KNITS! Coming Soon!!

I am not a knit expert.  Well, I am not an anything expert (except perhaps a cookie expert), but knits are ALL NEW to me - and you know what?  I am SUPER excited about them.  When I was at Quilt Market, I went to a schoolhouse session given by Patty Young  - you know, of Modkid SUPERAWESOMENESS?  Well, it was a total honor just to be in the same room with her, but not only is she superawesome - the woman knows her knits.  She shared her tips and tricks in a handout, which she said we could freely distribute to our customers - so I scanned it in, and here it is:

Just click on the picture to make it better, but here is the gist for sewing with knits:

1. They are super forgiving, and NO IRONING!  
2. Wash and shrink before you use - they shrink about 10-15%, so get EXTRA for your projects. 
4. Use ballpoint pins and needles - you can get these in the notions aisle (I found some today at Joann's - they were clearly marked "KNIT NEEDLES".  yay!)  Why?  Knits are made from yarns, and regular needles can tear or snag the yarns - sort of like getting a run in your pantyhose.  
5. Don't stretch your knits when you sew (she stressed this a LOT), or it will have a wavy edge (unless, of course, you are going for a wavy edge).
6. Cut your pattern pieces according to the cutting diagrams, because knits have different stretches in each direction - so how you cut is very important.  
7. You don't need a serger to sew with knits!  Sewing machines can also create stretchy stitches (like a narrow zig zag stitch), and it's easy and fun. 

A couple more things - finishing knits hems.  You have several options, even if you DON'T have a serger

1. A rolled hem (serger - and super easy)
2. A coverstitch (serger - and only some have this function)
3. A regular sewing machine with a double needle (looks like a cover stitch, but without the sewing machine!!)
4. A narrow zig-zag stitch on your sewing machine

We carry the Maya and Abigail patterns designed by Patty for knits in our shop  - super easy and super fun! I'm pretty excited about knits and the endless options for them (Patty had a QUILT she made out of knits, and it was gorgeous and COMFYYYYYYY), I ordered some of Patty's knits, but also a host of others - so Buttercuppity will have lots of knit options. :)  Here's a quick preview:

Patty Young's Knits (coming next week!)

 

The huge amount of other knits I went crazy and ordered:

Yay!  How fun is that?  I cannot wait to start playing with these fabrics.  Whoo hoo!  Coming tomorrow:  an update of the zillion bolts of fabrics that have arrived in the shop in the past few days. :)