What is fusible interfacing?
Fusible interfacing is interfacing which has tiny glue dots on the back which when melted by the heat of the iron bond the interfacing and fabric together. There are many types of interfacing available (see our beginner’s guide here) but this article will focus on fusible interfacing. Fusible interfacing can also be known as iron-on interfacing too. These are the same product, just different terminology.
Which interfacing should I use?
You want to use an interfacing which is the same weight as the fabric you are attaching it to, or slightly lighter.
The heavier the weight of the interfacing, the more structure it will add to your project. So, for projects where you still want the fabric to maintain it’s natural drape (like dressmaking with light fabrics) you would use a lightweight interfacing, for projects that need extra structure adding like bag making, fabric boxes etc you would go for a heavyweight interfacing. For extra volume consider a wadding fleece or foam. Lightweight interfacing tends to be used with lightweight fabrics, and heavy weight interfacing with heavier fabrics.
If you are using woven interfacing, remember to match up the grain of the interfacing with the grain of the fabric. If you are using non-woven interfacing you do not need to worry about this. For knit interfacing, match up crosswise stretch with crosswise stretch.
Interfacings come in white and black so you can chose the colour which is least likely to show through your fabric. It's a good idea to test your interfacing on a little offcut of your fabric to check they work well together before applying larger pieces.
Glue dots on the reverse of fusible interfacing
Which side of the interfacing is fusible?
One thing you do not want to do is iron the wrong side of the interfacing or you could end up with glue on your iron or pressing cloth! The underside of your interfacing will have a bumpy texture from the glue dots, on a lightweight interfacing with small dots you may want to run your finger over it just to be sure. Some brands use a thin film of glue instead, it makes the glue side shiny so the shiny side faces downwards (against your fabric). The image below shows that type of interfacing.
Fusible interfacing - the shiny side on the bottom left is the reverse.
The dotty side/textured/shiny side should always be facing downwards, and will go onto the wrong side of your fabric. It’s best to use a pressing cloth then you aren’t likely to get any glue on your iron. I’ve photographed this tutorial without a pressing cloth as my cloth isn’t transparent and I wanted you to see the interfacing.
How to cut interfacing
You want your interfacing to be a little smaller than your fabric piece, half an inch smaller both lengthways and width ways, so it doesn’t add bulk to your seams (assuming you are using a quarter an inch seam - if not adjust accordingly). If you are using a lightweight interfacing it won’t add much bulk so you can cut it the same size.
You can use a rotary cutter or scissors to cut your interfacing.
If you are doing lots of small fiddly bits of fabric you might find it easier to fuse a large piece of interfacing to your fabric first, and then cut out your pieces.
How to apply fusible interfacing
On some brands of interfacing you’ll see that on the bottom of the interfacing edge there are instructions telling you what heat level to use, and how long to hold the iron in place. For mine it said 8 seconds on a medium heat. They advise you use a dry iron (no steam). You can check the manufacturer or supplier's website for instructions.
You can always do a test piece first if you are unsure.
You should use a pressing motion with the iron, placing it onto your fabric, keeping it still for the specified amount of time, then lifting it and moving it to another place. You repeat this until the whole piece has been pressed, melting the glue to bond the fabric and interfacing. If you sweep the iron across the fabric you risk moving the layers apart and can cause creases in the interfacing too.
Turn the fabric over and press on the right side as well. Leave the fabric laid flat to cool before using it. The manufacturer’s instructions recommend waiting 30 minutes, but in reality I don’t think many of us do that! Once it’s cool to touch I start sewing with it.
How can I remove creases from my fusible interfacing?
Using a pressing motion is much less likely to produce creases than if you use an ironing motion (sweeping the iron across the fabric).
However, if you do get creases or wrinkles in your interfacing or fabric the good news is fusible interfacing is re-positionable. Heat the interfacing again with the iron to melt the glue in the affected area, then peel the fabric from the interfacing, and reapply. Ensure you smooth out any creases in the fabric with your fingers before you then press the interfacing again to re-bond it.
You can also use the sweeping ironing motion to move creases off the edge of your fabric. Move the iron from the middle of the fabric towards the edge, pushing the wrinkle along as you go.
Also, your interfacing can wrinkle if your iron is too hot, try turning the iron down and see if that solves the issue.
Shop our range of fusible interfacings, or read our introduction to interfacing guide.
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