Fabrics & materials

A very stiff, heavily sized woven or non-woven fabric used to add rigid structure, notably in hat brims, belts and structured bag panels.

Thick foam interfacing fused or sewn between fabric layers to give bags and structured accessories body, shape retention, and padding.

Interfacing coated with a heat-activated adhesive resin that bonds to fabric when pressed, offering a quick, even application without hand stitching.

A traditional sew-in interfacing woven partly from horsehair, prized in tailoring for the springy, moldable structure it gives to jacket fronts and collars.

A supporting fabric layer applied to the wrong side of garment sections such as collars, cuffs and waistbands to add body, stability and shape retention.

Interfacing with a knitted construction that stretches to match jersey and other stretch fabrics, preserving their flexibility while adding light support.

Interfacing made from bonded or pressed fibres with no grainline, cuttable in any direction, generally lower cost but with less natural drape than woven types.

Interfacing without adhesive, attached by stitching into the seam allowance, preferred for fabrics that cannot tolerate heat or that would be damaged by fusing.

A temporary or permanent backing placed under fabric during machine embroidery or stitching to prevent puckering, stretching or distortion from the needle and thread tension.

A sew-in interfacing, traditionally a wool and hair blend, used in structured jacket construction to shape and support the chest and lapel through pad stitching.

A film or fabric-like stabiliser that dissolves in water, used to support delicate or openwork stitching such as lace or cutwork until the stitching is complete.

Interfacing constructed with lengthwise and crosswise threads like conventional fabric, cut on grain to match the garment fabric and provide stable, non-stretch support.