What is PUL Fabric?
So... What's polyurethane laminate - apart from a mouthful!?
Polyurethane laminate is often abbreviated to PUL fabric.
PUL is special... It's a waterproof AND breathable fabric!
Why is this important? Well, it means if you make waterproof items of clothing your body heat has a better chance of escaping into the atmosphere! Heat escapes THROUGH the fabric - so you "glow" less!
Brilliant.
Composition of PUL Fabric
PUL has 2 sides... one side is a polyester knit - so has a slight stretch - which is great for clothing... The other side has a laminate coating applied. It’s slippery and shiny - this is the waterproof bit.
- PUL is soft & flexible
- It doesn't really crease
- It air dries in super quick time
- It's safe - there's no lead, phthalates or BPA
Is there a right or wrong side?
We ALWAYS get asked this. Is there a right side to ensure “waterproof-ness”. There isn’t really, it's personal preference. The fabric will be waterproof no matter which side you choose... so go with the look that pleases you most!
That said, for aesthetic & comfort reasons I usually use knit side as the “right” side most often - it's more comfy if your project will be close to the skin.
Tips For Sewing With PUL Fabric
✂️ Needle: Use a stretch needle
✂️ Stitch Length: Use 3mm stitch length
✂️ Machine Foot: A walking foot is helpful. If your machine foot is sticking then you can apply a bit of Scotch Magic Tape to the base of your normal machine foot
✂️ Thread Type: Polyester thread is recommended to match the fabric composition
✂️ Sealing sewing holes: When you sew your needle will leave tiny holes behind in the laminate layer which MAY affect the waterproof effectiveness of your garment.
These holes are easily resealed ... either
✂️ pop your garment in the tumble dryer on low for 20 minutes
✂️ if you are using our White PUL it's weldable so just iron it (using a pressing cloth!) and the holes will seal!
❤️ A special note regarding our own brand of white PUL … we get this manufactured ourselves here in the UK & it has some very special properties:
☔ It's waterproof YET breathable
☔ It's medical grade ?
☔ It's weldable giving you a completely sealed seam (Look! No leaks!)
☔ It's fungistatic which - apart from being a brilliant word - means it inhibits the growth of fungi & bacteria ?
☔ It is double laminated - whaaaat's that?! It means it lasts longer & is less likely to delaminate over time as it's washed loads
☔ It's fire retardant
Uses for PUL fabric
Love the sound of PUL? So where can you use it?! Well... anywhere you need a waterproof layer really....
How about...?
- Waterproof trousers
- Wet bags
- Cosmetic bags
- Cloth Nappies
- Changing mats
- Changing bags
- Picnic blankets
- Pillow protectors
- Mattress protectors
- Baby bibs
- Incontinence products
- Cloth sanitary protection
Have you sewn with PUL fabric? Have you got any tips to share?
Is your PUL food safe? At the moment I source my foodsafe PUL from America but it would be great to have a UK business making this.
Many thanks.
When my children were babies, I used cloth diapers which came with a couple of "holders", which are like underpants with velcro for keeping the actual diaper in place. After a while, these were up to replacement, and I made my own from PlushAddict's PUL fabric, which I used for the inside, and cotton for the outside. These underpants were washed every week, two times for the duration of a year. This easily amounts to them 100 times being washed. I was proud to give them to a new mother when I did not need them any more. This says something about the quality of this fabric.
I also used it for swimming bags. Thus far, these survived all the mistreatment my sons could come up with ;-) For the swimming bag, the inside is again PUL, the outside bathing towel fabric and cotton.
Thanks for having it in your collection again, I was just about to make another swimming bag!
Machtelt.
If sewing a seam where both sides of the fabric are against the foot and the base plate, wrap the tissue around both sides of the fabric, and again tear away when the seam is complete.
Hope this helps