Sewing Double Gauze

from Carol J. Freesia, Senior Technical Editor for Threads Magazine

Double gauze consists of two lightweight, sheer gauze layers lightly joined in a grid of about 1 inch. The resulting fabric's open weave makes it cool, soft, and breathable. It's more opaque than a single gauze layer (lining is optional) but no less delightful to wear in hot, humid climates.

Double gauze is usually made of cotton, but bamboo and linen varieties also exist. Cotton double gauze is absorbent and nonclingy, with a distinctive lightly rumpled texture once laundered. At Silk Road Textiles, you'll find double gauze in solid colors and a wide range of prints, from kid-friendly designs to richly colored abstracts, geometrics, and florals.

Double Gauze is suited to tops, tunics, skirts, and dresses with relaxed ease. Opt for gathers rather than darts, and don't attempt to use this fabric for highly structured pieces. Loungewear and pajamas are especially appealing in these fabrics, as are children's and infants' clothes and swaddling blankets. And cotton double gauze makes wonderfully soft quilts. 

One of the attributes of double gauze is its cooperative nature. It's machine-washable in cold water and line-dries quickly. The yardage may be flat when you purchase it, but once washed and dried, it develops a soft, wafflelike texture. You can iron the fabric, but it will never be completely flat and smooth-so enjoy its characteristic lightly rumpled effect.

Prewashing and machine-drying is a good idea, as there may be some shrinkage. Once you've done this, you can safely wash and line-dry your finished garments with no further shrinkage. Drying by machine may cause further shrinkage or leave your garment more crumpled than you like.

There are no special techniques for working with double gauze, but keep in mind the fabric's loose weave when sewing. The following tips are suggested by ShannonFabrics.com.

Press before cutting. Wash and dry the yardage, then steam-press to flatten it slightly.

Stabilize when needed. Use spray starch, sizing, or a layer of wash-away stabilizer for easier cutting and sewing.

Follow the lines. For straight cuts, follow the gridlines.

Mark without clipping. Use chalk or water- or air-soluble markers; clipped notches may ravel and weaken the seams.

Reinforce and interface as needed. Use a lightweight fusible or sew-in interfacing and apply stay tape at shoulder seams or other areas where there may be stress during wear.

Staystitch or tape seamlines. This prevents distortion along cut edges during handling.

Baste with glue. This is a quick and easy way to align seams before sewing; choose a wash-away adhesive.

Choose sharp pins and needles. Silk pins and 70/10 or 80/12 microtex needles minimize snags.

Opt for a longer stitch. To avoid puckered seams, try a 3.0 mm or 3.5 mm stitch length and reduce the thread tension.

Finish the seam allowances. Double gauze frays, especially along on-grain cut edges. Use French or flat-felled seams, serging, or binding to prevent raveling.

Play with fringed edges. If you like the frayed look at hemlines, patch pocket edges, or elsewhere, straight- or zigzag-stitch one half inch from the cut edge to control how far the fabric ravels.

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Tips for Substituting Yarns

from Pauliina Kuunsola, Senior Editor and In-House Tech Editor at Laine Publishing

Did you fall in love with a design but can’t find the yarn listed in the pattern? Or did you see something great in your LYS but don’t know of a pattern that uses it? Don’t worry! You can always substitute yarns. Pauliina Kuunsola from Laine shares her tips!

Yarn Weight and Yardage 

Patterns usually list the yarn the sample was knit with and photographed in. This does not mean you need to use the same. There are many beautiful yarns out there, and you should always feel free to substitute them with another suitable yarn based on what is available in your area or within your budget or preferences.

To help you with this, the patterns usually mention the yarn weight (lace, super fine, fine, light, medium, bulky, super bulky, and jumbo) and the required yardage for each size. Yarn weight is the information you need when you start searching for a substitute, and the yardage will help you figure out how many skeins of your chosen yarn you need.

Before we go further, it is good to remember that yardage is always just an estimate. Different types of fibers and spinning styles make the yarn meter-to-weight ratio vary. Also, the larger the project, the more individual gauge matters. Even tiny differences can affect the yardage needed in, say, sweaters. Designers usually try to consider this and add a little extra for the yardage requirements, so this is a good guide when substituting.

But back to the yarn weight. When substituting yarn, look for yarns of the same weight, e.g., substitute lace with another lace-weight yarn, worsted with another worsted-weight yarn, etc.

Fiber Content

In addition to the weight, it’s good to look at the fibre content of the original yarn. Choose a yarn with a similar fibre content if you want to knit a piece that looks like the one in the photos. As well as possibly affecting the yardage, the fibre content affects the characteristics of the knitted fabric.

For example, a sweater made of 100% alpaca will have a completely different fit and drape than one made of 100% wool, even if the yarns are the same thickness. This doesn’t mean you can’t do it; just be aware that the result will probably look different.

Combining Yarns 

Going a step further, you can also try creating your own yarn combinations. Say you want to knit a sweater that calls for DK-weight yarn, but the color that caught your eye only comes in fingering-weight. You can knit with two fingering-weight yarns held together to achieve approximately the same gauge as with a DK-weight yarn. 

The same works the other way around, too. If a pattern is worked with fingering-weigh wool and lace-weight mohair held together, you could knit it with a sport-weight yarn held single. 

Make a Swatch

When substituting yarns, a gauge swatch is always recommended. You can check your gauge, see how the yarn knits up, and decide if it’s suitable for what you want to knit. And if you feel unsure about substituting yarns, remember that your LYS (local yarn shop) can most probably help!

I hope this helps. We'll also be discussing yarn weights in our upcoming Laine issues!