Sewing with Knits: Classic, Stylish Garments from Swimsuits to Eveningwear (Focus on Fabric)

The very characteristic that makes knits so comfortable to wear--the stretch--often frightens the home sewer. Connie Long's Sewing with Knits does away with the intimidation by demystifying all aspects of knitwear construction: layout and cutting, sewing smooth seams, edge finishing, inserting zippers, making buttonholes, and more. Long also teaches readers to achieve creative looks with fabric piecing and color blocking, and a chapter devoted to specialty knits explains how to work with swimsuit fabrics, stretch velvets and other napped knits, synthetic fleece, and novelty stretch. A very helpful chart shows at a glance exactly what techniques to use for seams, hems, and necklines for 15 different kinds of knit fabrics. Sewers already comfortable with the basics of working with wovens will find expert guidance on moving into the knitwear realm. --Amy Handy