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Sewing Tips and Techniques
Love a pattern, but want to sew it in jersey or another stretch fabric? You can often make that work with a few thoughtful changes. The key is to treat it as a proper pattern adaptation, not just cut a smaller size and hope for the best! Come on, we all know you were thinking it...
In this guide, you’ll learn a repeatable way to convert a woven pattern into a knit fabric pattern. We’ll cover stretch percentage, ease, the pattern areas that matter most, and the small stabilising details that will stop it looking stretched out or baggy.
Before you start, it helps to choose a pattern that already fits you well and to think carefully about how the fabric will affect the finished shape. A design that works beautifully in a crisp cotton may behave very differently in jersey, so it is worth looking closely at the pattern details first. If this is all sounding a bit too much for you right now, you can also browse sewing patterns for an existing knit-specific design and save this blog for a later date! No judgement here, sewing is all about enjoyment.
In sewing terms, stretch fabrics usually fall into two groups: knits and stretch wovens.
Knits are made from loops, so they stretch more easily and usually feel softer against the body. Cotton jersey, viscose jersey, ponte roma and rib knit are common examples. Stretch wovens are woven fabrics with elastic fibres such as elastane added, so they still look like a woven but have some give.
You’ll also see fabrics described as 2-way or 4-way stretch. 2-way stretch means the fabric stretches in one direction, usually across the width. 4-way stretch means it stretches in both directions, across both the width and length.
Recovery matters just as much as stretch. A knit with good recovery springs back after you pull it. A fabric with poor recovery can bag out at the knees, elbows, neckline or bum, even if the first fit looks good, and nobody wants a saggy bottom!
Some patterns are better left as wovens. Usually, these are designs that rely on crisp structure, firm shaping or stable closures.
Think carefully before converting any of these:
A safe first conversion is a simple top, relaxed dress, cardigan-style layer or easy skirt. If you enjoy creative pattern changes, you might also like creating layered patterns for versatile skirts.
A stretch percentage test sounds technical, but it is very straightforward.
Cut a 10cm section of fabric without stretching it. Mark that length with pins or your fingers. Then stretch the fabric as far as it will comfortably go, without distorting it, and measure the new length.
Here’s how to read it:
Test across the width first. Then test the length if you think the fabric may have 4-way stretch.
As a guide, low-stretch fabrics need less pattern reduction. Fabrics with 40% to 60% stretch and good recovery can usually handle more negative ease, especially in close-fitting garments.
This is the simplest reliable workflow we've found.
Use a pattern you know suits your shoulders, bust, waist and hips. If the woven version never fitted well, converting it to knit will not fix that!
Check and compare the finished garment measurements to the body-sizing measurements if they are included.
For example, if the body measurement chart shows a 104cm bust for a size 14, and the finished garment bust measurement is 118cm, that means the pattern has 14cm of wearing ease built in*.
*118cm - 104cm = 14cm
Look at the style lines. A loose tunic in stable ponte behaves very differently from a fitted tee in drapey viscose jersey. Choose a knit that supports the shape you want.
For your first attempt, stable cotton jersey, ponte roma or a sweatshirt knit is easier than a very soft, slippery viscose or polyester jersey.
Woven garments usually need positive ease so you can move, sit and breathe. Knits can work with positive ease, zero ease or negative ease depending on the fabric and style.
Negative ease sewing simply means the finished garment is slightly smaller than your body, so the stretch in the fabric creates a close fit. That works best when the fabric has enough stretch and, importantly, enough recovery.
As a starting point:
This is why cutting one size down is not a complete method. One area may need reducing while another still needs room for movement.
Focus on the areas that affect fit and finish most.
Woven necklines often rely on facings and stable seams. In knit fabrics, those same edges can stretch and gape.
Trim excess width at the neckline if the original style is wide or low. Consider replacing facings with a neckband or binding. Keep the shoulder line neat, and stabilise shoulder seams with stay tape so they do not grow with wear.
You can usually reduce ease through the sleeve cap because knits do not need the same amount of built-in movement as wovens. Check that the armhole is not cut so low that the garment feels sloppy.
