"Inter" the World of Hidden Fabric

There is a covert, hidden fabric with an important mission lurking in almost every clothing item you own... Your pocket holds strong thanks to it. Your collar stands tall with it. Peek inside your favorite jacket to find it doing its job. Your buttons and buttonholes would be pointless without it. The embroidery on your favorite handbag or T-shirt would simply unravel without it! So what is this mysterious wonder material? Interfacing!

Robert Seaman, West Coast Sales Manager of QST Industries, Inc. 'bonded' with FIDM students during his informative seminar on interfacing-a subject vital to designers and apparel manufacturers. Robert is an expert in his field; during his 30 years in the apparel industry, he's seen fabric trends come and go. Designers consult him for help in choosing the right linings for their designs. Fabrics, facings, and trims must be selected for every design before the line goes into production. They bring him fabric swatches, tell him what kind of garments they plan to manufacture, and give him a price range. Robert then spends time in the lab testing the fabric with different interfacings to find the best performance combinations.

Believe it or not, when it comes to lining a garment, there's a lot to think about. Style and function are major factors. If it's a jacket, for example, do you want the collar and cuffs to be crisp and stiff or soft and supple? Fabric colors, type, weight, and performance are also extremely important. Is the fabric washable or dry-clean only? These are the kinds of details that dictate the garment's ideal type of interfacing.

Robert broke down the wide world of interfacing into two groups: fusible and (traditional) sew-in. As its name implies, fusible interfacing fuses to fabrics via resin, which acts as glue. He further explained the differences between four types of fusibles: non-woven, woven, tricot, and weft. Each one performs differently and is suited to certain fabrics. Fusible, non-woven interfacing is the cheapest, most versatile, and most commonly used in the industry. Not all fabrics fuse, so sew-in is still used particularly for pockets and in menswear. A paper-like interfacing called tear-away is used to back logos and embroidery sewn into fabric and it can literally be torn away, leaving only the design lined. All interfacing comes in a wide range of 'hands' (the feel or touch of a fabric), from velvety-soft to cardboard-firm. The audience favorite was Venice, a super-light interfacing that's meeting the demand of the current micro-fiber and sheer fabric trend movement.

The seminar was very hands-on! Robert brought along samples of every kind of interfacing he described so everyone could see and feel the differences. Students asked lots of questions and came away with lots of great answers thanks to his enthusiasm and knowledge. So the next time you throw on your favorite outfit, take a moment to look for and appreciate your clothing's secret support-interfacing!