Sewing with Terry Cloth: Helpful Guidelines

Terry cloth is highly absorbent and is used for bathrobes and towels.

Terry is a heavy, pile fabric featuring uncut loops on both its faces. Cotton is the usual fiber, and the material absorbs liquid very effectively. Towels and bathwear are its primary applications. Sewing terry cloth is not a hard task, yet some helpful guidelines make a significant difference when working with this heavy material.

Aligning the Nap

Terry, like other pile fabrics, has a nap. The nap refers to the direction in which brushing occurred during the finishing stage of fabric production. Stroke your fingers lengthwise along the fabric, or move them up and down the grain line. One way will feel smooth, while the opposite way will feel rough or offer resistance to the stroke. The smooth direction indicates the fabric's nap. You need to choose which direction you want the nap to face. The fabric looks different with nap up versus nap down; color shifts, shading becomes more pronounced, and the fabric seems more plush with nap up. If you are making a garment, keeping all pieces on the same nap is essential.

Choosing a Heavier Needle

A heavier-weight needle is required when sewing terry cloth. Select a medium to heavyweight machine needle sized 12 or 14 in U.S. sizing, or 80 or 90 in European sizing. A wide foot is advised to cover the fabric's pile when using a sewing machine. For hand sewing, use needles sized 5 to 9. When stitching a heavy fabric like terry, the initial stitches should be walked on the machine. Walking a stitch means turning the wheel by hand instead of using the pedal for those first few stitches.

Seam Finishing

Terry cloth has a tendency to ravel and fray. Because of this, finishing the seams with some form of binding stitch matters. Using a serger or merrow (overlock) machine to bind the seams is the best approach. Should a serger not be available, sew a straight stitch, then apply a three-step or regular zigzag stitch within the seam allowance to bind the seams.

Strengthening Seams

Seams look bulky and dimensional when sewn on terry cloth. An edge stitch is therefore advised in the side seam, the shoulder seam, and the front opening. For terry, an edge stitch is typically placed 1/4 inch from the seam and attaches the seam allowance to the garment body. This assists in reinforcing the seam's strength and guards it against pulling apart or developing holes.