I've been using the above mentioned product for quite a while now but since it's still hard to get in the US and I've stumbled upon far too many entries and questions about it in online forums I decided to blog about it, to introduce it to the American sewing community and to shed some light on all the mysteries ;-)
Decovil is a special kind of non-woven interfacing with a leatherlike handle and perfect when you make bags and wallets but also hats or decorative items. This stuff is really awesome which is why I can't stop mentioning it again and again (see also my older blogpost about Decovil).
I buy it in Germany during my trips home but I hope there will be more vendors that sell it in the US in the future. Because I'm addicted!!
At first there was only "Decovil I" but a few months later I found a second version called "Decovil I light" as you can also see above on the picture. You can already tell by the name that the second one is a little bit thinner, softer and more flexible than the first one.
For most of the handbags I make and basically for all my wallets I use the first version, Decovil I. That's the thicker one, it's a little sturdier and feels a bit like leather. Both types of Decovil have one fusible side, so you can iron it onto the wrong side of your fabric.
Decovil is a special kind of non-woven interfacing with a leatherlike handle and perfect when you make bags and wallets but also hats or decorative items. This stuff is really awesome which is why I can't stop mentioning it again and again (see also my older blogpost about Decovil).
I buy it in Germany during my trips home but I hope there will be more vendors that sell it in the US in the future. Because I'm addicted!!
At first there was only "Decovil I" but a few months later I found a second version called "Decovil I light" as you can also see above on the picture. You can already tell by the name that the second one is a little bit thinner, softer and more flexible than the first one.
For most of the handbags I make and basically for all my wallets I use the first version, Decovil I. That's the thicker one, it's a little sturdier and feels a bit like leather. Both types of Decovil have one fusible side, so you can iron it onto the wrong side of your fabric.
 This is Decovil I. You can see it's actually not as thick as most of the heavy stabilizers you might know (it's about 1mm, so not even 1/16"), but still quite sturdy! |  Decovil I light appears to be almost as thick as Decovil I on the picture, but you can tell by the cutting mat that shines through that it is actually a lot thinner. |
Decovil is really flexible and bendable compared to "regular" interfacing or especially heavy stabilizer you would use for bags, that should be less slouchy and have a nice "body". It doesn't deform, it stays flat no matter how much you bend it, and your items will end up having a really smooth surface and a great shape.
Heavy stabilizer gives me a hard time because it tends to create wrinkles when you bend it which will show through your fabric later, especially if you don't use thicker fabric like home dec fabric but for instance a lightweight quiliting fabric. And that's what I love about Decovil: it gives your items a real professional look AND touch, just like you would find it with storebought bags or wallets.
 This wallet I interfaced with heavy stabilizer. |  This is one of the wallets currently for sale in my charmed Liebling Etsy shop which I interfaced with Decovil I. |
You can see on the first wallet that there are some pleats on the fabric, and no, these are not due to laziness of ironing my finished items, it's the heavy stabilizer that shows through and the wallet has this kind of crinkly look.. not ideal! Now, I admit that it's not totally unacceptable, and using heavy stabilizer will still help you give your bags or wallets the strength they need, but: once you've tried Decovil, you don't want to go back using anything but Decovil! The surface feels smooth and flat and you can even bend it and there still won't be any pleats showing on the fabric!
To sum it up: Decovil can help you draw the tiny but important line between your items looking handcrafted instead of "homemade".
To sum it up: Decovil can help you draw the tiny but important line between your items looking handcrafted instead of "homemade".
Stitch along the edge of Decovil. One helpful hint if you decide to give it a try: always make sure you don't stitch directly on Decovil, since you will find it hard to turn your finished item right side out in the end and still have a neat and clean edge. What I recommend is to cut the Decovil piece without the seam allowance, then put it centered onto the wrong side of your fabric piece, making sure that there is no Decovil on the seam allowance of your fabric. When sewing, make sure to let the needle run exactly along the edge of the Decovil part (I always put the pieces underneath my sewing foot with the Decovil side up, so that I can acutally see where I have to sew).
(What I even do sometimes is NOT sew the Decovil onto my fabric at the beginning. Usually you will have to turn your bag or wallet right side out as one of the last steps and due to Decovil's sturdiness this can be a little tricky. Instead what I do is I turn the item right side out, then slip the Decovil inside before closing it up. I make sure it is all flat and sits perfectly in the item and then I close the seam and iron it.)
I hope you enjoyed this little insight into Decovil. Finally, here's my list of online stores that sell it to the US. Note that not all vendors sell both types though, some only carry Decovil I and not the light version.
If you want to try it out these are some of the places you can order from:
u-handbag: $11.90 per 1/2 yard plus shipping (from GB)
creative-sewing-shop.com: $ 15.00 per meter (39") + shipping (from France)
TOKO Kurzwaren via amazon.com (see link below): $14.10 per meter (39") + shipping (from Germany)
All prices are subject to change!
If you want to try it out these are some of the places you can order from:
u-handbag: $11.90 per 1/2 yard plus shipping (from GB)
creative-sewing-shop.com: $ 15.00 per meter (39") + shipping (from France)
TOKO Kurzwaren via amazon.com (see link below): $14.10 per meter (39") + shipping (from Germany)
All prices are subject to change!
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