Hemline HN100 vs Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex: Which Woven Cotton Interfacing Should You Choose?

When choosing woven cotton interfacing, two products you may come across are Hemline HN100 and Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex.

Both have a 100% cotton woven base with fusible adhesive, adding support and stability while retaining a fabric-like construction. However, they aren't identical: width, preparation and application guidance are important differences.

HN100 is a medium-weight dressmaking option for smaller garment sections. SF101 is an all-purpose interfacing used for garments, bags, pouches, quilting and needlework. Which should you choose?

What is the difference between Hemline HN100 and Pellon SF101?

Both products offer woven cotton support, with overlapping garment applications. Here's how the options featured here compare:

The colour row describes the manufacturers' ranges, not a guarantee that every colour is stocked here. The HN100 and SF101 listings linked in this guide are white.

We do not have a verified comparable GSM figure for SF101, so don't assume that its weight or finished feel matches HN100. A cotton base and similar product description do not establish identical adhesives or bonding performance.

1. Hemline HN100 – medium-weight woven cotton interfacing

HN100 is a standard medium-weight woven cotton iron-on interfacing for adding stability to smaller garment sections. It is 100% cotton, 90gsm and 90cm wide.

What is Hemline HN100 suitable for?

Its intended uses focus on collars and cuffs on shirts and blouses made from light- to medium-weight fabrics. Our listing also covers supporting button plackets, facings and other small dressmaking details.

Test with your fabric to check that it provides the required support without making the finished area too stiff.

Hemline HN100 specifications and buying options

• 100% cotton woven base with iron-on adhesive.
• Standard medium weight, 90gsm.
• 90cm wide.
• Washable up to 60°C, subject to your main fabric's care requirements.
• White in the listing linked here.

Shop Hemline HN100 as a 10cm × 10cm sample, a metre length or a full 25-metre roll. You don't need to buy a full roll to try it.

How to apply Hemline HN100

1. Cut the interfacing carefully, positioning pattern pieces to follow the woven grain.
2. Place the coated adhesive side against the wrong side of your fabric.
3. Cover with a damp pressing cloth.
4. Press and hold for approximately 10–12 seconds. Lift and reposition the iron rather than sliding it.
5. Repeat until all sections are fused.
6. Lay the pieces flat and cool for approximately 30 minutes so the bond can stabilise.

Follow the supplied instructions and test on a fabric scrap before applying to your project.

2. Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex – versatile woven cotton interfacing

SF101 is an all-purpose woven fusible interfacing made from 100% cotton. It adds crisp support to garment details and is also used in bag-making, quilting and other sewing projects.

What is Pellon SF101 suitable for?

Pellon's stated garment and needlework applications include:

• Collars and cuffs
• Yokes and pockets
• Garment facings
• Backing for needlework and punch embroidery

It is also used for handbags, pouches and quilting. If your pattern names SF101, start with that recommendation rather than assuming another woven interfacing will produce the same result.

SF101 is intended for light- to medium-weight woven and knit fabrics. For a knit garment, check whether the interfaced area needs to retain stretch: a woven interfacing can restrict it.

Pellon SF101 specifications and buying options

• 100% cotton woven base with fusible adhesive.
• The options stocked here are 20″ (50.8cm) wide.
• White in the linked listings; black is also part of the manufacturer's range.
• Sewing machine safe.
• After application: machine wash warm, tumble dry medium or dry clean, subject to your main fabric's care requirements.

Choose SF101 cut from the roll for a shorter or longer length in half-metre increments. Multiple half-metre quantities are supplied as one continuous length. A 10cm × 10cm sample is also available on that listing.

Alternatively, choose the SF101 1-yard pre-pack, measuring 20″ × 1 yard (approximately 50.8cm × 91.4cm). Each quantity is a separate pack, not a continuous cut when ordering multiples. One yard is shorter than one metre, so check the units in your pattern.

How to apply Pellon SF101

Pellon recommends pre-shrinking SF101 before use.

1. Soak the interfacing in warm water for approximately 10 minutes.
2. Gently squeeze out excess water and line dry. Do not machine wash or tumble dry the interfacing on its own to pre-shrink it, as this may loosen the adhesive.
3. Cut following the grainline of your fabric.
4. Place the rough, fusible side against the wrong side of your fabric.
5. Cover with a thin, damp pressing cloth.
6. With an iron on a wool/steam setting, press firmly for 10–15 seconds. Lift and reposition the iron, slightly overlapping each section until fully fused. Do not slide the iron.
7. Steam press on the right side, then allow the fabric to cool completely and check the bond.

