A WEEK OF KNITS - Breaking Out of a Rut & Sewing Only Quick Knits for a Week

In my last post, I wrote about my recent frustrations with sewing and how it connected to (reflected?) my general state of mind. I provided a list of possible projects I could do to break the cycle of picking apart and refining projects, which was beginning to feel less like creativity and more like self destruction. After quite a bit of introspection, I decided to sew knits for a week.

Before I chose knits, I evaluated which garments in my wardrobe I wear the most, which ones I love the most, and which ones are the most functional. When doing this, you see surprising areas of overlap, but then some garments only fall into one category. Among my most worn & most functional, were my long sleeve jersey t-shirts and form fitting camisoles - I wear them as layering pieces, for warmth and comfort under everything from dresses to bulky sweaters. And most of them were totally worn out!

Instead of using patterns (which I simply don’t have for these kinds of garments), I have been cloning favorites from my closet. Here is a much worn tank top on the left, and my first attempt at copying it in wool jersey on the right. Needs a few tweaks, but on the right track!

In 2018, I set a goal to sew myself one garment per month, and ended up sewing more like two per month. My shopping habits quickly fell off. So for 2019 I did a “Ready to Wear Fast” and purchased no clothing for the whole year; if I wanted something new, I had to sew it myself. This came with downsides, but was amazing for skill building and drastically changed my attitude towards shopping. I have purchased very little clothing since (that is honestly its own can of worms!). I’m giving you this background because I realised many of my knit garments were purchased before 2018, making them 4+ years old, stretched out, pilly, past their prime! And on top of that, I got rid of about half my wardrobe when we moved, so some categories are just…. missing.

I don’t particularly enjoy sewing knits, I’d prefer to buy these kind of basics. I don’t even love shopping for knit fabrics (aka jersey), perhaps because I don’t have a knack for knowing which ones will sew up beautifully. It’s almost as if I cannot see their potential, whereas with woven fabrics, I have a confidence. That being said, I do have a stash of knit fabrics, and they are bulky! So this combination of reasons meant it was time to sew them up!

To finish my hems, I serge (overlock) raw edges, press them up, and add two parallel rows of top stitching. Here is the inside.

I don’t own many commercial patterns for these kinds of garments (I found 2 patterns for jersey tops in my stash, but they aren’t really things I am in the mood to make or wear). So instead, I am making copies of RTW garments I have worn out. That way, I know I love the fit and find them super practical. It has been fun to work in this way, it is slightly improvisational. It’s also a great way to learn about garment construction - taking apart existing garments, or at least studying the inside of them and taking note of any seam finishing or stabilising techniques that were used.

I am now four days in to sewing knits, and I’ve produced six garments. That’s pretty overwhelming for someone who can happily work on the same dress for two weeks! But it is also satisfying. All materials have come from my stash. I am gaining skills and I’m warming up to my new serger; I love learning all of its settings and capabilities. Most of the fabrics I’m using can’t stand up to being seam ripped, and serging is unforgiving in that way anyway, so I am forced to accept imperfections. Most of them are things I wouldn’t notice later anyway.

A glowing hot pink merino wool jersey base layer I sewed this week. A clear win! If this was the only thing I made this week, I would be satisfied.

There is still room for improvement, but so far, I am truly pleased with this palette cleansing endeavor! An unanticipated benefit is that this step back from my usual methods has given me time to marinate on what garments my wardrobe truly needs added (wovens or knits). I have been thinking through those possible projects with a more wholistic view of my wardrobe, which will hopefully allow me to dive back into my regular sewing practices with clarity and focus. I hope to keep it up! Back to the serger I go! XO, Martha