French Terry AVAILABLE FOR CUSTOM PRINTING
French Terry is a versatile knit fabric with soft loops to the underside and a smooth side similar to a cotton lycra, on the outer side for printing onto. This knit has a beautiful soft texture and is recommended for all of your comfortable apparel makes. We have spent a lot of time testing different suppliers and we feel like this is definitely one of the best French Terry fabrics available.
French Terry is a great, low maintenance fabric which is easy to wear, cleans easily and is wrinkle resistant.
PLEASE ALLOW: and understand there may be variations with ink colours between print runs and between different fabric bases. Colours may differ between your monitor or phone display and the finished print. This is something that while we do try to minimise occurring, can happen with custom digital printing and is out of our control. This is not seen nor considered a fabric fault and will not be regarded as such.
What are some ideas I can make with this fabric?
French Terry is the perfect fabric choice for casual clothing such as sweat pants, hoodies, shorts, assorted gym wear and cardigans. With the comfort of a generous 4 way stretch, similar to cotton lycra only thicker, it gives the fabric a more snuggly and warm feel to wear. Perfect for winter and cooler climates, it wears well by itself or can be used to layer.
French Terry is similar to Cotton Lycra with the natural cotton component allowing the fabric to be breathable and absorbent and the lycra allowing good movement and recovery.
WASHING AND CARE OF FRENCH TERRY FABRIC - (use as a guide only)
Pre-wash fabric the same way you would intend to wash your finished product.
We recommend machine washing fabrics with like colours on a cool, gentle cycle. Avoid any harsh detergents, bleach or softeners. White vinegar works great to retain absorbency and softness while baking soda will help to deodorise any stubborn smells from the fabric. Do not wring fabrics out, simply shake out creases and line dry immediately after washing, in shade and inside out to best retain fabric colour and integrity.
Avoid using a tumble drier as this may break down the lycra component in the fabric and over time will cause fabrics to fade, stretch and lose integrity.
SEWING TIPS FOR YOUR FRENCH TERRY FABRIC
French Terry is very similar to sew as you would a heavy Cotton Lycra. French Terry has a 4 way stretch and will also want to curl at the edges when cut, washed and stretched.
We do recommend pre-washing as French Terry will shrink slightly when washed so best to prepare your fabrics prior to sewing to avoid any size discrepancies and disappointment later.
Press fabrics well prior to cutting out your pattern pieces. If the pieces are tending to want to curl, lightly press edges again before sewing, being careful not to stretch or warp as you do, alternatively once washed and prepped, allow your fabric to sit flat and relax, prior to cutting out your pattern pieces.
Use a polyester thread, ideally a wooly nylon will allow maximum stretch at the seams, a ball point or stretch needle and an overlocker. If you do not have an overlocker machine, you can also use a sewing machine set on a zig zag or lightning stretch stitch. French Terry edges can be left raw, but for a more finished look, turn up and hem using a twin needle, Coverstitch or zig zag stitch. Try to avoid making any mistakes as the soft, looped side makes seam ripping nearly impossible.
Always test your stitches on a layered or folded scrap piece fabric, prior to sewing. Stretch at the seam and make any adjustments to the thread tension or stitch length before commencing with your project. Test, check and re-test again.
Avoid pushing or pulling the fabric as you go.
Have fun and happy sewing!