How to Sew With Jersey

Jersey is a popular fabric. It's versatile and comfortable, and it's composed of threads ranging from cotton to silk to synthetic fibers. Jersey is, however, tricky to work with. It's knit in such a way that it has a right and wrong side, which also means it has a tendency to curl and fray. With the right tools and techniques, however, you can win the fight with this independent fabric.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

1. Pre-wash the uncut fabric, depending on the thread composition. Jerseys made of natural fibers such as cotton have a tendency to shrink. To prevent warping, it's best to get much of the shrinking done before you use the fabric to construct anything.
2. Use a single 75/11 needle with polyester or cotton-covered polyester thread for seams. Since the fabric is stretchy and elastic, you want to make sure you have a seam that stretches with the fabric. Use either a short zigzag stitch or your machine's stretch stitch.
3. Utilize a twin 2.5/75 needle for hemming. In this case, you want to rein in the stretching of the fabric. Use the twin needle to topstitch the hem. If you have a coverstitch option on your machine, that would also be good to use.
4. Keep the stretch in mind when choosing interfacing. You want to choose a fabric reinforcement that has similar stretch as the fabric to ensure that it moves well with the fabric. A soft knit interfacing is a good choice.
5. Use a bias binding to finish off armholes and neck holes, if desired. Again, keep the stretch of fabric in mind when choosing your bias fabric and the length to use for finishing off the openings. A corresponding color of jersey fabric is the best choice for this.

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