Stretch Polyester Lining

About our stretch polyester lining

• A little stretch. 97% polyester and 3% spandex, with a slight one-way stretch, so the lining moves with the garment.
• Satin face, matte back. A lightweight satin with a matte reverse and a soft fall.
• 150 cm wide. In ivory, black, red, pale blue, pale pink, antique pink and toffee.

When do you need a stretch lining?

• When your fashion fabric has stretch, like stretch satin, stretch crepe or scuba. A plain lining would stop it stretching and could tear at the seams.
• For close-fitting dresses and skirts, so you can sit, walk and move comfortably.
• Lay the pattern pieces so the stretch goes the same way as in your fashion fabric, usually around the body.

Stretch or plain lining?

Lining a stretch silk? Choose stretch silk satin, so the whole garment breathes like silk.

Cutting

• Cut as a single layer, laid on paper or a cotton sheet, with pattern weights or pins inside the seam allowance.
• Check which way it stretches before you cut, and place every piece the same way.
• Use sharp scissors or a rotary cutter.

Sewing

• Use a fresh stretch or ballpoint needle (size 70) and a good-quality polyester thread, which has a little give.
• Sew seams with a narrow zigzag, or a slightly longer straight stitch, and don't pull the fabric as you sew.
• Understitch the seam where the lining meets the facing, so the lining stays inside.
• In a skirt or dress, make the lining 2 to 3 cm shorter than the garment.

Hems

A lining is hemmed on its own, so it hangs free. Turn up a narrow hem and sew it with a narrow zigzag or a twin needle, so the hem can stretch with the garment.

Ivory and colour matching

Ivory and other colours vary from one fabric to another, and many quite different off-white shades are all called ivory, so we always recommend ordering samples and comparing them side by side.

Pressing

Press on the lowest setting through a pressing cloth, without stretching the fabric. Test on a scrap first.

Questions