-shirts. Check out the complete tutorial at She's Sew Slye ... or at Sewing Squared (simple and fast!)

...Elasticized neckline, they show how to do it using a blindstitch, but useful without using a blindstitch. Check out the complete tutorial at the Sewing Divas.

...Make a gathered neckline. Check out the complete tutorial at Sew-4-Fun.

...Classic T-Shirt Neckband. Check out the complete tutorial at CraftStylish.

...A variation of the classic neckline. Check out the complete tutorial at the Sewing Divas.

...i LOVE LOVE LOVE this effect on a simple t-shirt, a twisted neckline. Check out the complete tutorial at Sigrid ... and at Assorted Notions (same look, different steps to get there)

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Or do a gathered trim neckline. Check out the complete tutorial at the Rusty Bobbin.

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How to use scraps of knit fabric to make origami squares at CraftStylish, Part 1 and Part 2.

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Bring your shirt to a new level by adding cascading ruffles down the front, by CraftStylish.

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Restyle a shirt using pin-tucks. Check out the complete tutorial at CraftStylish.

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Classic Rib-knit Band at BurdaStyle.

V-NECK how-to: Bernina, Threads, Sewing Squared, About.com,