How to Sew with Interlock Fabric

Today we are going to learn about Interlock knit fabric. Perhaps you have used it for a project before or maybe you have never heard of Interlock knit but would like to know how and when to use it. Let's jump in and see what it's about!

Also, be sure to check out our Interlock Fabric Section here at KnitFabric.com.

Interlock knit is known as a double knit with 2-way stretch which consists of two layers of fabric knitted or interlocked together to form a more stable knit. It offers great recovery when stretched which means it bounces back to its original state well. The edges do not curl making it less fussy to work with when compared to other knits.

It features a smooth hand on both sides and is slightly thicker than your standard Jersey fabric due to it being a double knit. Think of it as two Jersey fabrics placed together back-to-back verses one single layer of fabric. It is comfortable, breathable and offers moisture wicking capabilities.

Interlock can be used for athletic attire, but it is also great for other applications such as dresses, pajamas, sweatshirts, under garments, shirts etc. It can also be used for baby items as well. It is a great all-around fabric to use throughout the year depending on the content makeup. A few months back I made a nursing night gown out of 100% cotton interlock fabric that included snap closures and it has held up great since.

I would recommend trying this fabric out if you are a beginner and want to practice on knits or for a more involved project with snaps or buttons because of its stability and recovery as mentioned before.

Before beginning a new project, it is always a good idea in my opinion to wash and dry your fabric as you would the finished garment. Since Interlock is cotton based, it will shrink some. If your Interlock is a wool and cotton base, it is best to air dry due to the wool content. Other fiber content you may find mixed in with cotton interlock are polyester cotton, cotton lycra, cotton rayon etc. Take note whenever possible what type of content you purchase or acquire so that you will know how to properly care for your material and finished garments. Interlock knit is also wrinkle resistant so that's a plus!

As with all knits, overstretching your fabric as you sew is not recommended so make sure your machine settings are right before you begin a project by testing on a scrap piece of fabric beforehand of the same fabric you plan to use. In some instances, your pattern may require gentle stretching, but we want to make sure we don't overstretch either by force or by our machine settings not being quite right.

Now that we've explored a bit into what Interlock knit is and what we can use it for, let's sew up a project using it!

• Playdate Romper from Peek-A-Boo Pattern Company
• Interlock Knit Fabric for the main and Rib Knit for the bands
• Sewing machine, thread, needle
• Iron, clips, Interfacing, ruler and Size 15 or 16 Snaps

I've gathered my supplies and cut out my pattern pieces. I'll be sewing up the tank shorts romper version for this tutorial using an organic 100% cotton Interlock knit as well as organic rib. We can begin sewing!

Grab the front romper piece and one of the gussets. Pin the gusset to the romper with right sides together, placing the notch at the center of the crotch. Baste the gusset in place and then sew using a 1/4" seam allowance. Text

Basted and sewn.

Flip the gusset piece down. Repeat the previous steps for the back gusset.

Next, we will press the bottom edge of our legs up 1/2" towards the wrong side.

Now, we will grab our interfacing and apply it to the backside of the two placket pieces.

After applying the interfacing, fold the placket pieces in half with right sides together and press.

Sew the short edges of each placket piece at both ends.

Turn each placket piece right side out and press them flat.

With right sides together, Pin the raw edges of the placket piece to the raw edge of the romper. Unfold the pressed hemline and wrap the hem over the end of the placket piece on each side. Sew the placket along the raw edges.

Our front placket piece is done. Repeat the same steps for the back placket.

With right sides together, clip or pin your front and back pieces together and sew the shoulder and side seams. Make sure your hemline is unfolded for this step.

Shoulder and side seams finished.

Next, we will grab our armband pieces and sew along the short edges with right sides together.

Fold the armband pieces in half with wrong sides together and place them around the arm opening with right sides and raw edges together aligning the band seam with the side seam. Sew the armband in one continuous loop. Repeat for the other armband piece.

Press the bands before topstitching.

Place a topstitch around the seam allowance on the outside of each band piece.

Refold the hemline we had pressed in the beginning and topstitch the hem in place on both sides.

Take your neckband piece and fold it with right sides together and sew the short ends.

Fold the neckband in half with wrong sides together and clip or pin the raw edges together around the neck opening.

Press the neckband and topstitch the seam allowance.

Lastly, we need to add snaps to our plackets. For the short's version, you will need 5 snaps. Check out our Sewing Snaps Tutorial for tips on how to sew snaps.

A ruler comes in handy if you'd like your snaps to be precise.

Our playdate romper is complete! Time to try it on.

Happy little birthday boy!

It fits and he'll have some room to grow in it over the summer months. It looks so cute on him!

Well, this brings us to the end of our reading adventure in learning about Interlock knit fabric. I hope you will consider sewing your own project with interlock in the near future. It offers stability, comfort and good recovery. The edges do not curl making it easy to work with. It can be used for many different projects, and it is a good base to start off with if you'd like to practice with knits.

What will you sew using Interlock knit fabric? Whatever it is, be sure to check out our Interlock Fabric Section.