Confessions of a Print-a-holic: The Mighty ITY Knit

I am what one of my cyber sewing buddies calls a print-a-holic. Yes, I admit it, I love print fabric. I am totally hooked.  My conservative only wear black, brown, and solid "safe" colors self hit my 40's and something just went wild in me.  I adored any and all animal print fabric I encountered.

And bold colors

But I discovered that my ultimate favorite fabric to sew with is what I affectionately refer to as the "mighty ITY knit".  

What is this amazing fabric?  I'm so glad you asked. ITY stands for interlock twist yarn. I will not go into the technical aspects of this fabric but here is my list of 10 reasons I absolutely loooove this fabric--

1. Beautiful drape
2. Available in a variety of weights from light to mid-weight
3. Soft against the skin and very comfortable to wear
4. Excellent stretch and recovery
5. Can be used in a variety of garment types ( tops, skirts, lingerie, dresses)
6. Can be pressed but does not require ironing and thus is great for travel
7. Easy care-- machine wash and dry (always prewash to avoid unwanted surprises.
8. Is available in a wide range of prints and solids
9. Easy to sew (use a stretch needle)
10. Can be worn almost year round depending on your climate.  I've worn tops paired with cardigans during the winter months and been comfortable in my office work environment.
11. Relatively inexpensive, I have purchased a majority of my ITY knits for around $5.00 a yard.

Okay, so that's 11-- I know I said 10 but I couldn't stop myself.

Here are a few sources from which I've made purchases and been very pleased.

Fabric Mart

Fashion Fabrics Club

Joann Fabrics Red Tag bin

G-Street Fabrics

I have discovered that this type of knit, especially in a print has been very forgiving when it comes to working out fit issues as I  travel along this journey of learning how best to alter patterns to fit and flatter my figure.  

If you haven't already tried sewing with knits because you have been intimidated and have heard all sorts of horror stories about skipped stitches and misshapen garments I strongly encourage you to try sewing with ITY knits.  There are a number of resources on the web that can help you sew knits successfully but I think you will find that ITY knits are a great knit to sew whether you are a beginning sewer or a pro.

Have you sewn with ITY knits?  Please share your experiences, hints, and/or tips by leaving a comment.

Until next time... sew something you love.