How to Choose the Right French Terry Fabric

What’s a cozy cotton fabric that’s great for layering?

French terry!

We have two different French terry substrates to choose from, our all-cotton Organic French Terry fabric and our Organic Cotton Spandex French Terry fabric, which has a small bit of spandex for extra stretch. Read on to discover what these fabrics have to offer and how to choose the right French Terry for your next sewing project.

What Is French Terry Fabric?

French terry is a knit fabric with one smooth side and one side with loops created by a thread that floats along the back and only goes through some of the stitches. On French terry fabric, the loops only appear on one side, differentiating it from terry cloth, which has loops on both sides of the fabric.

Little Cocalico’s French terry options are printed on the smooth side, leaving the loop back unprinted. Our Organic French Terry fabric has a longer and slightly larger loop on the back, which makes it more absorbent and a bit heavier. The Organic Cotton Spandex (CS) French Terry fabric has shorter, smaller loops, 5% spandex and a shorter pile, meaning it’s slightly thinner and less absorbent.

Given their knit construction, both fabrics will roll naturally when cut. Those raw edges can also begin to slightly unravel, so you may want to finish all seams to better protect your garment. Additionally, remember to wash your fabric first before sewing as some shrinkage will occur after laundering. (See care instructions below.)

What Is The Difference Between French Terry and Cotton Spandex French Terry Fabric?

Want to know how our two organic French Terry fabrics are different from each other? Here are the specs of both our French Terry and our CS French Terry fabrics:

Organic French Terry

• 100% organic cotton
• High loop back
• “Chunky” thicker feel because of the high loops
• Minimal 4-way stretch
• 20% horizontal stretch, 30% vertical stretch
• 56” print width
• Weight per yard: 11.5–12 oz
• Organic and made in the United States
• Care Instructions: Wash separately in cool water on a delicate cycle with a mild, phosphate-free detergent. Tumble dry at a low temperature.

Organic CS French Terry

• 95% organic cotton, 5% spandex
• Low loop back
• Great 4-way stretch and recovery
• 50% horizontal stretch, 70% vertical stretch
• 60” print width
• Weight per yard: 11.5 oz
• Organic and made in the United States
• Care: Wash separately in cool water on a delicate cycle with a mild, phosphate-free detergent. Tumble dry at a low temperature.

What Can I Make With French Terry Fabric Substrates?

Both French Terry and CS French terry fabrics are easy to sew, even for beginners! They’re durable enough for apparel, with the French Terry offering a bit more heft and less stretch than the Cotton Spandex French Terry. For garments where you need more stretch to accommodate movement, the Cotton Spandex French Terry is a fantastic choice. While they’ll both provide a bit of warmth in cooler months, they are light enough to wear year round. 

Given that both substrates stretch, if you’re using a sewing machine, you’ll want to use a stitch that can stretch as well like a zig zag. 

What It’s Like to Work With Cotton Spandex French Terry Fabric?

We asked one of our customers, Kamera, who runs Aria J. Designs, to share her experience working with French Terry to create her line of children’s clothing. 

Which of Little Cocalico’s French Terry substrates have you chosen to most work with and why?

I choose the Cotton Spandex French Terry, which has added spandex, because Little Cocalico provides this amazing base you can’t find anywhere else. It is lightweight and the most important factor to me was the 4-way stretch. My customers are obsessed! It is also very important to me that it is an organic base since I use it for baby and kids’ clothing!

What is your experience sewing with this French terry fabric?

It is very easy to handle! I just recommend using stretch needles on a serger. 

What have you made with it?

Mostly sweatshirts and sweater rompers. But customers also love a boxy tee out of it!

Have you sewn with French terry fabric before? If so, what is different about Little Cocalico’s French Terry?

I have! I prefer Little Cocalico’s because it is cozy yet breathable and very stretchy!

Would you use this substrate again?

I will buy this base for my small shop over and over again. I pair it with the organic 2×1 ribbed knit and it is the perfect combo!

How and Where are These Substrates Made?

Both of our French terry fabrics are organic and American milled.

Our trusted mill partner is a family-run business in California that’s been manufacturing fabrics for over 20 years. After much research, they started offering GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard)-certified organic cotton in 2007 to businesses all over the country. Organic cotton that has earned a GOTS certification means it’s ensured to have been grown without the use of pesticides. We’re proud to say that our mill partner was one of only two companies in southern California to begin selling this substrate, indicating a long-term interest in making and selling organic cotton fabric. 

For more on this topic, see this post about why one of our customers made the environmentally safer switch to American-milled fabric for her business. 

How Can I Purchase French Terry and Cotton Spandex French Terry?

If you’d like to buy one of our French terry fabrics, you have three options. To learn more, select an option below: 

1. I’m interested in buying yardage in an artist’s design.
2. I’d like to learn more about uploading my own design and purchasing yardage. 
3. I’m curious about buying unprinted yardage.

 Curious to feel the fabrics before making a purchase? Buy a sample pack of all our fabric types!