Sew U Home Stretch: The Built by Wendy Guide to Sewing Knit Fabrics

by Wendy Mullin, Eviana Hartman

Looking to give your wardrobe some pizzazz? Start sewing! Like knitting before it, sewing is being reclaimed by a new generation, one that celebrates individual creativity.
Fresh on the heels of her first book, Sew U , which focused on sewing with woven fabrics, Wendy will now teach the creatively inclined how to make perfect t-shirts, dresses, and hoodies, all with soft knit fabric. She'll take your sewing to the next level, providing step-by-step instructions (both for sewing with a serger and without) and patterns directly from her own studio. And with tips on how to alter T-shirts and clothes you already have, you'll soon be revamping all your clothes to make fabulous custom creations.

Genres: Sewing, Crafts, Nonfiction, Fashion, Reference, How To

256 pages, Spiral-bound

First published May 2, 2008

Reviews

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wendy does a good job making sewing knits seem easy. If you want tips on modifying your patterns and creating your own styles, this book is great. What I was disappointed with was the lack of information on finishing techniques and details. I guess those wouldn't be included in a beginner's manual. So if you want sewing knits to seem easy, try this book. It keeps things simple. But note that if you want comprehensive directions for a wide variety of binding methods, various closures like button plackets and zipper options, different hems, and specific embellishment ideas, these aren't there. If you can get over the old styles in the photos in Sewing With Knits, Singer reference library, these two books together will give you a good knit sewing education.

[Jodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE LOVE LOVE this book. i know most people are scared of knits, wendy made it SUPER easy to understand. what a great refresher course. best knit sewing book EVER!! it makes me want to go sew right now ... if only the kids would allow it.

[Kara · Rating 4 out of 5]

an excellent resource for learning how to sew stretch fabric and utilizing your machine and serger for a variety of projects. Sewing knits is trickier than one would think and this book is great to walk you through how to do it.

[Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good information on how to sew knits. I consider this another great resource book in my library. I like that Wendy gives tons of tips on how to sew knits without a serger. The other thing I like is that the patterns are good, basic patterns that you can build off of or elaborate on!

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent beginner's manual for serging and knits. It covers most of the basics and shows you the range of things you can accomplish even with that foundational knowledge.

It's great that you could use this is as a literal guide or as a starting point. I know some people weren't crazy about the sizing of the included patterns, but I just love them and haven't had a problem. I've created a handful of shirts, cardigans and dresses just by using her instructions as a beginning and by modifying the patterns as I've needed.

If you're looking for more advanced techniques, you'll want an additional reference on serging or sewing with knits. But you can't go wrong with this as your first foray!

[Tracey · Rating 4 out of 5]

(2014 review) nonfiction; sewing. Looks like a decent primer. Will take another look at this later.

review, revisited (2018): pretty comprehensive guide for beginning/intermediate sewists who are starting to work with knit fabrics, including tips on using a serger AND tips on using a non-serger sewing machine (great tip I found here: get a walking foot so your knit fabric doesn't get smooshed and lettuce-edge wrinkly while you stitch). There is also a nice collection of some simple but versatile patterns included in the back (xs/bust 32 through L/bust 38). The hand-drawn illustrations make each project seem approachable (even for beginners) and effortlessly cozy.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful for folks learning to deal with knits and sergers. I'd been looking for a basic serger book for a while and didn't realize that this would be such a great primer when I bought it (thinking that it was really just about knits!). Also has info on how to sew knits with a standard machine, FYI. I need to find another reference for some specific snags that I'm encountering as I get to know my machine, but without this book, I was too scared of my serger to even TRY to figure it out.

[Dixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have had this book on my shelves for years, but only recently have I become interested in sewing knits. The book is ok, but it loses points for several items:
* The pattern sizing is not very diverse (bust measurements top out at 38")
* While there are some instructions on how to sew knits with a regular sewing machine, the focus is on using sergers and coverstitch machines
* I'm not that keen on the patterns (maybe that is due to the age of the book?)

A few of the pattern variations were interesting, but I doubt I will ever make any of the patterns in Sew U Home Stretch.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty good; helpful and easy to follow, with nice visuals. I love that there are basic patterns and then ideas for altering them (especially since I have no experiencing drafting or altering patterns on my own). The first shirt I made was pretty ugly and the second one was better. The book has lots of great tips on sewing with knits and using a serger, and also makes room for people who don't have access to a serger.

[Reading · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a beginner at sewing, this book has a lot of good information about sewing knit fabrics. So it is very disappointing that the included patterns only include S, M, and L. Especially since there is no indication of the limited size range on the cover not the back of the book. Not even on the pattern envelope only on the patterns themselves. As the back cover says the patterns add value to the book, but only if the patterns for you.

[Ladylike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Geared towards sewers beginning to sew with knits (and a serger), this book comes with three patterns and includes detailed info on numerous variations for each design.

As someone who is relatively new to sewing with knits, I'm looking forward to trying out the patterns and techniques in the book.

Now if only I could find knit fabric I liked!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is SO COOL!!! Wendy Mullin's book is a crash course on sewing the jersey shirt, dress, or sweatshirt of your own design. Really informative, fun, and even includes three patterns that you can alter ad infinitum.

[Tisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was really helpful in learning how to sew with knits. I wasn't too interested in the patterns/designs she shows at the end of the book, but the detailed explanations of how to sew using different machines was invaluable.

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when I received a serger for Christmas and I loved it. This book explains everything one needs to know about knits, how to use them, and how to sew them. Another great book by Wendy Mullin.

[Lizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just got this today and its awesome. the first book I've seen that totally demystifies sergers and knit fabrics

[Mariko]

I wanted to like this book more, but I have issues with her sizing and patterns.

[Colette · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must have for all sewers who like to sew stretch knit fabrics. Lucky to find this at Borders.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am obsessed with this book! It includes three patterns and endless ways to modify them. So many great tips and hints. I am in love!

[Judi · Rating 4 out of 5]

From three basic patterns for knits, a variety of different styles to draft with suggestions for more options.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information about sewing knits, and lots of inspiration on altering patterns.

I haven't yet tried the actuel patterns in the book.