Up until recently, my advice hasn’t been all that fantastic. Let’s see, there is sewing with a ball point needle. Sew using your serger (if you have one), or a zig zag stitch. If you must do a straight stitch, always sew on a long stitch. And of course, sew very carefully – being sure NOT to pull the fabric through. Know the stretch of your fabric (horizontal or vertical or both). A walking foot can help to keep from having wavy seams as well. Sew with an interlock knit if you are a beginner, as these are the best to learn on.
And so on. All basic information which you can find anywhere. And don’t get me wrong, very helpful! They helped me all this time (especially if you don’t have a serger, that zig zag stitch rocks!).
Well recently I figured out just about the coolest bit of information EVER when it comes to knits. I am not kidding you, it will change your sewing with knits life.
You will go from this:
(Typing late at night is another story *sigh*)
Are you ready? It is pretty freakin’ simple.
Tissue paper.
You know, the kind that comes in clothing boxes? Stock up on it. Stop throwing it away. And treasure it for-ever. Consider it your new best friend.
Simply put it underneath your knit while you are feeding it through the machine – and voila! Of course, you should still sew using a long straight stitch (or zig zag, whatever your fancy) – but the seems come out pretty darned flawless. It gives it just enough stabilizing that it helps the knit feed through beautifully. And when you are done, simply pull the tissue paper away from your project. You may need to pick a few extra pieces stuck under your stitches – but it is well worth the little bit of time you need to do it.
So now you know. It is amazing, it is awesome, and I am pretty sure it is going to rock your world about as much as it did mine.
Knits everywhere – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. We are coming for you! Ha 
Thanks so much for stopping by, and until next time…
Happy Sewing!
Hey Jessica…. thank you soo much for the tip… will be trying this today. And by the way I love your blog soo much. Gr8 work!!!
Thank you! Knit fabrics are really hard to come by in great prints in the UK plus I’m actually quite scared of them so I gave up until I can find the time to borrow my mother in law’s serger. I shall attempt that skirt I want to make now!
Thanks for the tip! I have always been scared of knits and have just recently started to brave them again. I have a knit top waiting in my queue as I type.
mysticmandy.blogspot.com
Great tip! Thanks!
I wish I’d had the tip last weekend as I cut down 2 of my old t-shirts into tops for my granddaughter. In the end I gave up and made it look like the wavy edges were meant to be by zig-zagging in a contrast colour! I shall hunt out another old shirt and try again now! Thanks!
AWESOME!!! Thanks so much for the tip! Haha knits everywhere at my house- I’m coming for you!!
I have never tried tissue paper…Awesome tip!
Wow – I love ideas like this – unexpected magic!!! Is it just one layer of tissue? I’m totally going to try this – now I just need a foolproof pattern.
Just one layer Stef! It is magic indeed
Plain notebook paper works, too!
I haven’t used it with knits, but it does work well when sewing a button hole on really plush fabric! No need for fancy stabilizer!
Genius I tell ya! I can’t wait to try this! Thanks so much for sharing
Good to know! Thank you!
What a funny trick! Thanks!
Oooo I need to try this! Thanks! I’ve been using my walking foot for knit hems but this would save me the ultra cumbersome step of putting it on when I’m just ready to SEW!
Did you pin the paper to the fabric?
Thank you!
Cecilia
I didn’t bother pinning the paper to the fabric, I thought it might cause the paper to tear if I wasn’t gentle enough. But truth be told, I am not a big pinner. (unless you count pinterest – ha!) I like to line my seams up as I am sewing, simply because I hate to remove the pins as I go along. But pinning certainly wouldn’t hurt if it makes you feel more comfortable!
I have knit all bought and ready to be turned into a dress for my daughter. I’ve been avoiding it for months. I’m scared of it looking homemade and awful. Thanks for this tip! This just might be the kick in the butt I need to going on the dress. THank you thank you thank you!
That is a fantastic before and after shot. I will have to try this sometime when I’m too lazy to attach the walking foot and/or if I want the hem narrower than my walking foot sews.
I work with knits all the time and hate that “wave” so when I saw this post I had to try it right away. It really really helps and it was a lot of fun to rip the tissue paper off afterwards. lol And I think after a wash the tiny pieces left in the stitch should come right out. THANK YOU!
Love this idea. Especially for those knits that stretch in all directions…or the ones from JoAnn. For some reason those are the waviest!
great idea! thanks for the tip. i would really love to conquer the tee-shirt neckline: it’s one of my greatest sewing fears.
Love this–I use tear-away paper to feed fabrics all the time. I have never thought to try it on knits. generic tissue, here I come!
Hi Genius!!! I love this idea! I need to sew up some knits this week and I’ve been hesitating for just this reason! Thanks so much!!
A walking foot is helpful too.
A walking foot is helpful too.
Great idea! Must try this very soon! Thank you!
Thank you – can’t wait to try this idea. Now for another challenge-sewing Velcro on material without the thread bunching up?
Awesome tip girl! thx for sharing!
So cool. I use baking paper when I sew vinyl {UGH hate vinyl}, I guess tissue paper is the same sort of thing? I never thought of using it for knits! I’m going to try that today!
