What is a Ponte Roma? And How Do I Sew It?

Description

If you’re a fan of Tilly & the Buttons, specifically the ‘Coco’ pattern you may already be intimately acquainted with Ponte Roma fabric. If you’re not, let me introduce you… What is Ponte Roma? Ponte Roma, otherwise known as Ponte di Roma or Punto di Roma is a double knit fabric that was first developed in Italy. The name ‘Ponte Roma’ roughly translates as Roman Bridge – because the structure of the loops resembles classic roman bridges. Or at least that is the theory, you can see for yourself in the image below. A double knit fabric is essentially two layers of fabric knitted together with two sets of needles. The machines used to create this fabric are often known as ‘double knit’ machines or ‘dial and cyinder knitting machines’. While it is possible to get home knitting machines, double knit machines are often designed for creating larger quantities; and as you can see from the image below the machine itself is quite a large affair. As the machine whirs away it creates two layers of fabric, so the fine ribs you often see on one side of a jersey fabric, is actually visible on both sides of this fabric. […]