Cut this piece from your fabric.ħ) With right sides together, stitch the short ends of the band together.Ĩ) Fold the band in half lengthwise, with wrong sides together.ĩ) With right sides together and raw edges aligned, pin the band to the opening, aligning the seam with a shoulder seam or center back seam. This divet in the pattern piece will help the band conform to the shape of your neck a bit more. Draw a point 3/8 inches from each widthwise edge along this line.ĥ) Connect this point to the corners of your rectangle. Draw a rectangle using the two measurements you calculated above.Ĥ) Find the lengthwise center of this piece. Neckband piece width = (finished width + 3/8″ seam allowance) x 2. Use the following formula to calculate the size of the neckband piece you will cut. For wider neckbands, choose 1/2 or 5/8 inch. For tight curves or small bands, choose 3/8 inch. Use the following formula to determine the length of your neckband piece: Length of neckband = length of opening x 0.9Ģ) Decide on a finished width for your band. Self Fabric Bandġ) Measure the opening, such as the neckline or armhole. The worst case scenario is that you have to take it out and sew it again. My rules of thumb are these: (1) Cut the band about 10% smaller than the opening to start, and (2) pin it to the opening and check the fit before you sew. The challenging thing is that it’s hard to know exactly how much smaller to cut it because every knit fabric is a little different. It usually needs to be a little smaller than the opening to prevent gaping, but if it’s too small, you get puckering. The downside to this is that the band must be cut and constructed at a specific width before sewing it into the opening. That means that the opening is already sewn into a complete circle, the band is also sewn in a circle, and then the band is sewn into the neckline in a continuous line of stitching. This will help to prevent gaping.Īgain, bands are sewn in the round. You’ll see it on almost any t-shirt neckline, but it can also be used on other types of garments or in armholes.īecause armhole curves tend to be deep curves, I like to keep bands in this area narrow, perhaps 3/8″ or less when finished. BandsĪ knit band is a pretty common treatment. We’re going to cover both of these methods, since they are usually interchangeable. They cover up the raw edge of a circular opening and give you a neat finish. The brown bodice below has binding.īoth of these finishes serve the same purpose. Instead, one seam is left open (such as a shoulder seam), the binding is sewn to the edge, then the remaining seam and binding are closed at the same time. In knitwear, it is usually not sewn in the round. All the seam allowances are tucked inside and hidden. The grey bodice above has a band.Ī binding has a similar function, but looks more like the bias binding you’d find on a woven garment.

If you look at any t-shirt you own, it will probably have a band around the neck. The seam allowance is turned to the wrong side. Bindingįirst, let’s clear up a little terminology.Ī band is a length of fabric that’s folded in half and stitched into an opening. In this article, I will detail 4 different ways you can use strips of knit fabric to finish edges on knit garments, including 1 band method and 3 different binding methods. You might prefer the look of binding, you might find it helps if your fabric is a little saggy, or you might want to use it to add a little contrasting color to your edges. Straight out of the envelope, Moneta is finished with either a lining for the sleeveless version (we have a video to show you how), or a simple hemmed finish.īoth of these are great finishes that work well with the design, but binding gives you a few more options. In honor of Moneta Month, I wanted to show you several methods you could use to substitute bound edges on your Moneta. Having grown up sewing almost entirely with wovens, it wasn’t until I really got into knits a few years back that I discovered the many binding options out there when working with these special fabrics.

I’ll always swap a facing for a binding when I can. I find that binding is often the neatest, tidiest, most professional looking finish on openings like necklines and armholes. How to bind knit edges: the ultimate guideīinding has a special place in my heart.

Invisible seam knitting