How To Use Fusible Interfacing
- WAWAK Sewing Supplies
- May 23
- 3 min read
Updated: 15 minutes ago
Whether you primarily sew garments, bags, quilts, home décor, or a little bit of everything, you're sure to encounter fusible interfacing at some point in your sewing journey. Fusible interfacing is a type of fabric or non-woven material with a coating of heat-activated fabric glue on one side. It's adhered to fabrics to give them more structure, weight, and stability for a professional finish. And best of all, it's easy to use! Read on to learn how to use fusible interfacing to reinforce and stabilize your fabrics. Looking for fusible interfacing? Choose from a wide selection of styles at WAWAK!
WHAT YOU NEED:
Fabric
Pressing Cloth & Spray Bottle
HOW TO USE FUSIBLE INTERFACING
What Is Fusible Interfacing Used For?
Fusible interfacing offers a convenient way to make your fabrics more structured and stable. Often used to reinforce items like pockets, bag bottoms, cuffs, collars, drapery headers, and many more, fusible interfacing can add body and weight to your fabrics in just a few simple steps. Because fusible interfacing requires direct heat to apply, it's only suitable for fabrics that can be ironed. It should not be used on very textured or heat-sensitive materials that ironing could crush, scorch, distort, or damage. Interfacings come in a wide variety of styles and weights for different fabric types and applications; for more information on choosing the right interfacing for your project, see our previous blog post on the topic.
How To Use Fusible Interfacing: Step-By-Step Instructions
STEP 1: CUT FABRIC & INTERFACING
Cut both the fabric and the interfacing to your desired size or pattern shape. Fusible interfacing, like fabric, has a "right" and a "wrong" side. The wrong side of the interfacing, which features the fabric adhesive, can often be identified by its texture—it's usually rougher or shinier than the other side, with either small glue dots or an adhesive coating. Cut the interfacing to the shape of the pattern piece you'll be applying it to, keeping in mind that the wrong sides of the materials need to face each other.
STEP 2: PREPARE MATERIALS
Place your fabric and interfacing on the ironing board with wrong sides together and the interfacing on top. Heat the iron to a low-temperature setting or as specified by the interfacing manufacturer's instructions. Cover the interfacing and fabric with a press cloth, and lightly spray the cloth with water using a spray bottle or your iron.
STEP 3: PRESS INTERFACING
Time to iron! Rather than using a back-and-forth ironing motion, it's best to press the interfacing without sliding the iron. Place the iron on the layers of material and keep it in one spot for a few seconds (8-10 is usually sufficient for a low-temp iron). Then, lift the iron straight up and place it back down in a different spot, slightly overlapping the area you just pressed. Repeat until you've pressed the entire surface.
STEP 4: LET IT COOL
Let the fabric completely cool before handling it. This is an important step as it allows the glue to solidify; handling the material before the adhesive hardens could result in a weaker bond between the two materials and may allow the fabric to shift or crease. Once it's cooled, check the bond and re-press any areas if necessary. If the bond is secure, your fabric is ready to use! The interfaced fabric can now be cut, sewn, and handled as usual.
Tips For Using Fusible Interfacing
Check the manufacturer's directions for your specific interfacing to find the optimal heat settings and technique for your product. While these directions are great for general use, some interfacings may have slightly different requirements to achieve the best possible result.
For woven interfacings, don't forget to match the grain of the interfacing with the grain of the fabric.
If you need to interface a lot of smaller pattern pieces, some sewers find it easier to use a technique called "block fusing." Instead of cutting out the pattern pieces first and applying interfacing to each one individually, you can fuse the interfacing to a larger piece of fabric and cut out the pattern pieces afterward.
Always test out your fusible interfacing on a scrap piece of fabric before applying it to your project. This is a key step to ensure you'll get the results you're looking for!
Now that you know how to use fusible interfacing, it's time to start incorporating it into your projects. Get started with high-quality interfacing of all shapes and sizes at WAWAK. Let's sew!
