What is sew in interfacing

The fusible interfacings have a grid of glue dots coating on the wrong side. The heat of your iron is then used to fuse the interfacing to the fabric. Basically you just machine baste the interfacing to the piece of fabric and then continue sewing as usual. In couture and tailoring, the interfacings are often fastened by hand and there may be several layers of interfacing to create just the right shape for a garment. I have successfully used cotton lawn, silk organza and gabardine as sew-in interfacing.

The interfacing should match the fabric. Use lightweight interfacing for lightweight fabrics and thicker interfacing for thicker ones. Woven goes with woven fabrics and stretchy knit with stretchy fabrics. If you are unsure, you can always interface a small piece of fabric and see how the finished fabric behaves.

Check that your interfacing can be washed and cared the same way as your fabric and that your fabric will be able to withstand the fusing process if you are using the fusible interfacing. For those delicate fabrics, the sew-in interfacing is the safest option.

You wash your fabric before sewing because it may shrink? However, do you also wash your interfacing? I have learned the hard way that you should. Especially the interfacings containing natural fibres can shrink in the wash. This is even more annoying because the interfacing is generally used in the collars and cuffs that are often a focal point of your garment.

So the best way to pre-shrink your interfacing is to soak it in a warm water and lay it flat to dry or run it through washer and dryer. Choose the colour of your interfacing based on your fabric colour.

The basic interfacing colours are white, black and grey. Also, you might see some fibres from the interfacing through the cuts of your buttonholes, so it is better to use dark interfacing with dark fabrics. When I was making my trench coat I had to interface the back of the buttonhole and I noticed that my bright white interfacing was showing through my sand coloured gabardine.

What I did was that I made a cup of tea and soaked my little piece of interfacing in it. After the tea treatment the interfacing was dyed more natural white. Here it is important to follow the directions. I have once managed to melt my interfacing with an iron that was too hot! Lay down your the fabric right side down and spread the interfacing on to of it. Do not use steam and protect your iron by placing a piece of greaseproof paper or an ironing cloth between your iron and the interfacing fabric.

Hold the iron still and press for 10 to 15 seconds, depending on your chosen interfacing. Take your time and check that the interfacing has fused properly. A tip: You can shape a collar with fusible interfacing. First, fuse the roll line of the collar with the tip of your iron. This helps your collar to maintain its shape! This blog post has more info of my trench coat collar construction, including the interfacing. Basically, you just sew the interfacing to the piece of fabric and then continue sewing as usual.

This can be often done by machine but in some cases of bulkier interfacing it is better to do it by hand to avoid having the extra bulk from the interfacing in the seams. With pad stitching it is possible to shape fabric without making it stiff. Here is an example from my winter coat project:. I have found it very useful to use interfacing tapes.

Very often you have a need to enforce a zipper edge or a shoulder seam and these tapes offer a quick way to do it without any need to cut long strips of interfacing. Prym has different widths of this kind of tape interfacing that I use regularly:.

For the knit top necklines, Prym has this Seam tape interfacing that is pretty new to me but after I tried it, I like it very much. And here's another quick tip if you want a good-looking bag lining: always use a layer of light-to-medium-weight interfacing like Pellon SF Shape Flex or Vilene G It always brings your bag to a higher level of quality. Sometimes, I use Vilene H - a bit stiffer than G and a non-woven but less expensive, still pliable and soft. But there are more. I've tried and tested a lot, and I mean a lot of lighter interfacings to use on linings, and pockets.

Also, Vilene H is part of a great hack: it makes it super easy to do turned edge applique! Have no fusible interfacing at hand but would love to give your tote that extra body and weight? Use the sew-in cotton batting instead, and add a few simple quilting lines. I quilted the bigger of these two market bags. It turned out beautifully! Here are a list of fusible fleece types, stabilizers, and mostly fusible types of interfacing I love to use. Depending on what effect and level of stability you are after, one of these will suit your project.

F usible fleece gives body to the project - my fav for easy crafts, sewing projects! It will give a bit of a body and stability to a bag, and it's perfect for my popular ZIP Pocket Coin Purse , as well as this crossbody bag and clutch. And then there are tons of non-woven fusibles. Use with caution, as these, especially if rigid, can add wrinkles to your bags. Not what you want. Not, by any means, an exhaustive list! There are many more, and I keep finding new materials and brands, and I'll be adding to this list, so make sure to come back soon.

And there's one more group to discuss:. Sometimes, you'll want your project, a bag, to stand up on its own, and to make it super stable, you might want to use a special stabilizer. I'm listing these separately here but if I'm honest, fusible fleece should be listed under stabilizers here, too. I love fusible foam. However, some bag makers will stay away from foam if it's fusible, as it will sometimes cause wrinkles on the fabric if you're using lightweight materials, say quilting cotton.

If the foam has wrinkles, try steaming the fabric from the front side, not touching it, but just holding the iron close to it and leaving out a lot of steam. It works great for me. A different solution would be using a layer of SF as a base and fusing foam only on that layer. This works with other types of stiff interfacing like Decor bond. Don't let this list intimidate you. Just so you know, you WILL find your favorite soon. Just start with general all-purpose interfacing, maybe even start with fusible fleece.

Then later check out a few more when you get a chance, and you'll see what you prefer. Never the same with two sewists! The Serial Bagmakers sell it, I think it comes in two thicknesses, and Bouncyfirm is a medium-firm fusible bag reinforcement. It's both firm and flexible - easy to use and good-looking in a finished bag. Need I say more?

Take a look at it on the Serial Bagmakers site , they have a video review about it too. It adheres very well!

Sometimes, people would ask me how to clean the iron if the sticky glue from interfacing gets on it. It's inevitable you'll at some point get some of the glue on your iron. Don't stress, there is an easy solution: a wet dryer sheet will remove glue from an iron.

I've also heard of but did not try it out mixing a few drops of liquid dish detergent and water, then using a small cloth to wipe away sticky residue. If you're mostly working on easy sewing projects, there's high chance you'll simply get away by using one type: fusible fleece.

It feels like felt, with one adhesive side, and it will give your project some nice body. Several brands and thicknesses; start with one and then switch to a thicker, denser one like Vilene H or go for a thinner one like Vilene H You'll recognize it from far because it's totally light and puffy and has tiny glue dots on one side.

Oh, and one more thing: take into account that depending on the continent you live on, some types of interfacing might be hard to find - like in this post on my Teya crossbody tote pattern , Caroline had issues to get fusible canvas stabilizer, but is very easy to find where I live. Check out how she used inter lining instead!

And last but not least, a money-saver: here's one little tip for you that might save the day when you are sitting at your sewing machine, making a project when you realize you're running out of your interfacing, fusible felt, or batting:.

Put a pressing cloth on top of your fabric and interfacing, this could be muslin, calico or even a clean tea towel! Gently press down and apply slight pressure onto the fabric, with a hot, dry iron for a few seconds to allow the adhesive to melt. Avoid using steam as this can prevent your interfacing from sticking and try not to move the iron around with pressure, as this will make your pieces move away from each other.

Iron-on interfacing is perhaps the easiest type of interfacing to apply. To see our full range of fabrics, please click here. Make sure to tag us poundfabrics and show us your creations on Instagram , Facebook and Twitter!

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