Fusing the wrong interfacing into a knit garment is a classic heartbreak: you stabilize the neckline of a stretch top with a woven or non-woven layer, and the first time you pull it over your head, something gives. The stiff layer can't move with the fabric, so it tears, cracks, or peels away. The fix is simple — match knit with knit.
What Is Pellon EK130 Easy-Knit Interfacing?
Pellon® EK130 Easy-Knit® is a fusible knit interfacing: a 100% polyester knit base with a fusible adhesive on one side, sold on a 20" x 10 yard bolt in white. Because the base is a knit, it behaves like the garments it goes into. Its lengthwise grain gives body and stability where a garment needs to hold its shape, while its crosswise stretch lets the interfacing flex and mold with the fabric instead of fighting it.
What Is It Best For?
Easy-Knit is a supple stabilizer for garments that need structure but still need to move, drape, and feel comfortable — dresses, jackets, and pants. It's best with light to midweight knits, wovens, sweater knits, and machine-knitted fabrics, and it works especially well with wool, flannel, and gabardine.
As an interfacing, it shapes collars, necklines, front facings, and cuffs while maintaining drapability — those areas look crisp and professional, but the garment keeps its natural flow. As an underlining, it prevents show-through on light colors and semi-transparent fabrics, and it makes scratchy fabrics more comfortable to wear by putting a smooth layer against the skin.
How to Fuse It
- Test on a scrap first. Fuse a small swatch of the interfacing to a scrap of your fashion fabric before touching the real pieces. Check the bond strength, the hand of the fused fabric, and whether the heat changed the fabric's color or surface.
- Cut the interfacing. Cut the EK130 to the same pattern pieces you want to stabilize, following the garment's grainlines so the lengthwise stability lands where the design needs support.
- Position it on the wrong side. Place the fusible (adhesive) side of the interfacing against the wrong side of the fabric, smoothing out any wrinkles or trapped air bubbles.
- Press, don't iron. Press the iron straight down — lifting and pressing in sections — rather than sliding it around, which can shift the layers and stretch the knit. Use a press cloth if your fabric is delicate.
- Let it cool flat. The bond sets as the fabric cools, so let the fused piece rest before you move or sew it. Handling it while hot can weaken the adhesion.
Knit vs. Woven vs. Non-Woven Interfacing
Non-woven fusible interfacing adds light, all-direction support but has no real grain or give. Woven fusible interfacing (like Pellon Shape-Flex) adds crisp, tailored structure — ideal for collars and cuffs in woven shirts. Knit interfacing is the answer when the garment itself moves: the crosswise stretch of EK130 means a stabilized neckline can still stretch over a head, and a faced jacket front can flex as the wearer moves — no cracking or peeling away.
Tips for Best Results
- Mind the stretch direction. The crosswise stretch goes around the body; the lengthwise stability goes up and down. Aligning these correctly keeps necklines from sagging and facings from puckering.
- Use it as an underlining for scratchy fabrics. If a wool or wool-blend fabric looks great but feels rough, an EK130 underlining adds a smooth barrier between the wearer and the scratch, without the stiffness a woven interfacing would add.
- Follow the fashion fabric's care rules. The 100% polyester interfacing handles normal laundering, but the outer fabric sets the care instructions for the finished garment.
- Keep a bolt on hand. Sold on a 20" x 10 yard bolt in white, it's economical for garment production, classroom sewing, or stabilizing a whole wardrobe of knits.
If you sew garments that move — knits, stretch wovens, anything with a drape — a knit fusible interfacing like Pellon EK130 is the hidden layer that keeps your shaping from fighting your fabric.
Shop the Pellon® EK130 Easy-Knit® Interfacing 20" x 10 yards Bolt. Color: White. at Linda's Electric Quilters.
