Show us your Chapel St Shoulder Bag Blog Series- Interfacing.

Today I want to talk to you about the world of interfacings.

This is a big wide world that can often feel confusing and overwhelming. I want to simplify that and share MY experiences with interfacings.

There are 5 main categories of interfacings:

1. Light Weight Interfacing -

Light weight Interfacing is perfect for lining a pocket or other small project where you need to add a small amount of support to your fabric but you still want the fabric to remain flexible.

2. Mid Weight Interfacing -

This is my most commonly used interfacing. It is the perfect strength to give structure however still allowing flexibility. Its great for linings and larger flap pieces.

3. Firm Interfacing -

If you want to add rigidity to your bag then firm interfacing may be what you need to use. I choose to use this in the base of some bags, fabric baskets I have made where I want them to stand up strong.

4. Fleece Interfacing -

 Fusible fleece provides your bags with density and thickness to your fabric layers without too much bulk or weight. It is perfect for the QAYG (Quilt As You Go) method used in bags such as The Tiny Essentials Tote Bag, or small sized bags that you do not want too thick. Perect for backing magnetic snaps to give extra strength and making bag handles firm in strength but soft to carry.

5. Foam -

Perfect for larger bags such as the Tilly Day Tote, foam will give your bag a defined shape while still staying soft to touch. Measuring approximately 4mm thick, you can bend the foam but it will bounce right back. It is quite easy to sew however can make your seams bulky, so for this I cut my seams 1/2" smaller than the bag body, this way the bag still has the structure without the bulky seams.

Depending on the bag you are making will depend on what interfacing you will need to use.

- For my smaller bags (Maya Clutch, Chapel St Shoulder Bag), I tend to use one layer of mid weight Interfacing and one layer of fleece.

- my bigger bags (Tilly Day Tote, Willow Tote Bag), I will use a layer of Foam and a layer or Mid Weight Interfacing.

So as you can see, there is an interfacing for every occasion. For me it has been trial and error to find which brands I love. I have my personal preferences as you will too, it just takes practice to get your bag to be how you like it.

Happy Sewing,

Kylie xx

I made this little table I hope you find helpful.

Perhaps you use different interfacings and know of other brands, if so feel free to leave a comment below and I will continue updating this table.

 

Interfacings quick reference table:

	Legacy Brand	Heat ‘n’ Bond	Pellon	Vilene	Other
Light Weight Interfacing	L250 Iron On	Soft	809 Décor Bond
Mid Weight Interfacing	L101		809 Décor Bond	G700
Firm Interfacing	L71F	Extra Firm	71F
Fleece Interfacing	L987F Iron on fleece thermolan		987F Fusible Fleece/L-TP971F/101	H630/H640
Foam					Annie’s Soft and Stable/Headlliner