Which fabric should you use for your sewing project? Learn about different kinds of fabrics.
Hey y’all, this month around here is going to be all about the basics – like fabric types. While I know many of you regular readers have a good grasp on those basics already, I hope you still learn a thing or two from these posts. Today we’re going to cover different kinds of woven fabrics – I realized I have a post all about knit fabrics, but that I never wrote the woven fabrics companion, so here it is. Hopefully this helps you choose the right fabric for your project.
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It wouldn’t be possible for me to cover everything about every type of fabric, so I’m going to cover commonly found garment fabrics and show you some examples of clothes I’ve sewn in those fabrics. For more about fabric types, including questions on cutting, needles, and care, I recommend Fabrics A-Z (affiliate link).
To see how these fabrics move and look sewn into garments, watch the video below. If it won’t load for some reason or you prefer YouTube, you can also watch it here.
Common types of fabric found in the fabric store:
- Quilting Cotton
- Canvas
- Linen
- Flannel
- Cotton Lawn vs Cotton Voile
- Double Gauze
- Silky Solids and Polyester Prints
- Chiffon
- Denim and Twill
- Shirting
- Rayon Challis
- Polyester Crepe
To summarize the properties of the fabrics I covered, I also created this fabric guide. Click on it to download a PDF for reference.
Dara
Thank you, Melly. Very informative!
Lisa
Thank you so much for your informative and helpful website. As a beginner to sewing I love everything you have to offer from the classes about sewing to the fun and often easy tutorials.
I look forward to each project now and don’t feel quite so overwhelmed. Thank you “sew” much🙂
Teresa O
Great information for a beginner sewer like myself. Thank you 😊
Catherine MacLellan
Thanks Melly, as usual very informative and helpful to us beginners.
Dianne
Hi Melly – thanks for the informational article. Have been out of the clothes sewing scene for too long and wondered about making a summer blazer for myself. Thinking a lightweight twill or perhaps a poplin(cotton/polyblend) might be suitable?? If you have other suggestions that would be workable please feel free to suggest – I’m woefully behind on all the choices that are available.
Sophia MacDonald
Thanks for all your tips. I’ve been sewing for 65 years and still learn new things from you. Keep them coming.
Beverly
This was a great presentation. I learned so much information that I thought I already knew! Thank you. I really enjoy all of your videos.
Rebecca
Thank you! This is perfect for me now when I hit the fabric stores found my perfect pattern but what kind of material? Now I know. Thanks so much