Sewing with French Terry: How to do it right

Sewing with French Terry: In this post, you'll learn what to keep in mind if you want to sew with so-called summer sweatshirt fabric.

The most important things at a glance

• In this post, you'll learn what French Terry is
• We'll talk about the special features of this fabric
• You'll get tips on working with French Terry

By now, at the latest since our cute Luv children's shirt, you know French Terry — at least by sight:

And I have to say—since I first started working with it, I don't want to sew anything else. It's incredible how great and easy it is. And I think the results speak for themselves.

To share my passion for French Terry with you, I've put together everything important about it in this blog post.

Reading tip: Sewing a sweatshirt jacket

What is French Terry?

French Terry is a type of jersey and is sometimes also called summer sweatshirt fabric. It is a cotton fabric with elastane—though the stretch content is usually under 10%.

So-called summer sweatshirt fabric has a heavy drape and is stretch across the width, but thanks to its knitted structure, it also gives a little along the length. In many cases, it is available in a fabric width of 150 cm.

Compared to jersey, the fabric edges curl up very little, making it a perfect material for sewing beginners who want to make their own clothes.

Many beginners (and also some professionals, as I have now learned) avoid sewing with jersey because it presents a certain challenge (you'll learn how to overcome this hurdle in our extensive blog post on jersey and also in the material guide).

For all jersey-avoiders, French Terry is a great option. It is easy to work with, doesn't ripple when sewn, and the rolled cut edges won't drive you to despair.

This is what the cut edges look like—depending on the fabric, only the outer edge curls up a little. Unlike many other jerseys:

What makes French Terry special?

Typical of French Terry is the loop structure on the back of the fabric. It ensures that despite its fineness, the fabric is very suitable for both summer and winter clothing:

Between the loops, small "air pockets" form that insulate very well.

Thanks to the high cotton content, moisture is absorbed well. The stretch content ensures that French Terry "moves with you" beautifully.

This is what French Terry looks like:

In the picture, you can clearly see the loop structure on the back of the fabric. It is also interesting that the loopy back sometimes has a slightly different shade than the front.

With the Panda French, you can clearly see: The smooth front shows a knitted structure that resembles that of jersey.

What can you sew with French Terry?

Its properties described above make French Terry an ideal material for outerwear—whether a shirt, cardigan, or sweater: French Terry keeps you nice and warm, but thanks to its high cotton content, it still helps regulate temperature. However, French Terry is also classically used for sewing sweaters.

Where jersey sometimes adds bulk, French Terry behaves much more figure-flatteringly. :) What's really great is that it is also available in many colors and designs for adults.

A really great sewing idea for French Terry is sweaters, shirts, and: hoodies.

For example, our cool hoodie Pepper with sections!

How does French Terry feel?

Compared to real sweatshirt fabric, French Terry feels finer and lighter. Comparing French Terry with jersey, you'll find that French Terry is knitted more stably and firmly.

To distinguish the three fabric types, you really only need to look at the backs:

On the left, the fine loop structure of the French Terry, the golden-yellow sweatshirt fabric in the middle has a fluffy, brushed back, and the heathered jersey^* on the right of the picture shows a typical jersey structure.

Sewing French Terry—what to look out for?

The coolest thing is that you can't really go wrong with French Terry! For most French Terry fabrics, it's enough to use a stretch or jersey needle.

Presser foot pressure, top feed—all the things you have to think about with jersey were out of the question in my attempts with French Terry. I tried sewing it on my Janome and on the well-known Brother. Both worked great without any problems!

Which needle for French Terry?

For sewing with summer sweatshirt fabric, jersey or stretch needles^* are ideal because they glide through the holes in the fabric.

They have a slightly rounded tip that doesn't damage the knitted structure of the fabric.

For topstitching the hem, I really like using a wide (4mm) twin needle.^*

Sewing with French Terry—what stitch length?

I recommend a stitch length of 2.5 to 3.5, and you should choose an elastic stitch if possible so that the seams don't tear later.

By the way: French Terry can also be worked with beautifully on an overlocker!

Embroidering French Terry

One really cool thing is that the fabric can be embroidered, appliquéd, or printed very well because of its even surface. Wow, is all I can say!

The fabric itself is nice and stable. For added security, to ensure that the stitches don't sink in, for example when embroidering, simply put Avalon^* or Soluvlies^* underneath. It washes out completely at the first wash, leaving behind only a beautiful embroidery.

Also highly recommended for pretty appliqués made from jersey scraps, which can simply be sewn on with a freehand stitch!

What is the difference between French Terry and Romanit?

French Terry and Romanit (often also Romanit jersey, Ponte or Ponte di Roma) are two very different fabrics—both in their structure and their use.

French Terry

• Soft and cozy.
• The inside has small loops.
• Breathable and pleasant on the skin.
• Ideal for:
  • Hoodies
  • Sweatshirts
  • Sweatpants
  • Children's clothing
  • Leisurewear

Romanit

• A double jersey with a dense, compact structure.
• Very shape-retaining and opaque.
• Drapes elegantly and hardly loses its shape.
• Ideal for:
  • Dresses
  • Blazers
  • Skirts
  • Fabric trousers
  • Business and everyday wear

How does each fabric feel?

• French Terry: soft, cozy, sporty—like a high-quality sweatshirt fabric.
• Romanit: smooth, firm, and high-quality—almost like a lightweight suit fabric, but with stretch.

When to choose which?

• For comfortable leisurewear: → French Terry
• For elegant, shape-retaining clothing: → Romanit

In short: French Terry is a sweatshirt fabric, while Romanit is a shape-retaining jersey for dressier clothing. If you want to sew a hoodie, for example, choose French Terry. For a dress or blazer, Romanit is usually the better choice.

 Where can you order French Terry?

I got all my French Terry fabrics from Stoffe Hemmers.

Happy simple sewing,

your Sabine