To see more of Rachel\u2019s beautiful sewing visit @royalrabbitcreations on Instagram.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It took me a long time to branch out into the world of knit sewing.\u00a0 A few bad knit experiences from my teenage days left me scarred and terribly afraid, but a few years ago I did some research, invested in some good knit fabric and dived in. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now I find myself asking, \u201cThe pattern calls for woven fabric, but can I use knit instead?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some of my top points to consider and my favourite Below the K\u014dwhai pattern hacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n First and most importantly is ease. Woven patterns have built in positive ease so the garment fits comfortably around the body. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Each Below the K\u014dwhai pattern includes both body size measurements and finished garment measurements in the measurement table at the start of each pattern. Using the P\u014dhutukawa Dress as an example, a size 14 has the body bust measurement of 100cm and the finished garment has a bust measurement of 105cm. This means the dress has 5cm (2″) of wearable ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knit patterns can have positive and negative ease: <\/p>\n\n\n\n A positive ease knit tee will drape around your body and not cling to it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A negative ease knit tee will have finished measurements smaller than your body and be more figure hugging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When making a woven pattern with knit fabric I recommend you sizing down 1-2 sizes depending on the amount of ease you prefer.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Woven fabrics can give a garment more structure and silhouettes can be enhanced with interfacing, lining or boning. Knit fabrics will naturally stretch and conform to the wearers body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like woven fabrics, knit fabrics both come in a variety of weights. If the pattern calls for a heavy or medium-weight woven fabric, think about using something stable like a double knit including scuba, ponte knit, roma knit or interlock jersey to name a few. A stable knit will generally have a 2-way stretch and will stretch between 18-25% percentage. If you choose a knit fabric like this you could make your pattern exactly as the pattern suggests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the pattern calls for a light or fluid fabric like rayon or silk, look for a knit like brushed poly, bamboo, rayon spandex or cotton spandex. If you use a stretchy knit that has a stretch percentage over 50% you will need to make a few fit changes to your favourite woven pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knit patterns generally have fewer seams then woven patterns, so choosing a pattern with less seams will make your transformations simpler. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Below the K\u014dwhai’s signature style of relaxed clothing perfect for play and adventure, easily leads to wonderful knit transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What silhouettes does the pattern have and what creates these shapes? What is your personal style? <\/p>\n\n\n\n When transforming a woven pattern to knit, I eliminate bust darts using the fold and remove method (read below to see how I have done this to the P\u014dhutukawa dress<\/a>). <\/p>\n\n\n\n Pleats and gathers are easily done in knits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How are you going to get your garment on and off? <\/p>\n\n\n\n For me, I love knit garments because they pull on or up and closures aren\u2019t required. <\/p>\n\n\n\n So look carefully at your woven pattern, how can the closures translate from woven to knit. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Will buttons drag and stretch your knit fabric? <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you do buttonholes, don\u2019t forgot to interface the whole placket. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you get a zip in without stretching the fabric? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can you eliminate the need for closures altogether?<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can sew knit fabrics on your normal sewing machine with a \u2018knit stitch\u2019 (it looks like a lightening bolt), or use a small zig zag stitch, or my favourite and quickest way is on an overlocker! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Knit fabrics won\u2019t fray so the edges don\u2019t need to be prepared at the beginning of construction, saving you heaps of time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Always use a twin needle or zig zag stitch to hem your knit garments. All knit seams need to be able to stretch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A normal straight stitch will quickly snap when putting on or off your garment and ruin all your beautiful work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Share your transformed BTK knit garments with us your beautiful dresses in our\u00a0VIP Community on Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0tag us on Instagram<\/a>!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Can you sew your favourite woven pattern in knit fabric?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":21955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[104,140],"yoast_head":"\n![\"Pohutukawa](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_6915-1024x683.jpg\")
![\"Rata](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/Rata-1-1024x856.jpg\")
(R\u0101t\u0101 Top pattern<\/a>)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\nEase<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"knit](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_6978-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nFabric Structure and Weight<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Seams<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"Woven](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_6951-1024x683.jpg\")
Fit<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"closures\"](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_6970-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nClosures<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Construction and Finishing<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
![\"BellBird](\"https:\/\/dev.belowthekowhai.nz\/dev\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/07\/IMG_6901-1024x683.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n