I love sweatshirts, especially patterned sweatshirts! I have a whole collection 😂 but I always fall for them and sew myself a new one each year, improving my techniques. 

This week, I invite you to discover my new patterned sweatshirt entirely sewn with an overlocker... let's go!

Why sew your sweatshirts (or t-shirts) with an overlocker?

It's my favorite method because:

1. it's very fast

To be honest, once my pieces are cut, I usually take 1 hour to assemble my sweatshirts. 
Indeed, the overlocker cuts and sews the knit fabric at high speed. Once the pieces are prepared, assembling is really child's play! 

2. the finishes are very neat

The seams made by the overlocker are very tidy and give a very professional look to your sewing project. It's hard to say your sweatshirt is homemade; it can easily compete with or even surpass those you would buy in stores. 

And if you don't have an overlocker... no worries! The sewing machine will be your ally but don't forget to select a stretch stitch (otherwise your seams will break) like the zigzag or lightning stitch. 

What should a seamstress put in her basket to sew a sweatshirt?

Here’s what I prepare each time for my sweatshirts:

• a pattern (either printed or book) 
• knit fabric: sweatshirt fabric, french terry, milano, heavy viscose jersey, fleece, polar fleece... 
• polyester thread on spools (for the sewing machine) or cones for an overlocker
• tubular or band ribbing
• basting thread or small clips or even pins
• jersey needles

Note that depending on the patterns, you can choose set-in sleeves, raglan, flared... we offer a selection of sweatshirt patterns for women, men, and children in the patterns section. Feel free to take a look. For my part, I really like raglan sleeves for their comfort but also because I enjoy playing with contrasts between the sleeves and the body. 

For the knit fabric yardage, for a women’s sweatshirt, count on 1.5m of knit for a sweatshirt of "normal" length. If you want to lengthen it so it falls more on the hips, plan 1.7m. If you are very petite like me (1.53m), sometimes 1.3m is enough. 

For the ribbing, if you want to make the cuffs, neckline, and bottom of the sweatshirt in ribbing, count at least 50 cm or even 60 cm depending on the desired band width. For the sweatshirt in the article, I used 50 cm and it was just enough! 

If you choose ribbing in bands, take 2 bands of 110 cm. 

Don’t forget to wash your knit fabric and ribbing before cutting. 

How to sew knit fabric with an overlocker and prepare your pieces for assembly?

To assemble your sweatshirt with the overlocker, you will use the overlocker’s knife to neatly trim the raw edges. This same knife hates needles... If a needle hits the knife, it’s ruined! Most of the time, you’ll have to replace the piece. So if you use needles, you need to be very focused and careful.

So, I present to you the three existing methods to prepare for assembly: 

1. Wonder clips - plastic clips

These work very well for fabrics with quite some thickness and since you can’t miss them, there are very few "accidents" of clips hitting the knife. You can see them well and remove them as you go, which is a clear advantage. However, the precision level of these clips is much lower than the other two methods. 

For seam preparation, you can also use pins by inserting them parallel to the seam. This prevents them from hitting the knife. It takes some experience to place them well. I recommend offsetting them slightly to avoid the overlocker foot passing over them and irreversibly marking the fabric (due to the foot’s pressure on the pin). This method requires attention but allows for more precise matching. 

3. basting thread

This method is the Rolls-Royce, especially if you have very slippery fabrics or a lot of ease to absorb. It has the advantage of not causing problems with the overlocker knife. The downside is obviously the time, especially if you’re not used to making basting stitches.  

You will find the materials for these three methods in the shop. My favorites remain the needles and the basting thread.

The sewing experience

For this sweatshirt, I used a "homemade" raglan sleeve pattern that I really like and have already made several versions of. 

I sewed the small shoulder clip with the sewing machine for more precision. Then the rest of the assembly was done entirely with the overlocker. 

For my sweatshirt, I chose 1.3m of patterned sweatshirt knit from the shop as well as 50cm of tawny lurex ribbing. I chose beige and brown cones for the overlocker. 

I first assembled the sleeves to the body. Then, I assembled the sides and sleeves in one seam. 

I closed the ribbing bands to form the neckline, cuffs, and bottom of the garment... and I assembled them again in one seam (in the round) and tada... one hour later my awesome sweatshirt was ready! 

I loved making a sweatshirt again, a must-have piece in my wardrobe! And you can tell by my blissful expression 😂. And you, do you like sewing knit fabric?

In any case, if you don’t dare to start alone or are afraid to make more complex pieces with the overlocker; I organize courses at the workshop to get you started. Feel free to check out our course offerings... so all that’s left is to get to your needles!