How do I sew French terry?

French terry is a knit with a smooth face and looped back, and it is one of the easier knits to sew because it is stable and does not curl badly.

Use a ballpoint or jersey needle, 80/12 or 90/14. A sharp point cuts the loops and the damage ladders.

Use a stitch with give — a narrow zigzag, a lightning stitch, or an overlocker. A straight stitch across a stretched seam snaps. On the shoulder seams, where you want no stretch, add clear elastic or stay tape and a straight stitch is fine.

Lengthen slightly, to about 3 mm. It is a thicker knit than jersey.

Fit a walking foot if you have one. The looped back grips the machine bed while the smooth face slides, so the layers creep on long seams.

Prewash it. Cotton-rich French terry shrinks noticeably, and sweatshirts get washed often. Wash and dry as the finished garment will be treated.

Check the stretch direction before cutting and run the greater stretch around the body.

Use ribbing at cuffs, neck and hem, cut shorter than the opening so it pulls in. This is what stops a sweatshirt looking shapeless.

Reduce bulk at seam junctions. Where a cuff, a sleeve seam and a side seam meet, four layers of terry is a lot. Grade the allowances and go slowly.

Press with steam on a medium setting, face down so the loops are not crushed.