Sewing with Terry Cloth Fabric

Terry Cloth is a fun towel fabric to sew with and can be used to make robes, beach coverups, costumes, bibs, toys and more. Not to be confused with Terry Knit, Terry Cloth is a cotton woven fabric with long visible loops on the surface that are highly absorbent. It’s most used for bathroom or kitchen towels but can also be used for garments and crafts!

We have a few sewing patterns suitable for terry toweling fabric shared throughout this article that you might enjoy making! Keep reading for our essential tips to working with this fabric.

Sewing with terry cloth fabric can be a bit challenging due to its thickness and tendency to fray. Here are some tips to help you work with this fabric more effectively:

Prewash the Fabric

· Terry cloth can shrink quite a bit, so it’s essential to prewash and dry the fabric before cutting to prevent your finished project from shrinking. You might even want to buy an extra half a yard of fabric just to be sure you have enough for your project.

Cutting

· Use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter to cut the fabric. The loops on the terry cloth can make cutting a straight line difficult.

· Consider using pattern weights instead of pins to hold your pattern pieces in place while cutting. Pins can get lost in the loops and may not hold the fabric securely.

Needles, Pins and Thread

· Use a size 90/14 or 100/16 needle for thicker fabrics.

· Polyester or heavy-duty cotton thread works well with terry cloth due to its strength

· As we mention, pins can get lost in the fabric loops so either use pins with a large head, like a flower head pin, or quilt clips that are easy to spot while sewing.

Stitch Length and Type

• · A longer stitch length (3.0 to 4.0 mm) can help manage the bulkiness of the fabric.

• · Use a zigzag stitch or an overlock stitch to finish the edges and prevent fraying. Unfortunately, it’s pretty hard to remove stitches in terry cloth so take care when sewing to avoid having to unpick!

• · Increase the seam allowance to about 1/2″ or 2cm to accommodate the bulk and to ensure strong seams.

• · If you have one, use a walking foot or a dual-feed foot to help the fabric move smoothly under the needle.

• · Press the seams open or to one side to reduce bulk.

• · Trim seams by hand rather than using an overlocker blade as it can be too bulky and jam your machine.

• · A double-fold hem can also help manage fraying and provide a clean finish.

• · Consider using bias tape to finish the edges for a neat look and to prevent fraying.

• · Use a pressing cloth when ironing to avoid crushing the loops. Steam can help set the seams and hems without flattening the texture.

• · Terry cloth sheds fibers that can clog your sewing machine. Clean the bobbin area and around the needle frequently to prevent build-up.

• · Maybe keep your vacuum close at hand to clean up your workspace as you go!