Sew Any Fabric

Terry cloth and velour are warp pile fabrics. Terry cloth has uncut loops on one or both sides; and velour has cut loops which look like velveteen. Made of cotton, hemp, rayon, or blends, better fabrics have a closely woven back with closely packed loops or pile, but they are bulky and creep badly when stitched. Unlike fleece, velvet, and velveteen, terry and velour are much sturdier and easier to sew. This section focuses on woven fabrics and knits with little, or no, stretch. To sew stretch terry or velour, see Stretch Knit

Similar Fabrics: French terry, no-wale corduroy, plush knit, sculptured velour, terry knit, velour knit, velveteen plush.

Uses: Casual jackets, coats, tee tops, shorts, pants, bathrobes, children’s wear, towels.

Design Elements: Minimal seaming, wrap fronts, elastic casings, ribbing, bias trims, extended shoulders, kimono, raglan, and shirt sleeves, decorative seams. When possible, eliminate fasteners.

Sewing Checklist

Essential Supplies

Needles: Sharp (HM, HJ), universal (H); sizes 70/10-90/14.

Thread: All-purpose (cotton, polyester, cotton covered polyester, silk).

Cutting: Large, sharp shears, rotary cutter/mat, duplicate pattern pieces.

Marking: Chalk, clips, erasable pens, safety pins.

Miscellaneous: Flower pins, washable glue stick, shim, water soluble stabilizers.

Interfacings: sew ins, fusibles.

Linings/Underlinings: Rarely used.

Machine Setup

Stitch Length: 2.5-3mm (8-10spi); topstitching: 3-3.5mm (7-8spi).

Tension: Lightly balanced; light pressure.

Feet: Even feed, roller, wide straight stitch, zipper, zigzag.

Sewing Basics

Test Garment: Rarely needed.

Fabric Prep: Machine wash/dry several times if cotton or rayon.

Layout: Nap – wrong sides together; heavy fabrics – single layer, wrong-side up.

Seams: Plain (pressed open, closed), piped, bound, strap, safety stitched serged.

Hems: Topstitched, twin needle, hand (catchstitch, blindstitch), wrong-side out.

Seam/Hem Finishes: Serged, zigzag, bound (tricot, cotton bias tape); if lined, none.

Edge Finishes: Facings (self-, contrast trim), bindings, fold-over braid.

Closures: Buttonholes (machine, inseam), buttons/ loops, ties, zippers (machine, invisible, exposed).

Pressing: Medium to high heat; steam, self fabric press cloth on right side.

Garment Care: Machine wash/dry.

Fabric Prep: To preshrink natural fiber fabrics, machine wash/dry several times.

Layout/Cutting/Marking: Mark the right side with safety pins. Use flower pins to hold pattern pieces in place. Mark notches with short 1.8" (3mm) clips. Spread velour with wrong sides together. If fabric is Double Faced velour, spread in a single layer.

Stitching: To simulate quality ready-to-wear, reduce or eliminate hand sewing as much as possible. To stitch over uneven layers, use a zipper foot or shim. When joining to a smooth fabric, stitch with the smooth fabric uppermost. Topstitching is more attractive on terry cloth than velour. When topstitching, lengthen the stitch. Topstitch with the nap.

Seams: Use serged, topstitched, strap, and bound seams to finish unlined jackets attractively. For decorative bound seams, stitch wrong sides together. Trim seam to 1.4" or 3.8" (6-10mm). Bind seam with contrast bias fabric or ribbon. Fold seams toward back or down when joining to another section.

Hems: Topstitch hems with a single or twin needle or coverstitch. For a decorative hem, use a wrong-side-out hem or contrast facing as a trim.

Edge Finishes: Replace self fabric facings with contrast smooth fabric facings, lightweight bindings, bands, or ribbings.

Garment Care: Turn garment inside out to wash. Use a fabric softener to reduce lint.

Soft and absorbent, terry is ideal for bath or beach.(Photo courtesy of New Look Patterns.)