Silk Jersey
by Shannon Gifford
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  • Silk Jersey

    For a luxurious, comfortable fabric, you cannot beat silk jersey. This fabric is soft and drapes beautifully. This jersey is perfect for warm weather wear, due to its light weight and the fact that it "breathes".

    Pretreatment:

    Handwash using baby shampoo and cool water. Lay flat to dry.

    Needles and Thread:

    Use a 70/10 stretch needle for your seams. Poly/cotton thread or all polyester thread are the best choices for working with this fabric.

    Seams, Seam Finishes, and Hems:

    Choose a triple zigzag or stretch stitch for best results. If you have a serger, a 3 thread overlock with balanced tension will work beautifully, even for constructing the seams. Seam finishes are not necessary in this fabric. For hems, use the lettuce edge rolled hem for a quick and easy hem. For an even, beautiful hem, a twin needle is your best bet. Choose a 4.0/75 stretch needle, and set your stitch length to 2.5. Interface your hems for best results (see additional tips). If you have a cover stitch capability to your serger, use the narrowest width available for a beautiful, professional-looking hem.

    Interfacing:

    Should your project require interfacing, a cool-fuse, lightweight interfacing like So Sheer or Touch-o-Gold, or Silk Weight. Test your iron's heat on a scrap of the fabric; some prints may need to have a press cloth between the fabric and the iron. Match the grain of your interfacing to the grain of the knit.

    Pattern Suggestions:

    Patterns for knits, such as tees, tanks, leggings, and lingerie are all appropriate choices. You can also use this fabric successfully for luxury pajamas, copying the styling of pricey ready-to-wear items. Patterns with draped, twisted, or gathered details will work well in this fabric.

    Additional Tips:

    Use a light touch when stitching this fabric. Do not use heavy pressure with the iron, and handle the garment as you would do for a fine sweater. Do not allow the fabric to drag off your sewing table when cutting or sewing. Hold as much of the fabric level as possible while it feeds through your machine. Press your seams flat before pressing them open, using steam, and the "silk" setting on your iron. Save your scraps to use as bindings for other knits.

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