[corlee]

ok. i may be showing that i’m still rather green, but which type of interfacing does one use in clothing patterns? i just recently found out that there are woven and non-woven varieties. i think i had been sewing with non-woven for the clothes i’ve sewn so far (2+2 blouse and sunday brunch jacket). am i supposed to be using a woven interfacing?

also, is interfacing different from a stabilizer?

thanks!

[Liesl Gibson]

Stabilizer and interfacing are one and the same. There are many sorts: woven, non-woven, fusible, non-fusible. The most important thing is to select an interfacing that suits the weight of your fabric. For most quilt-weight cottons, you’ll do well with a very lightweight fusible interfacing. I know Pelon makes a nice one but I don’t recall the name of it. I’m sure some other folks can chime in here with some advice in this area, too.

[Nicole]

Hi Corlee, I am a big believer in good interfacing, it makes all the difference in a finished garment. I use McCalls, sheerweft for very fine fabrics, texture weft for medium weight and knit fabric, whisperweft for general shirting(most of the oliver+s patterns) and armoweft for denims ,drills ,cords ect. It is not cheap ,but neither is your time! approx $8/ m in Australia. Always prewash it and save your scraps, use them for button supports or you can piece it on a play outfit.I hope this is some help.

[Liesl Gibson]

Really, you can pre-wash interfacing? I never knew this and assumed it would a)tear or b) wash the glue off (don’t know why I thought this–the glue doesn’t wash out once it’s fused). Fascinating!

[Nicole]

I do, is that odd? I use to have trouble with collars ‘bubbling’, so I tried pre-washing in cool water with a gentle powder and no more problems. This product is very cloth like , not stiff like violene .

[corlee]

that is interesting. like liesl, i would have thought that the glue would wash out, and that the heat of an iron is what made the glue “permanent.”

thanks for your suggestions on what weight to use.

and, in general, does one use interfacing around button holes or where the buttons are sewn? does it help to keep the shape of the hole and help support the area around the button?

[Liesl Gibson]

Hi Corlee,

Yes, interfacing helps to stabilize (thus the use of both words) the fabric to support buttons and buttonholes. It’s used wherever you need a little extra support to the fabric, but ideally it doesn’t stiffen the fabric–it shouldn’t change the hand at all. That’s why it’s important to select the interfacing that suits the fabric.

In some cases you DO want interfacing to stiffen the fabric. For example, handbags often use a heavy-weight interfacing or canvas to give the fabric extra body and help it to keep its shape. So there’s always an exception to the rule. I suppose that’s what makes sewing interesting.

[JohannaO]

So on a related note, does interfacing have a grain? I’ve been cutting it into whatever shape, and in any direction that fits the closest to what is left on my interfacing piece. Now I’m worried that I need to keep that in mind.

[claireabel]

JohannaO it depends on the interfacing.

I tend to use a light, woven, fusible interfacing (as I tend to sew with light, woven fabrics). The grain is pretty clear to see in this case, and I follow it.

I can’t imagine there would be too much of a problem is going against the grain, seeing as the interfacing is fused to the fabric… interested to see what others think.

[sayiamyou]

Wow, I never pre-wash my interfacing because for whatever reason I assumed the water would mess it up. Do you ever notice that it shrinks, Nicole? Does it feel better after a washing? Do you wash it with your fabrics or alone (hand wash, machine wash??) Very interesting.

Also, Johanna – I always cut willy nilly on my interfacing, with complete disregard to anything that may or may not look like grain. I haven’t been able to tell a difference in my finished product. But maybe I should try to keep it in mind next time?

[mle bb]

I am putting together my supplies to make the Puppet Show dress (the entire pattern is traced onto freezer paper, whew!) and am wondering which interfacing I should use for the collar. I usually use Pelon SF101 fusible, but am wondering if that would cause the fabric to bubble a bit after much use, I have a couple purses with this problem. I will be using quilting weight cotton for the entire dress. Would a sew in interfacing be better, what are your suggestions. Thanks!

[Tamara]

I like to use lightweight woven interfacing that is iron on. I get it from Farmhouse fabrics and it is called “German” or “baby” interfacing. I’ve been using it ever since I first started with the smocking over 10 years ago and even though it would seem only useful for heirloom sewing I have had huge success carrying it over into the regular sewing side of things as well. It doesn’t bubble and I don’t wash it first. You need to iron it on from the cotton side or else it will stick to your iron – so place your piece on top of the shiny side of the interfacing and iron your piece not the other way around.

Of course if you were to use interfacing with fabrics that are a little heavier in weight ie, corduroy, then I would recommend using a woven interfacing that is slightly heavier aswell.

mle bb

I personally find sew in interfacing a little fiddly but then that is just me and if you have had experience with sew in’s then it could be a choice you may want to proceed with. Otherwise I would suggest and really recommend iron on light weight interfacing. I use the german or baby interfacing with quilt weight cotton as it isn’t exactly the heaviest of fabrics and I find that it gives a nice collar.

[mle bb]

thanks, I looked on the website and found the German interfacing, I am going to order some and try it out. I have never used sew in interfacing. Thanks for your input I am off to Joann’s to buy some SF101 and test out some sew in interfacing along with buying the German kind…here’s to testing testing testing!

[ThirdMargaret]

Please share your results! I usually buy the weight that feels right to me and so far so good, but better is always, well, better! Thanks!

[mle bb]

OK so I looked at the German interfacing and just couldn’t bring myself to buy it yet because of the price (about $10, thanks so much for recommending it though!). I did purchase some sew-in interfacing ($2) though and tried it out on the collar of the puppet show dress. I found the sew in the work very well, it was just like adding another layer of fabric while sewing around the curve. I used Pelon SF101 ($2) for the button plackets and around the sleeves. It has not bubbled yet and does a good job of reinforcing the fabric. I think the problems that I have had with fusible interfacing bubbling in the past has been mainly on larger bags where the entire exterior of the bag is interfaced and over time it bubbles through use and washing. I think what I will do in the future is use sew-in interfacing for collars and other things that are fully enclosed with a seam already, and for right now the I think the fusible is great for the plackets. I may still try out the German interfacing as it sounds like it is a nice quality, thanks for all of your input!

Emily