Softshell is a bonded fabric — a face fabric, often a membrane, and a fleece backing — and it behaves like a thick knit that must never meet a hot iron.
Use a stretch or jersey needle, 80/12 or 90/14. Most softshell has some elastane and a sharp point cuts it.
Fit a walking foot. The fleece backing grips the machine bed while the smooth face slides under the foot, so the layers creep badly without one. A roller foot is the next best option.
Lengthen the stitch to 3 to 3.5 mm. It is a thick fabric and short stitches both perforate it and stall the feed.
Do not press it. The membrane and the fleece both melt, and the mark is permanent. Finger-press seams open, or topstitch them down flat instead of pressing.
Avoid pins in the body of the garment. A pin hole through a membrane is a hole in the waterproofing and it does not close. Pin inside the seam allowance only, or use clips.
Seam finishing is optional — softshell does not fray. Reducing bulk matters more, so grade the allowances and topstitch them to one side.
For genuine weather resistance, seams need taping, which needs a heat press most people do not have. Treat a home-sewn softshell as wind-resistant and shower-resistant rather than waterproof, and place the seams away from the shoulders where rain sits.
Questions people actually ask
Can I use a normal presser foot?
You can, but expect the layers to shift. If the top layer arrives short at the end of a long seam, that is the fleece backing gripping and the face sliding.
How do I finish a softshell hem?
Turn once and topstitch, or bind the edge. A double-turned hem is too bulky, and there is no fraying to hide.
Last reviewed 2026-08-11