Always follow the supplied instructions and test that your fabric tolerates the required heat and steam before applying to your project.

3. A key difference: width

HN100 is 90cm wide, compared with 50.8cm for the SF101 options featured here. That wider format can affect your cutting layout and how much length you need.

For several shirts or blouses, HN100 may allow a convenient arrangement of pattern pieces. However, wider does not automatically mean better performance or value.

Check the width assumed by your pattern, the grain direction and whether quantities are in metres or yards. If the pattern specifies SF101, using the named product may be the simplest starting point.

4. Which is better for dressmaking?

Both are worth considering for shirts and blouses. HN100's stated purpose focuses on collars, cuffs and smaller garment sections. SF101 also has stated applications for collars, cuffs, yokes, pockets and facings.

Neither is automatically the best choice for every garment. Follow your pattern, consider your fabric and compare a small fused test piece for support, drape and appearance.

For HN100, the 90cm width may suit your cutting layout. For SF101, a pattern recommendation or a successful previous project may be the deciding factor.

5. Which is better for bag making?

If your bag or pouch pattern specifies SF101, I'd start with SF101. It is used for these projects and can provide crisp support while retaining a woven cotton construction.

HN100 is primarily described for small garment details. This does not prove it cannot work elsewhere, but its headline specifications alone are not enough to establish that it will reproduce SF101's finish in a bag.

Neither is a dedicated heavy-duty bag stabiliser. For a firmer, structured handbag, your pattern may call for something such as Vlieseline Decovil I Heavy. That is a different type of product with its own composition, feel and application method, not a like-for-like substitute for woven cotton interfacing.

6. Can Hemline HN100 replace Pellon SF101?

It may be suitable for some garment applications, but the two should not automatically be treated as identical substitutes.

• HN100 has a stated 90gsm weight; we do not have a verified comparable GSM figure for SF101.
• HN100 is 90cm wide; the SF101 options here are 50.8cm wide.
• Both support garment details, but your project may require a particular finish or level of support.
• Their preparation and application instructions differ.

If a pattern specifies SF101, especially for a bag, use the named product unless you have tested an alternative and are happy with the result. The same principle applies when substituting SF101 for HN100.

7. Which offers the best value?

Compare current prices alongside width, usable cutting layout and the length you actually need. HN100 offers more surface area per metre of length, but that alone does not establish which is cheaper or better value for your project.

Using the product specified by your pattern may save experimentation, while a sample can help you avoid buying a larger quantity that does not give the result you want.

The best value is the option that suits your fabric and project, not simply the widest product or lowest price per metre.

8. Where can you buy Hemline HN100 and Pellon SF101 in the UK?

At The Yorkshire Sewing Guy, our woven interfacing range includes:

• Hemline HN100 in white: medium-weight woven cotton interfacing for garment details, with samples, metre lengths and full rolls as buying options.
• Pellon SF101 cut from the roll and the separate 1-yard pre-pack.
• Vlieseline G700: woven cotton interfacing for smaller garment sections.
• Vlieseline B700: woven cotton interfacing featuring a biodegradable adhesive, with its own care and application guidance.
• Our own-range cotton woven interfacing in white and black, with a wider 112cm format.

Alternatives are not necessarily identical replacements. Check each listing's specifications and application guidance before choosing. Orders are dispatched from our Yorkshire base.

Free printed application instructions with every order

Getting the application right is as important as choosing the product. Every interfacing order includes free printed application instructions, whether you order a 10cm × 10cm sample, a cut length or a full roll.

We'll include printed guidance so you don't have to find and print it yourself.

Final thoughts: Hemline HN100 or Pellon SF101?

There isn't one universal winner. Start with the pattern's recommendation, then consider your fabric, required support and cutting layout.

Choose Hemline HN100 if:

• You're making shirts or blouses and need support for collars, cuffs or small garment sections.
• A 90cm-wide format suits your layout.
• You want a standard medium-weight, 90gsm woven cotton product.
• Your fabric test gives the required finish.

Choose Pellon SF101 Shape-Flex if:

• Your sewing, bag-making or quilting pattern specifies SF101.
• You want an all-purpose woven option for garment details and accessories.
• You need support for pockets, facings, yokes, collars or cuffs.
• You're working with suitable light- to medium-weight woven or knit fabrics, with any required stretch checked first.

Whichever you choose, test before committing and follow the care requirements of the finished project's least washable component.

Explore woven interfacing at The Yorkshire Sewing Guy

Browse our woven cotton interfacing collection to compare the brands, widths and buying options for your next garment, bag or quilting project.

Quality sewing supplies, practical advice and friendly service, dispatched from Yorkshire.