What is Fusible Woven Interfacing and How To Use It

What is Fusible Woven Interfacing?

Fusible woven interfacing is actually a “normal” piece of fabric with warp & weft threads that are woven together in the traditional way.

A layer of adhesive glue is applied to one side which will adhere to other fabric once an iron is applied.

Woven interfacing (or interlining) is a great way to give your projects a little more structure, making fabrics easier to work with and it’s super simple to apply.

Medium weights are great for quilting cottons in projects like cushions; they will sit better but still feel “squishably” soft and it can help non-padded little bags and pencil cases hold their shape.

The benefits of using woven interfacing:

Elevates quilt cotton weight fabric to a canvas weight fabric

The interlining fabric is made of natural cotton fibres rather than polyester (plastic) so it’s more friendly

It’s breathable as it’s a natural fibre,It adds structure

It adds a luxury feel to your project

Helps reduce the need for ironing on some projects as it retains shape

Works with light to medium weight fabrics

Gives fabrics a heavier feel, Reduces drape

Excellent for adding body to quilt cottons to be used in bag making or home dec projects

Method

1. Cut your fabric: Fabrics can be cut to size/ shape before or after applying interfacing.

2. Smooth out the interlining adhesive side up (it feels slightly rough). Lay the fabric on top right side up with the grain lines aligned.

3. Cut the interfacing to the same size as the piece of fabric.

4. Place the fabric right side down on an ironing board.

5. Smooth the interfacing on top of the fabric, coated side down. Trim any interlining that exceeds the size of the fabric to prevent damage to the ironing surface, or lay on some scrap calico/ fabric

6. Cover with a smooth surfaced cloth; a tea towel or spare cotton are ideal.

7. Lightly dampen the cover using the iron’s spray setting.

8. Adjust the iron to heat setting 3 – cotton, no steam.

9. Starting at one corner work the iron across the cover to lightly adhere the materials together, smoothing out any lumps or ridges as the iron moves across.

10. Lift the cover and check for any bumps. The fabric and interfacing may need peeling apart a little. Recover and lightly press.

11. Once the interfacing is smooth, dampen the cover again.

12. Press, spending 12 seconds on each area to achieve good adhesion.

13. Place the coated fabric somewhere flat to cool fully and set the adhesive.

Types of fusible interfacing

All types of fusible interfacing have a heat activated adhesive material on one side or on both sides which bonds to the fabric when ironed. Fusible interfacing can have different structure and thickness in order to be used with different fabrics.

1. Non-woven fusible interfacing is the most common type everybody uses. It’s a pure product of the chemical industry – it’s not fabric, it will not unravel. Usually, it has no grain, and because of this, it can be cut in any direction, which is great because you can use every bit of it in a very economical way. But sometimes it has the grain though and then manufacturers advise cutting it according to the grain line. It doesn’t have any stretch, and can be used with any woven fabric. I don’t recommend using it for knit fabric unless you want to reduce fabric stretch.

2. Woven fusible interfacing is a kind of fabric – it has a lengthwise and crosswise grain. It’s made from warp and weft fibers interwoven together. It’s not widely used in home sewing. Most of the time they make it not stretchy,, but sometimes it can have some stretch property also. This type works well with woven fabric.

3. All the above types of fusible interfacing can be further classified as lightweight, medium weight and heavyweight.

Lightweight is used with lightweight, delicate fabrics to add strength and durability.

Medium weight works for a wide variety of fabrics, and heavyweight is great for adding structure to purses or brims of hats.

Generally, the heavier the fabric you are using, the heavier the interfacing you need. However, your interfacing should be slightly lighter weight than the fabric you are using.

Is fusible fleece the same as interfacing?

Yes, fusible fleece is another type of interfacing. It’s quite thick, thicker than regular fusible interfacing, 100% polyester fleece with adhesive on one side. It’s used for the fabric to hold a specific shape. It easily adheres to fabric.

Difference between woven and non-woven interfacing :

The woven kind is a cotton fabric with one side (the rough one) primed with fusible glue.

The non-woven kind consists of agglutinated and compressed fibers, and one side (the rough one) is primed with fusible glue.

As a result, the woven fusible interfacing looks and behaves like fabric and the non-woven looks and behaves like a sheet of paper.