Spunbond nonwoven fabrc / interfacing - usage and properties

Spunbond nonwoven fabric / interlining

This polypropylene non-woven fabric is manufactured using the spunbond technology. It’s a product that you’re most probably familiar with – whether you realize it or not.

The interfacing is strong (tear-resistant) and stable, air-permeable as well as fire resistant (it melts). Due to its properties and low price this product is used in many industries. You can find it covering the back of your couch, in photography it is used as a backdrop, in agriculture for plant protection. It is also used in medical and surgical industry, in shoemaking, bag making etc.

Usage in sewing and bag making

This non-woven fabric is used to produce all kinds of covers and shopping bags. Its edges don’t fray that’s why strips of the interfacing are used for covering raw edges of a fabric. In cheaper bags you can find it used as linings. In other bags, mainly from faux leather, it is applied inside for stiffening and reinforcing the main fabric.

Because the interfacing is tear-resistant, especially its thicker versions, it can be used as an additional reinforcement material – under buttons, snaps, magnetic fasteners etc.

At lower weights the interfacing is soft and resembles ordinary fabric, but after some time it may be pilling. Above 100 gsm it gets stiffer and begins to feel more like plastic. See what the macro shots look like – you can clearly see the difference in the structure of these products.

white – 150 g/m2, beige – 130 g/m2, black – 90 g/m2

The fabric is heat sensitive – it melts, so ironing it is not a great idea. At lighter weights you’ll melt a hole in it, heavier 150 g/m2 version will survive ironing at the lower temperatures, but the process can distort it.

This is sew-in interfacing, when sewing bags you’ll need to attach it to the outer or lining pieces and treat as one. For stiffening smaller accessories it can be inserted inside, at the end of the sewing process.
This interfacing won’t make your bag stiff as a board, but it is an interesting product and it’s good to be familiar with it.

Properties

Manufacturer
n/a
Country of origin
n/a
Roll width
140 – 160 cm (60 in)
Composition
100% polypropylene
Available Colors
various colors
Weight
15 – 150 g/m2 (0.4 – 4 oz/yd2)
Thickness
under 1 mm (less than 0.04 in)
Price per m2 (yd2)
$0.4 – 1.8 ($0.3 – 1.5)
Price per m (y)
$0.5 – 2.5 ($0.5 – 2.3)
Stiffness
1-4/10

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6 Responses

    • PdfSewingPatternsAuthor

      There are a lot of sources (at least here in Poland), but if you live in a country where this fabric isn’t popular, you can look for a cheap, plain, photography backdrop – it’s the same material 🙂

  3. Deborah

    I would love to try this spunbond in my bags, but can’t find it anywhere other than in China on huge rolls. Do you know of any suppliers selling yardage or bolts?

    • PdfSewingPatternsAuthor

      I don’t know where you live, but here in Poland it is easily available in many shops, some of which may ship to abroad locations. Here we call it “wigofil”, but I didn’t see this name being used in other countries.

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