Bamboo Jersey Fabric: A Sewing & Care Guide
Bamboo fabrics have taken the sewing world by storm, and with good reason: bamboo is ecologically sound, comfortable to wear, easy to sew, and it travels beautifully. Bamboo jersey is one of the easiest ways to enjoy it. Here's what it is and exactly how to sew bamboo fabric, with expert tips from sewing instructor Shannon Gifford.
What is bamboo jersey fabric?
Bamboo jersey is a soft knit similar in weight and drape to matte jersey. Some bamboo jersey is blended with a little lycra, which adds a springy quality and 4-way stretch; you'll also find all-bamboo versions. Either way, it has a soft hand and an elegant look, and it's a comfortable, travel-friendly fabric to wear. Bamboo is also often noted for natural breathability and reputed antimicrobial qualities.
Characteristics
Lightweight with a fluid, matte-jersey drape. All-bamboo jersey has gentle give; lycra-blended versions add noticeably more stretch and recovery (4-way), which makes them great for closer-fitting styles.
What to make with bamboo jersey (pattern suggestions)
Tees, tanks, dresses, lightweight jackets, turtlenecks, skirts, casual pants and shorts, children's wear, loungewear, tunics, vests, and scarves.
How to sew bamboo fabric (jersey)
Pretreatment
Machine wash and tumble dry on low heat. Allow extra time for drying bamboo fabrics - or remove the fabric while still damp and lay it flat to finish.
Needles & thread
Use a jersey/ballpoint needle, size 11/75, for construction. Cotton, cotton/polyester, or all-polyester thread all work well.
Seams, seam finishes & hems
Construction (conventional machine): zigzag stitch, 2.0 width x 2.0 length.
Seam finishes: none needed - bamboo jersey does not ravel. On a serger, a 4-thread overlock is recommended for construction.
Hems: use a stretch twin needle (4.0/75) or a coverstitch machine.
Interfacing
A lightweight fusible tricot interfacing is recommended where you need stability.
Creative possibilities
For dye methods, see the organic cotton and bamboo fleece guides. Bamboo jersey also takes pigmented permanent markers beautifully: use fine-point Pigma markers to draw or write directly on the fabric - outline a design and fill it with a brush dipped in fabric dye. Simple, open shapes (think clip-art or coloring-book flowers) work best, or take a cue from designer pieces and write lines of poetry across the fabric.
Caring for your bamboo jersey
Machine wash and tumble dry low; allow extra drying time, or lay flat while damp to finish. A practical tip: bamboo jersey makes wonderful trim - save your scraps, cut them into even-width crossgrain strips, and decorate, dye, or paint them for ready-made trim on future projects.
Shop bamboo jersey
Shop EOS's bamboo spandex 4-way jersey - the soft, stretchy lycra-blend jerseys described above - or browse all knit fabrics. For a cozier cousin, see the bamboo fleece guide. Back to all fabric care guides.
FAQ
What is bamboo jersey fabric?
Bamboo jersey is a soft knit similar in weight and drape to matte jersey, made from bamboo fiber. It comes in all-bamboo and lycra-blended versions, the latter offering 4-way stretch.
Is bamboo jersey stretchy?
All-bamboo jersey has gentle give; lycra-blended bamboo jersey adds springy 4-way stretch and better recovery.
What is bamboo jersey used for?
Tees, tanks, dresses, turtlenecks, skirts, casual pants, loungewear, children's wear, tunics, vests, and scarves.
How do you sew and care for bamboo jersey?
Use a jersey/ballpoint 11/75 needle and a 2.0x2.0 zigzag (or 4-thread serger); hem with a stretch twin needle or coverstitch. Machine wash and tumble dry low, allowing extra drying time.