Ponte, or ponte di Roma, is a dense double knit, usually a blend of viscose, polyester and elastane, with 25–40 % stretch across the grain and almost none along it. It sews much like a woven: a 75/11 or 80/12 stretch needle, polyester thread, a narrow zigzag or a 4-thread overlock, a 1 cm (3/8 in) seam allowance, a cool iron with a press cloth, and a twin-needle hem. Because it neither curls nor frays and holds a pressed line, it is the knit to choose for fitted skirts, trousers and dresses with clean edges.
Quick reference: how to sew ponte
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Needle | Stretch 75/11 or 80/12; 90/14 for a very heavy ponte |
| Thread | All-purpose polyester, the same in the bobbin |
| Seam stitch | Zigzag 1 mm wide × 2.5 mm long, lightning stitch, or 4-thread overlock |
| Stitch length | 2.5–3 mm for straight stitching and topstitching, 3 mm for the twin needle |
| Presser foot | Standard foot; a walking foot for long seams in heavy ponte |
| Seam allowance | 1 cm (3/8 in) |
| Pre-wash | Yes, cool wash, low tumble or flat dry; viscose blends shrink 2–5 % |
| Pressing | Synthetic setting, about 110–150 °C (230–300 °F), press cloth, steam, lift and lower |
| Seam finish | None needed; serge or zigzag the allowances together to keep them flat |
| Hem | Twin needle, coverstitch or hand catch-stitch, 2.5–3 cm (1–1 1/4 in) deep |
What is ponte knit and how does it behave?
Ponte is a double knit: two sets of loops knitted together face to face on a double-bed machine, which is why both sides look alike and the edges lie flat instead of rolling the way jersey does. Most ponte sold for garments blends viscose (rayon) with polyester or nylon and 3–8 % elastane, at 250–400 g/m² (7–12 oz/yd²). More viscose gives a softer hand and more drape; more polyester gives a firmer fabric that pills less and keeps its shape longer.
Stretch is what sets it apart from other knits. Hold 10 cm (4 in) of the fabric across the grain against a ruler and pull: most pontes reach 12.5–14 cm (5–5 1/2 in), which is 25–40 %. Along the grain they barely move. That is the test to run on a bolt before buying. Recovery is the thing to test in the shop: stretch a corner and let go. A good ponte springs back; a poor one grows at the knees and seat within a day of wearing.
Because it is so stable, ponte is cut with far less negative ease than jersey. A pencil skirt or a fitted dress in ponte sits at 0–2 cm (0–3/4 in) of ease at the hip, not the 5–10 % smaller than the body that a T-shirt in jersey would use.
Do you need to pre-wash ponte?
Yes, and especially the viscose blends. Viscose shrinks the first time it meets water, often by 2–5 % in length, and a dense knit holds a lot of finishing from the mill. Wash it the way you will wash the garment: a cool, gentle cycle, then flat drying or a low tumble. Polyester-dominant pontes shrink very little but still relax after a wash, and the pieces lie truer to grain afterward. ## How do you cut ponte?
Ponte is well behaved on the cutting table. It does not slide, does not curl, and its weight keeps it where you put it.
- Fold it selvage to selvage with the lengthwise ribs straight, and let it rest flat for half an hour if it came off the bolt stretched.
- Lay the pieces so the greatest stretch runs around the body, across the grain. Grainline arrows follow the ribs.
- Pattern weights and a rotary cutter give the cleanest edge; pins are fine too, placed inside the seam allowance.
- Mark notches with a 3 mm (1/8 in) snip and darts with chalk on the wrong side. Both faces look alike, so mark the wrong side of every piece with a sticker or a chalk cross as you cut.
Which needle, thread and stitch work on ponte?
A stretch needle has a rounded tip and a deeper scarf, so it pushes between the loops instead of piercing them and skips fewer stitches than a universal needle. Start with 75/11; move up to 80/12 or 90/14 if the ponte is thick and the needle deflects. All-purpose polyester thread has enough give for the small amount the seams will stretch.
For seams, set a zigzag 1 mm wide and 2.5 mm long, or use the lightning stitch if your machine has one. The zigzag stretches with the fabric, so the seam does not pop when you sit. A 4-thread overlock does the same in one pass. A plain straight stitch is fine for seams that never stretch, such as a waistband seam or a center front, and for all topstitching.
Ponte rarely needs a walking foot, though one helps on a long side seam in a heavy ponte where the top layer creeps ahead of the bottom. The full method, including how to stop seams rippling, is in sewing knit fabrics on a regular machine.
How do you press ponte without a shine?
Ponte presses well, which is one reason it suits tailored shapes, but the polyester or nylon in the blend will glaze under a hot iron. Use the synthetic setting, a press cloth and steam. Lower the iron, hold, lift; sliding the iron along a seam stretches it. Darts and seam allowances pressed over a tailor's ham come out flat and sharp. Let each seam cool before you move it, because a warm knit takes whatever shape it is in.
How do you hem ponte?
A ponte hem needs to stretch only a little, so you have options. A twin needle with 4 mm between the needles, a 3 mm stitch length and the hem pressed up 2.5–3 cm (1–1 1/4 in) gives two parallel rows on the right side and a zigzag underneath. If the hem tunnels between the rows, lower the top tension a step or fuse a strip of knit interfacing into the hem first. A coverstitch gives the same result on a dedicated machine. A hand catch-stitch is invisible and stretches with the fabric; on a straight skirt it is often the nicest finish. The three methods are compared in twin needle vs coverstitch vs zigzag hem.
Seam allowances do not need finishing, since ponte neither frays nor runs. For the flattest seam, press the allowances open; for the quickest, serge them together and press to one side.
Common mistakes with ponte
- Treating it like jersey. A ponte pencil skirt cut with 10 % negative ease is too tight and strains at every seam.
- Treating it like a woven. A straight stitch on a side seam that stretches when you sit will break. Use the zigzag or the overlock.
- A hot iron on the right side. Glazing on polyester ponte is permanent.
- Skipping the pre-wash on viscose ponte. The garment comes out of its first wash shorter.
- Deep facings in ponte. Two layers of a 350 g/m² knit at a neckline are bulky; bind the edge or use a lighter fabric for the facing.
What to sew with ponte
Ponte suits anything with a clean, close line that still has to stretch over the hips or knees.
- A pencil skirt in ponte can skip the zip: with 25 % stretch and an elastic or faced waist it pulls on and keeps its shape all day. Cut it with 1 cm (3/8 in) seam allowances, the default Sewly uses on knits.
- A shift dress in ponte is the classic workwear dress: the darts press crisply, the hem stays level and the fabric does not cling.
- Pull-on trousers in a tapered or straight cut look like woven trousers and feel like leggings. Choose a heavy ponte with good recovery for the seat.