Are you looking for a versatile, lightweight fabric that is easy to sew and looks great on any body type? Look no further than ITY Fabric, or Interlock Twist Yarn. ITY fabrics are a soft, relaxed, drapey knit made with twist yarn that helps with elasticity. This guide will take you through everything you need to know about ITY. We will also give you essential tips for sewing with ITY to help you use it in your sewing projects.

ITY fabric, short for Interlock Twist Yarn, is a unique type of knit fabric known for its exceptional stretch and recovery properties. Unlike other knit fabrics, ITY fabric has a smooth and sleek texture, making it perfect for creating garments that drape beautifully and offer comfort and ease of movement.

ITY fabric, also known as Interlock Twist Yarn, is a type of knit fabric characterized by its smooth and stretchy nature. It is a blend of polyester and spandex, which gives it a soft and comfortable feel while also providing excellent elasticity. It is known for its ability to drape well and retain shape, making it a popular choice for dresses, tops, skirts, and pants. It is also resistant to wrinkles and easy to care for, making it a versatile option for casual and formal wear. Whether you’re looking for a fabric that offers comfort, style, or versatility, this fabric is an excellent choice. This elasticy knit fabric has excellent wrinkle resistance and a smooth feel for a more natural elasticity.

Compared to other fabrics like wool, velvet, nylon, linen, satin, and twill, ITY offers a more lightweight feel while still providing excellent stretch and recovery. Even compared to other knit fabrics that are polyester blends, ITY knits are more breathable. A comparable knit fabric might be rayon, but ITY knit fabric tends to be more wrinkle-resistant and less prone t to shrinkage.

ITY breathes better than double-brushed poly, but not as great as Rib Knits with a similar fabric blend. But what I love most about this fabric is that it is cool to touch most of the time and has a bit more weight to the fabric it is perfect for tops and blouses.

ITY should also be distinct from interlock fabric. Interlock fabrics are made by interlocking two simpler single-yarn ribbed knits together. They can be of different content.

ITY has a right and wrong side, but they look so similar it is hard to see in most settings. The right side of the fabric has a light sheen, and the wrong side looks darker under a light, which was most evident under my projector. The above image is under projector light, and the bottom is under natural sunlight. While you can see a hint of a darker shade on the wrong side of the fabric under sunlight, it is visible under the projector light.

Except for a few ITYs, most of them were also 4-way stretch. The cool and slippery feel of the fabric made sewing with it a tiny bit harder than usual, but it wasn’t too bad if I went slow and made sure to pin/clip the fabric well. Another tip many users suggested is adding a layer of tissue between the material and the needle.

Use ITY for blouses, tops, and skirts with excellent results. Some people also choose to use it for leggings or other pants. ITY has a bit of weight to it. This heavier weight makes it a fantastic choice for skirts and dresses that are full and have flair. The weight keeps it from lifting quickly. But this also means it contours your body well.

Another fantastic use for the ITY is as lining. These fabrics are the perfect weight to go under lace and tulle dresses, as they do not add extra bulk to the outfit but provide a nice cool and soft lining layer close to the skin. A word of caution, though: the ITY can get pretty warm if the garment fits snugly.

1. Make Sure You Know the Right and Wrong Side: As I mentioned earlier, ITY has a right and wrong side of the fabric that isn’t easily discernible. While you might not notice the difference between both in most light settings, they can become noticeable sometimes. Depending on your project, this can highlight some areas you want to avoid highlighting. Make sure you mark them front and back clearly if that is the case.
2. It Can Take a Little Bit of Heat: ITY can take some heat, so you can use heat-removable pens and markers. They can also take Iron on transfers and sublimation designs. Just test on a scrap before you transfer the designs onto the original.
3. Go Slow and Pin and Clip Liberally: ITYs are slippery. Remember to go slow and pin/clip them liberally when sewing. The other suggestion is to use hem tape to make the sewing easier. The drape and weight of the ITY makes them shift quickly.

Alright, now we’re moving onto our sewing project. I will make myself a Tank version of the Women’s Essential Tee. The great thing about ITY is that it gives the tops and blouses a more formal look than the Jersey fabrics. I made this Tank so I can layer it with a cardigan on cooler days and wear it as is on warm summer days. So let’s get started. We will need our choice of ITY fabric, the pattern pieces, and the other sewing supplies.

I am choosing this Mauve/Blush colored solid ITY for my Tank. Since I am making a size Medium, I needed only about a yard of the fabric.

Cut out the front and back pieces for the Curved hem Tank. Remember to cut along the Tank line for the armscyes when cutting out the Tank version. When cutting your pieces out, use pattern weights or something heavy to keep the fabric from shifting and risk cutting the pieces off grain. The fabric’s slippery nature makes it easier to move around than the other fabric.

Now, let us cut out the armbands and neckbands. Once you have all the pieces cut out, let us get sewing. Before you start sewing, make sure to test sew on some scrap pieces to get the correct tension setting based on your machine once that is all done, let us start sewing.

Place the front and back bodice pieces together, making sure they are the right sides. Sew along the shoulder seams.

Next, fold the neckband in half with the right sides together, aligning the shorter ends together. Sew/serge along the short end, creating a loop.

Find the center points of the band and place a pin/clip there. Do the same on the neckband of the top. This helps us smooth the neckband easily and evenly around the neck opening.

Now, match the notches/marks that we made while cutting out the pattern pieces to the shoulder seams. Sew the neckband down and then topstitch.

Next, place the front and back bodice together on the right side together and sew down the side seams. Again, remember to use clips generously, more than what I have used here.

Now, let us repeat the steps we did for the neckband for the armbands. Sewing along the short edge to create a loop and folding it along the long side wrong sides together enclosing the seam.

I like to divide armbands into two and do the same to the sleeve opening. I am matching the band’s seam to the armscye seam and the other midpoints together. Once I do that, I clip the other half of the points, quartering the opening and band.

Now sew the armbands onto the Tank top. Topstitch them for a clean finish.

All that is left to do is hem the tank top. Ironing the hem to create memory creases did not work here for me. I used clips to hold it in place. The other option is to use hem tape, making hemming easier.

And we are done! I love how this Tank turned out. It was comfortable to wear all day at work layered under a cardigan. Please note that the dress form is a Size Small, wearing a Size Medium Tank.

The other projects I have used ITYs for are the Cheyenne Dress and Swing Dresses. The Cheyenne dress in a simple solid Navy Blue and was the right amount of formal and casual everyday. I have worn that a lot.

This dress has nursing access, so you see the gaping at the bodice. While worn, the gaping wasn’t there even after multiple wears and nursing sessions. And since ITY washes easily, it is the perfect outfit for wearing around the kids.

I hope you will give this fantastic fabric a try. You can find a fun selection of ITY on Knit Fabric.com. We have a wide variety of ITY fabric by the yard. There is a large selection of different prints and solids too.