Love the simplicity of it!
I just ordered 3 yards of fairly expensive double stretch knit and was a little worried that I’d ruin it based on my past issues with knits (though on little girls clothes that little wavy/ruffly edge around the neck and sleeves is cute, but not so much the look I am going for on MY clothes!
Awesome! I’m going to try some knit projects soon with some Ottobre patterns and I’ll have to use this trick!
This is a great tip Jessica. But I’m still scared to death to sew knits because I’ve never had any luck. And I REALLY want to make some knit tops. Do you use a special needle? What about stitch length, do you prefer straight or zig-zag?
Hugs…Tracy @ Cotton Pickin Cute
Total genius! Thanks so much for spreading the word.
Thanks for the tip! I definitely need to try this! I also found out that having the right presser foot also makes a big difference
Okay..what about sewing on a serger? I’m thinking that paper really doesn’t work for serging…besides, paper + stitching isn’t very RTW…RTW is all about shortcuts and I’m not seeing paper as a shortcut. If you’re going to use paper, **Toss Out** the needle when you’re finished with the garbage. Yeah, pitch it in the garbage. Needle is useless..it’s been beat up by paper. It’s completely dull and would skip stitches on your next project. Seriously. Get rid of the needle before it causes heart ache on your next garment…Caveat: it’s OK to sew on paper. Just know your needles. Paper kills needles, OK?
It works really well. I just did an altering this morning and this is what I did. Thank you for sharing!
It solves the wavy seam syndrome. Awesome!!!! 
Not that tissue paper isn’t cheap enough, but if you really want to stock up for free – go to a department store’s shoe department – like Walmart – especially during the week. Ask the associate to save the flat tissue paper for you and tell them you will pick it up the following day or end of the shopping trip or whatever.
(this is also a great department to get moving boxes – the shipping cases from the shoes were usually pretty heavy duty and held about 12 shoeboxes in them.)
i LITERALLY cannot wait to get home and try this! i’ve never heard this trick, but so glad you shared!
I was just crazy enough to try this tip because wavy seams (hems) drive me a little insane. Worked like a charm. Thank you so much!
Did you just do a roll over hem or did you attach a new piece of knit to make the hem?
Awesome tip! Do you know where I can fine a pattern for a little envelope neck baby vest like the ones in your pictures?
I don’t know if this will help anyone, but i use strips of plastic shopping bags, a tip I got from the patternreview.com book. When you pull the plastic off it doesnt leave anything behind.
p.s I love, love your blog!!! Thanks for all the great tips and tutorials.
I hate sewing knits, too. But I can’t wait to try this tip!
Brilliant!! THANK YOU!! Pinning this!
I think this will change me life. Thanks Jessica for your amazing tips. Keep them coming.
omg, thank you. I have a couple yards of a really pretty interlock print I’ve been afraid to touch lest I make a mess of it. Now I can actually make something with it!
This is brilliant!! I just made a shirt that this happened on, wish I had known this before! Oh well, this is definitely in my memory bank for all future knit projects I do! I do a series on my blog every Tuesday called Sewing Tip Tuesday….I’m going to feature this {with links back to you!} next week (6/5), so come check it out! Thanks so much for a great tip!
Brilliant! I’m going to have to give this a try. Many thanks Jessica!
Hey, what pattern did you use for the striped shirt? Could you do a tutorial?
LOVE IT! I will no longer have wonky knits!! Thanks
Hi, I found your from Haute to Sew. She featured this on her blog and I’m lvoing the advice!! Thanks for sharing!
I had just wondering what I had being doing wrong on my attempts at refashioning t-shirts. Thanks for the tip, you’ve really helped me out.
Where can I find the pattern for the striped shirt? I have that style of shirt and I love it too much to deconstruct in to make a pattern.
I am sorry, I do not have a pattern on hand. I deconstructed a few of my old onesies for it, and once I did that I have a pattern I personally use whenever I am making one. You don’t need to literally take apart your old shirt by the seams though – just lay it on tracing paper and go around it! That is what I do when necessary!
Thanks for the great tip. Will definitely give this a try.
How do you get a long straight stitch? I’m sure that’s a silly question, but I’m just learning how to sew. I’m sure every machine is different too. Mine has a dial on it that gives me the choice of a number over another number. I’m not sure what those numbers indicate. I’m assuming they’re measurements. Maybe you might know what those numbers would need to read in order to get a good “long straight stitch” for knits on my machine? Thanks for any help you might have on this!
You need to set your stitch dial to the largest number, unfortunately – not knowing your machine – I do not know which dial this might be. But there is usually a stitch length dial, as well as needle position dial.
Hope this helps at least a little bit!!! Did your machine come with a manual? If not, you can google your machine usually and it will let you know!
Thanks so much for the tip!!! Really needed!!
What!? That’s pure genius! Thank you so much! I love sewing with knits until I have to finish the edges because it’s more times than not that I end up with those sinking wavy seams UGH! But I’m going to try this now and if it works like toy say it will, my frustration is over! Yay, thank you!
My Mum was a seamstress for a famous couturiers in London during the 1930s and passed this tip down to me. It also works for net, fine and slippery fabrics, too.