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Interfacing, are we ready to sew yet?

So, I got at little derailed with my French jacket because last fall I happily got a wedding invitation from my best grad school friend, who I never get to see since she lives in Europe. On the plus side, she got married in Portugal and I had a very, very good reason to visit beautiful Portugal!

This happy occasion really derailed my jacket because I decided in January to make her a quilt, which was a rather large undertaking, especially since I hadn't really ever made one before. It consumed my sewing time for the better part of 3 months and I still only finished the binding the night before I left and had to get it washed (puff! puff!) before packing it. Didn't it turn out fabulously though? I'm so glad I decided to make it for her!


After that, I also decided to make linen pants this summer. I thought I had to have linen pants and couldn't find any that were remotely suitable in a store so I made those...that one is on me.

But back to my jacket, I have big, big news, I got to sew 3 whole pieces together! It's only been like what, a year? Literally every other week my grandma asks me if I have finished this jacket yet.

But yes, I got to sew some pieces together! I sewed the center back and two side back pieces together so the back is like you, know done. Ok not really but it's started.

I had to assemble the back because it was time to put on the interfacing, now that the underlining is done. Normally, I use fusible interfacing it's quick and easy, however, you don't you use glue on couture. You just don't do it. So I'm using sew-in interfacing.

This is literally the first time I have used sew-in interfacing. E explained the process to me like 6 months ago but then I made the aforementioned quilt and I had to go back to class and be like, "uh can you explain this to me again, explain it like I'm a 3 year-old please." Now I will try to do the same for you and future me.

To attach the interfacing you do this:
1) Cut out a piece of interfacing for each piece - my pattern did not suggest interfacing for the back but E said it will provide needed structure. That is why I put the back pieces together to be able to draw a piece that attaches across the back.
2) Pin the interfacing to the piece on the wrong side (where the underlining is)
3) Trim the seam allowance of the interfacing back (reduces bulk from the many layers), you want to leave a it a little past the construction line where the underlining is stitched down.
4) Sew the interfacing on, by hand. To do this you want to :

  • Thread your needle with your matching thread, starting in the middle of a piece (not in the corner!), knot your thread at the construction line from the underlining. You want to loop through the fabric to make the knot, similar to how you make a knot for embroidery.
  • Put the needle in perpendicularly to the underlining construction line about 1/8-1/4 to the left & above the line while holding the thread above the needle
  • The stitch should make a little x, keeping the thread up/left is needed to make the x
  • The next stitch will be on the construction line, also 1/8-1/4 to the left, and perpendicular to the construction line, keep the thread to the left
  • Keeping the thread in the right position (to the left) is key to making the little x
  • Keep going in this fashion going from making stitches a the construction line and slightly above, making a zig zag pattern.
  • When you reach the end of your thread, make a small knot through the last stitch on the construction line by looping through the stitch and making the knot. I do it twice to make it more secure. Then burry your end between the fashion fabric and the underlining.

Push needle through slightly above the stitch line with thread to the lef

This is how the thread looks before being pulled tight, when you make the next stick to the left of this one it will finish the x.

And the finished x! Only 500 more to go :-)


Whew! As a warning, this takes forever but if it was easy, it wouldn't be couture!

estimated total hours: 20
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