stable edge zone which has a higher stitch density in the preferred condition in the edge compared to the centre of the fabric after the fabric has been stretched and allowed to relax it will be appreciated that if the fabric is knitted as a simple rectangle as shown in fig3 the edges of the fabric at the beginning and end of the knitted panel will with the present invention be of slightly less length after the contractile thread has contracted than the width of the fabric in the centre region of the panel however if a panel is knitted which is itself shaped the edges may deliberately be of different length at the beginning and end of the panels compared to the central region of the panel however by providing a substantially greater stitch density the panels will be substantially even in the post contracted state and will incorporate a relatively inflexible stable sewing zone on their sewing edges typical materials for the contractile shrinking thread element would be a polypropylene or a polyamide which is affected by the steam used to steam set the fabric and to produce the shrinking of the contractile thread the stable sewing zone may be provided on both of two components to be sewn together if both are formed.