Joining knitted (or crocheted) fabric to woven fabric can be quite tricky. Tricky, but certainly not impossible for any level of crafter! The problem is fundamental: knitted fabric is all about stretch, and woven fabric is all about stability. There are several easy steps to attaching knitted fabric to woven fabric.
The Calla Coaster Project Journal is a fun, easy way to try out this fruitful combination of crafts.
For a large blanket, basting the layers of fabric together is essential! It will prevent lumps and gathers on both sides of the blanket, and make the whole process go smoothly. No matter what quilting method you choose, basting is a solid first step.
Here's how:
1. Wash and dry both fabric and knitting according to their particular needs.
2. Cut your fabric two to three inches bigger in each dimension than the knitting.
3. Lay the fabric, right side up, on a flat surface and tape it down.
4. Center the knitting, right side down, on top of the fabric.
5. Using quilter's curved safety pins, pin the two fabrics together, beginning in the center of the blanket and working your way to the edges. Pins should be about 6 inches apart.
Now you are ready to sew the layers together using one of the following methods:
MACHINE STITCHING
1. Because knitted fabric is so stretchy, set your machine to zig zag stitch. Some machines may feature a stretch stitch (represented by three vertical dashed lines), which may even be preferable. If the knitting is very bulky (1 - 2.5 stitches per inch), set the stitch length longer than you would normally use for woven fabric.
2. Beginning at the center edge of one side with the knitting side facing up, sew along three edges of the blanket with a 1/2 inch seam. Sew along part of the first side; end 10 - 15 inches before you reach the starting place. Be sure to back stitch at each end. Remove the safety pins.
3. Turn the blanket right side out and hand stitch the opening to finish.
4. Lay the blanket on a flat surface and tape down the edges once again. Beginning in the center, baste the blanket again. This time the safety pins can be further apart, 8 - 10 inches.
HAND STITCHING
1. Mark a 1/2 inch seam on the fabric side of the basted blanket as a guide.
2. Beginning at the center edge of one side, sew along three edges of the blanket with a running stitch. Depending on the bulkiness on the knitted fabric, vary the length of your stitches: bulky yarn (1 - 2.5 stitches per inch) calls for longer stitches. Sew along part of the first side; end 10 - 15 inches before you reach the starting place. Remove the safety pins.
3. Turn the blanket right side out and hand stitch the opening to finish.
4. Lay the blanket on a flat surface and tape down the edges once again. Beginning in the center, baste the blanket again. This time the safety pins can be further apart, 8 - 10 inches.
This is the final step in attaching the two fabrics. Hand tying is the faster of the two techniques outlined below, and good option if you are not keen on sewing.
HAND TYING
You may choose to hand tie your blanket with yarn that matches your knitting or something completely different. Light worsted or worsted/aran weight yarn is a good choice for strong, medium sized ties.
1. If your knitting is a grid of squares, like patchwork, you may want to hand tie each corner. If your knitting is one solid color or another pattern, use a ruler to determine a grid. Place a safety pin (different than the ones used for basting), bobby pin, or removable stitch marker at each interval along the grid as a guide.
2. Cut a 24 - 36 inch length of yarn and thread it through an embroidery needle. You do not need to knot the ends.
3. Begin by pushing the needle through both layers at the first guide or mark. Leave a generous 3 - 4 inch tail.
4. Bring the needle back up about 1/4 inch away from the start. Check to make sure you captured both the knitting and the fabric layer! Cut the yarn, leaving a 3 - 4 inch tail.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 along one whole row of your grid or until you run out of yarn, removing the guides as you go along.
6. Tie each pair of ends together securely and trim them to the desired length (for a baby's quilt, no longer than one inch).
7. Continue until your entire grid has been tyed.
MACHINE OR HAND QUILTING
1. Choose thread that will blend inconspicuously with the color of your knitting.
2. Machine or hand stitch a simple grid of vertical and horizontal lines to secure the layers. Machine quilters: continue all machine work with the knitting side facing up.
If your knitting is a grid of squares, you may want to stitch along the edges of each block; this method is called "stitch in the ditch" quilting. As a general guide, the lines should be no further than about 5 inches apart. Back stitch at each end of each line.
You may want to add one or more of the following embellishments to your blanket:
ribbon border
fabric binding
embroidery stitches
decorative edge stitches
Have fun!
June 8, 2007