How to sew stretch jersey: essential tips

Over the past month or two, I’ve gone through a love-hate relationship with sewing stretch jersey fabric. It all started when I was given a stash of beautifully lightweight cotton jersey offcuts. They’re super soft and floaty, so I thought I’d turn them into some summer T-shirts.

I used my tutorial on how to sew a T-shirt from scratch, which outlines how to draft a pattern and construct a basic T-shirt. I’ve made several T-shirts before, but never in such a lightweight and stretchy fabric as this new cotton jersey. I soon realised how frustratingly difficult it is to work with!

But I persevered. I spent hours researching, speaking to sewing pals, and trying out various methods.

In this guide, I’ll share everything I learned – so you can skip the frustration, and learn how to sew stretch jersey with confidence and ease.

Be sure to save this article to Pinterest, so you can refer back to it later! Hover/tap the image below, and click the Pinterest icon that appears.

How to sew stretch jersey

If you’re new to sewing jersey, I recommend reading through this full guide in detail. Alternatively, I’ve added some quick links below, so you can jump right to the section you need.

• Part 1: What is jersey fabric?
• Part 2: Tools and equipment
  • Do you need an overlocker?
  • Recommended tools
• Part 3: How to sew stretch jersey
  • Sewing machine settings
  • The best stitches to use
  • Techniques and tips
• Part 4: Alternate methods

Part 1: What is jersey fabric?

Fabrics can be broadly classed into two types: knit and woven.

Woven fabrics are traditionally made on looms, with horizontal and vertical threads crossing over each other. This gives a fairly rigid structure with little movement or stretch. Common examples are denim, shirting fabrics or quilting fabrics.

Knit fabrics are constructed in a similar way to how you might knit a woollen scarf, with the threads winding around each other. The knitting process allows a high level of movement, and is the reason knit fabrics are stretchy.

There are two types of knit fabric: jersey (single knit) or interlock (double knit). Both are very similar, though double knit tends to be a little thicker and more sturdy. Jersey is the most common type of knit fabric.

Although jersey was once traditionally made from wool, it’s now more commonly made with cotton, cotton blends and synthetic fibres such as viscose and polyester.

Because of its light weight and stretch, jersey fabric is often used to make clothing with less structure or tailoring, like T-shirts and loungewear. It can also be used to make household items such as bedsheets.

Part 2: The best tools and equipment for stretch jersey fabric

Stretch jersey has very different qualities to woven fabrics like quilting cotton or shirting. So it’s probably no surprise that you need to use slightly different sewing equipment to get the best results.

Luckily, you don’t need to spend a fortune on specialist kit! You can sew jersey with even the most basic home sewing set up, thanks to a few simple (and cheap) upgrades.

Do you need an overlocker to sew stretch jersey?

It’s often assumed that an overlocker is essential to sew stretch jersey. And I’ll admit, I went thought a brief period where I though this might be the case… But let me confirm: you do not need an overlocker to sew stretch jersey!

Sure, an overlocker will speed thing up, and help you hem your jersey neatly. So if you want to invest in one, then go for it! But it’s not essential. Jersey doesn’t fray, so you can leave your edges raw and use a standard sewing machine instead. But you will need to buy a few simple additional tools to get the best results.

Recommended tools for sewing jersey with a normal sewing machine

Jersey or ball point needle

Ball point needles have a smooth, rounded tip – unlike the sharp, pointy end of normal needles. Why is this important? Because it prevents the needle from piercing the individual threads of the fabric, and causing damage.

Ball point needles aren’t required for use with sturdy or structured materials. However, ball point needles are essential for sewing stretchy, lightweight fabrics like jersey. These needles will slide neatly between the threads, preventing any holes forming in the fabric. They’ll also help prevent slipped stitches.

As a rough guide, these are the sizes of ballpoint needles you should use for different wights of knit fabrics:

• 70 – very lightweight silk or viscose jersey
• 80 – lightweight cotton jersey (T-shirt weight)
• 90 – interlock (double knit)

Buy ball point needles here (UK) or here (USA).

Twin ball point needles

Twin needles are exactly as the name suggests – two identical sewing needles, attached to a single mount. They fit into regular sewing machines just like a single needle, with no need for any adapter or special tools. Although you will need to add an extra spool of thread to the top of your machine, so there’s one per needle. Some machines have an extra spool stand for this purpose, or you could use your bobbin threader stand (check your sewing machine’s instruction manual).