For fitted sleeves, reduce with care from bicep to wrist. You want a clean fit without cutting off movement or creating strain lines.
This is where many garments bag out if the pattern still has woven-style ease. Remove some width through the side seams, but do it evenly and keep an eye on balance.
If the original woven pattern uses darts only for shaping, you may be able to reduce or remove them in a knit. If the dart controls a full bust shape, you may still need some shaping, just less than in a woven.
Plan finishes on your garment before cutting. Knits usually look cleaner with bands, bindings, twin needle hems or a stretch stitch finish rather than deep woven-style turned hems.
Stabilising is what keeps your converted pattern looking polished.
The usual stress points are:
Clear elastic, stay tape, lightweight interfacing or a strip of stable knit can all help, depending on the area. The aim is not to remove all stretch. It is to stop the garment stretching out where it should hold its shape.
You do not need an overlocker to sew knits well (but it's certainly a nice piece of equipment to own if you plan on sewing lots of knits!)
A ballpoint needle for most stretch knits or stretch needle for more synthetic and 4-way stretch knits like lycra, is usually the best place to start. For many jerseys, a ballpoint 80/12 works well. If you get skipped stitches, try a stretch needle instead. Use a narrow zigzag, dedicated stretch stitch or overlocker seam, and test on scraps first.
A walking foot or even feed foot can help if the layers shift. Press gently rather than flattening the fabric, and let the iron lift and lower rather than dragging along the edge.
If the fabric turns wavy, reduce foot pressure on your machine where possible, support the fabric as it feeds, and avoid stretching the edge while sewing.
Good first projects include T-shirts, simple tops, relaxed dresses and easy cardigans. These shapes are forgiving and help you learn how stretch and recovery affect fit.
Once you feel confident, you can try wrap dresses, knit trousers, body-skimming skirts or more fitted tops. At that point, your stretch percentage test and ease planning become even more important.
Usually caused by the edge stretching during sewing or by a neckline that was not reduced enough for the knit. Stabilise the seam and check whether a band would sit better than a facing.
Often a sign the garment still needs more room at the bust, waist or hips, even in a knit. Rebalance the side seams rather than simply removing width everywhere.
This usually points to too much ease or poor fabric recovery. Reduce the pattern in those areas next time, or switch to a knit with more bounce-back.
Check grainline and stretch direction first. A knit cut off-grain can twist badly, especially in narrow trousers or sleeves.
This often means the opening is too large for the fabric, or the edge has not been stabilised. Remove width at the pattern stage and support the seam during construction.
Before cutting into your final fabric, make one test version - a toile - in a similar knit if the fit matters. Check the shoulder line, neckline, bicep, waist and hip before deciding on your final seam allowances and finishes.
The best results come from combining three things: a fabric with the right stretch and recovery, a sensible ease plan, and stabilising in the places that need support. Once you’ve tried this a couple of times, adapting patterns for stretch fabrics becomes much less mysterious and far more predictable.
Mark a 10cm section, stretch it comfortably, then compare the new length to the original. If 10cm stretches to 15cm, that is 50% stretch.
Not usually. Some areas may need reducing, but others still need shaping and balance, so an all-over size change can create new fit problems.
Negative ease means the garment is smaller than your body so the fabric stretches to fit. Use it only when the fabric has enough stretch and good recovery, and keep it modest for everyday garments.
Start with shoulders, necklines and any seam carrying weight, such as a waist seam. Pocket openings and close-fitting crotch seams may also need support.
Sometimes. Small shaping darts can often be reduced or removed, but bust shaping may still need some control depending on your fit and fabric.
Reduce the neckline slightly if needed, choose a suitable finish such as a band or binding, and stabilise the seam so it keeps its shape.
Sometimes for looser knit designs, but usually not for garments that rely on significant stretch or negative ease. Stretch wovens behave differently and need more wearing ease.
Try a ballpoint or stretch needle and sew a test seam with a narrow zigzag or stretch stitch. For many jerseys, that gives enough flexibility for everyday wear.