Ribbon Knit
Ribbon knit is a medium gauge knit created from a ribbon-like fiber. The result is a hand-knit appearance…without all the work! You'll love to wear garments from this eye-catching fabric!
This fabric can be machine washed and dried, cold water, gentle cycle, cool dryer. Do encase the fabric in a pillowcase or lingerie bag when machine washing, to prevent the fabric from being picked or pulled in the washing process. If you prefer to do so, hand wash your fabric and lay it flat to dry.
Use a jersey/ballpoint needle, size 11/75, for construction. Cotton covered polyester or all polyester threads are recommended.
Horizontal seams (across the grain) will require some sort of stabilization. Use a thin polyester or acrylic satin ribbon, ¼-inch wide or narrower, and stitch in place as you stitch your seams. Use a straight stitch, medium length (2.5) or a zigzag stitch (2.0 width, 2.5 length) for construction. To finish your seams, bind them with a thin lining fabric, nylon seam binding (such as Seams Great), or power mesh. Hems can be topstitched with a double needle, a cover stitch, or a zigzag stitch.
Fusibles are not recommend for this fabric, due to the open appearance of the knit. If you must reinforce areas of the fabric, use a sew-in such as power mesh or tricot knit.
Simple designs with few construction seams; cardigans, tees, simple shirts, wraps, simple skirts, simple dresses, scarves.
Many of these knits have decorative selvedges. You can orient your pattern to take advantage of these edges as trim; simply cut the pattern so that the hem falls at the decorative edge.
When cutting out, try to fold the fabric so that none falls off the cutting table. This could distort the grain. Use your leftover pieces to create scarves, cuffs, or other details on projects made from other knit fabrics. This fabric makes a beautiful accent when combined with other fabrics!