On Interfacing

I grew up using cheap fusible non-woven interfacing. I always hated the stuff, and I avoided using it whenever possible. I hated the way the adhesives stiffened the fabric and made it feel like paper or tagboard, and I hated the pilling that quickly set in on my shirt facings and dress collars. When I noticed that commercially purchased dresses often had collar facings made of the fabric alone, and without any interfacing, I started making my facings the same way, despite advice to the contrary and dire warnings that the fabric would stretch as a result. But I recently bought some high quality, fusible woven interfacing from my favorite local fabric store (Fabricana, with stores in Richmond and Coquitlam, for those of you in the greater Vancouver area), and when making a wristlet purse the other day, I tried the new interfacing on a delicate kimono silk that needed extra strength.

What a difference good interfacing makes! I wish you could actually feel the purse in the photo above. I used a lightweight fusible interfacing that felt like cotton lawn, and it provided great support without destroying the feel of the fabric. The interfacing also added body, which allows the purse to stand on its own more easily. I like the results so much that I'll be using fusible interfacings a lot more often now. I'm a convert!