The great thing about twin needles is that they form a slight zig-zag on the back of the fabric, which will give your seams an element of stretch. But from the front, the stitching will appear as two parallel lines of straight stitching. So you get the neat finish of a straight top-stitch, with the stretch of a zig-zag. Win-win!

A few things to keep in mind when using twin needles on jersey:

• Make sure you buy twin ball point needles, not twin sharp needles.
• The two spools of thread should be threaded through the machine separately. Try to keep them from tangling up, and only pass one through the thread guide above your needle (this will help keep them apart).
• You’ll probably need to adjust your tension to get the best results, so practise on some scrap fabric first.
• If you find your fabric puckering slightly, try applying a very slight tension to the fabric when it passes though the machine. Although do not over-stretch it, as this can distort and ruin the seam.

Buy twin needles here (UK) or here (USA).

Part 3: How to sew stretch jersey on a standard sewing machine

Now you understand what stretch jersey is and you’ve got the equipment ready to tackle it, it’s time for the fun bit: sewing! But before you jump in, there’s a few key differences in how you should sew jersey, compared to the fabrics you might be used to.

Sewing machine settings

It’s very likely that you’ll need to lower the tension of your sewing machine when you sew jersey. Most fabrics can be sewn at a tension of 3-5, but I’ve sometimes dropped my tension as low as 1 or 0 when using jersey. The best settings will depend on your machine and the fabric your using, so be sure to test on some scraps before you begin.

Also, if your machine has the option to adjust the foot pressure or needle speed, I’d recommend lowering this. It’ll give you more control over your sewing, and help prevent any stretching or distortion as the fabric goes through the machine.

The best stitches to use

When sewing jersey, it’s essential to use a stitch that has an element of stretch. Why? Because the fabric will stretch as it’s worn, so the seams need to be able to move with it – or they will snap.

If you’re using twin needles (see above), you can use a standard straight stitch as this will inherently have an element of stretch. But if you’re using a single needle, you will need to use a specific stretch stitch.

Common stretch stitches include the lightning stitch, zig-zag stitch and triple stretch stitch. The one you choose is largely down to personal preference.

Techniques and tips

Don’t over-stretch the fabric! Jersey is super stretchy, and easily distorted. Don’t fight against your machine – let the fabric feed through gently, without pulling it taut. You risk getting wavy seams or skipped stitches if your fabric is over-stretched. (There are some exceptions to this, for example sewing a T-shirt neckband).

Cut jersey with a rotary blade. Yes, you could also use scissors, but it’s a lot easier to over-stretch it this way. A rotary cutter will reduce this risk, and give you much greater control over your cuts.

Don’t worry about finishing your inside seams. One of my favourite things about jersey is that it does not fray. So there’s no need to finish off your raw edges! You can do if you want to, but it risks over-stretching the fabric (see the first bullet point above).

Take good care of your sewing machine. A well maintained machine will help keep your sewing silky smooth and neat. Read my guide on how to clean a sewing machine.

Part 4: Still stuck? Try these alternate methods

If you’ve followed all of the tips above, but are still having issues with sewing your jersey, don’t worry. I’ve been there! Here’s a few additional things you might want to try – I’ve had success with all of these techniques in the past.

Use a walking foot

Some people swear by using a walking foot for jersey fabric. It’s not always necessary though, which is why I don’t recommend you use one unless you need to.

Walking feet work by clamping the fabric from top and bottom, and ‘walking’ it through the machine. This helps keep the layers aligned, and reduces the chance of stretching or distorting it.

Add a stabilising backing

Place a sheet of lightweight copy paper beneath your jersey, and sew through this along with your fabric. The paper will stabilise the fabric, and helps prevent it getting caught in your machine. Once you’ve finished, gently tear away the paper. Lowering the stitch length can help perforate the paper, making it easier to remove.

Use some sacrificial fabric to start

Sometime, sewing machines catch and eat the start of the fabric – especially on lightweight materials. This is where a sacrificial piece of fabric can help (I’m sure there’s a better name for it!). It’s simply a case of starting off your sewing on a scrap piece of fabric for a few inches, before seamlessly stitching across onto your actual project piece, without stopping. When you’ve finished, just cut away the scrap piece and dispose of it.

I shared more about this technique over on Instagram:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike ?✂️ The Crafty Gentleman (@thecraftygentleman) on Jun 7, 2020 at 10:54am PDT

---

I hope this guide on how to sew stretch jersey has helped! If you have any extra tips or advice to share, drop a comment in the box below – I’d love to hear from you. And don’t forget to share the image below on Pinterest, so you can refer back to this article.

Happy sewing! – Mike.