The Beginner’s Guide to Fabrics: What You Should Use for Each Type of Project Why is Choosing the Right Fabric Important?

Choosing the right fabric is THE most crucial part of any sewing project. The same pattern can look absolutely different in a different fabric. Fabric choice influences the fit, drape, longevity, comfort and sewability of your garment. While a novice sewer might consider the color or print first, a more experienced sewer considers the structure, weight, stretch and fiber content of the fabric before anything else.

When you use the correct fabric, it will do what you want it to do. If you choose the wrong fabric, it may not hang well, may be hard to make, and will often be disappointing even if you are an excellent sewer. Knowing about fabrics puts you in control of both the construction and the end result.

Types of Fibers and Their Properties

Fabrics are made of fibers and the fiber used dictates many of the fabric properties, including breathability, durability, and maintenance.

There are many different types of natural fibers, including cotton, wool, silk, linen, hemp, bamboo, jute, and others. They are typically breathable, soft, and pleasant to wear. However, some natural fibers can be expensive, while others can be prone to wrinkling or require dry cleaning.

Cotton is the most popular choice as it’s breathable, can be sewn with ease and is very comfortable to wear. It also presses well and is perfect for beginners. Cotton is a good choice for: shirts, dresses, quilts and home decor projects. It can wrinkle and it may shrink if not pre-washed.

PROS: Linen is durable, great for warm weather garments, and has a nice texture. CONS: Wrinkles easily and difficult to sew as it tends to move around.

Wool: Insulating, durable, and often found in coats, suits, or other garments where structure is required. If not properly cleaned, wool garments can felt and shrink.

Silk is smooth, light and glamorous. Lovely to drape, but it can be fiddly to work with. Use sharp fine needles and cut carefully.

Man-made Fibers

A strong, wrinkle-resistant synthetic fabric that retains its color. Often blended with other natural fibers. Some polyesters can be uncomfortable and some even melt when exposed to extreme heat.

Nylon is strong and lightweight. Often used for active clothing and outerwear. Resists abrasion. Can be sensitive to heat.

Acrylic is similar to wool in terms of softness but is less expensive. It’s frequently found in knits and fleeces.

Blends:

Blends mix fibers to offset their characteristics. For instance, cotton-poly blends wrinkle less, but are also less comfortable. Check the proportions of the blend when in doubt.

Fabric Types: Woven, Knit and Nonwoven Fabrics

In addition to fibre type, fabric structure also affects the degree of stretch, support and feel.

Fabrics

Wovens: The yarns are interlaced at a 90-degree angle. Wovens tend to be more stable and less stretchy (though you can add elastane to woven fabrics as well). Some examples of wovens include cotton shirting, denim, canvas, and poplin. Wovens are usually easier to cut and tend to be better suited to more structured garments or for beginners. They can fray along the edges and may require finishing.

Knit Fabrics.

Knits are made from interlooping yarns, giving them their elasticity. Jersey, rib knit and interlock are examples of knits. Knits are stretchy and soft, making them ideal for T-shirts and other garments intended for active wear. Use a stretch (or “knit”) needle and appropriate stitches, and be careful not to distort the fabric.

Nonwovens

Nonwovens: these are not woven or knitted but bonded. Felt and interfacing are examples of nonwovens. They don’t fray and are handy for craft projects or as an interlining.

How much does the fabric weigh? Is it heavy or light? Does it hang straight or cling to your body? A garment’s weight and the way it drapes on your body is determined by the type of fiber used and the density of the weave.

Weight and drape describes the way fabric falls and moves. This should be appropriate for your project.

Gossamer Fabrics

Chiffon, voile and lawn. These fabrics are great for creating softer more fluid silhouettes. Perfect for blouses and over garments but may be difficult to handle and sew as they tend to slip. Using finer pins and sharper needles assist with managing these fabrics.

Fabrics of medium weight

Cotton, quilting cotton, broadcloth, and most broadcloth blends. These fabrics provide a good middle ground between the two extremes, with both structure and drape. They are ideal for making shirts, dresses, and a majority of beginner garments.

Fabric Weight

These include denim, canvas, and home decor fabrics. They are great for garments like jackets and purses, and for decorating your home. You may need a larger needle and a longer stitch length when sewing heavier fabrics, and you may even need a walking foot for some projects.

Drape

Drape refers to the way a fabric hangs, either on the body or in the hand. For a fluid dress use a soft drape fabric. For a structured dress use a crisp drape fabric. Always choose a drape that is appropriate to the type of pattern.

Recovery

“Stretch refers to the fabric’s ability to stretch out and then recover, and that’s important in terms of fit and comfort.”

Two-Way vs Four-Way Stretch

Two-way stretch goes in one direction, often across the width. Four-way stretch goes both directions, lengthwise as well as widthwise. This is what you want for activewear and other garments that need to be fitted.

Convalescence

Recovery is how much the fabric snaps back into shape after being stretched. Bad recovery means knees and elbows where there shouldn’t be any. For this test, just stretch a sample piece of fabric and let go; then watch how fast it recovers.

Finishing and Roughness

The texture affects the looks as well as the ease of sewing.

Smooth Fabrics

Poplin and sateen are very smooth and easy to work with. They highlight every stitch you make, which can be a blessing if you need to be accurate or a curse if you make a lot of mistakes.

Blending textures: You can blend two textures, like cotton or denim, in one garment to create a varied texture look.

FABRICS WITH A VISIBLE TEXTURE: Twill, corduroy, boucle. Will disguise minor flaws in your stitching, but may need to be cut with a one-way grain.

Fabrics with piles

For velvet or velour (which both have a pile that can catch the light in various ways depending on the direction of the pile), the fabric needs to be cut all in the same direction or there will be variations in color shading.

Deciding on Fabric Based on Project

Clothing

Patterns will have fabric recommendations. Use these as a guideline, especially when you’re just starting out. Structured items require stable fabric. Flowy items require fabric with a good drape. Stretchy items require knit or stretch woven fabric.

Decorate Your Home

For curtains, cushions and upholstery you’ll need a more hard-wearing – and often heavier – fabric. Factors such as how hardwearing it needs to be, whether it will be exposed to direct sunlight and how easy it is to clean will need to be taken into account.

Bags and Accessories

Look for sturdy fabrics such as canvas, denim or heavy twill. You can reinforce it with interfacing or lining if necessary.

Project Ideas

Stable, mid-weight cotton is a great fabric to learn with. It’s easy to cut, works well with irons, and doesn’t move around while being sewn.

Test it First

It is very important to test a fabric before starting your major project.

Pre-wash

Prewash and pre-dry the fabric as you intend to wash and dry the finished product. That way you won’t have any unexpected shrinkage or bleeding issues.

Sewing the Swatch

Make a test swatch with your intended floss, needle, and machine settings. Test tension, stitch appearance and ease of use. Make any necessary adjustments before stitching your actual fabrics.

Press Test

Check the iron temperature on an extra piece of material to ensure that it does not burn or melt.