When you first walk into a fabric store the amount of different fabric types available to choose from can be overwhelming, especially if you are new to sewing. And while you may want to pick the prettiest kind of fabric to start with, it may not be the easiest to work with. The following are just some of the different kinds of fabrics available today.
Related blog: Tips for Choosing and Preparing Your Sewing Fabric
Cotton
Cotton fabric is sometimes the most abundant fabric type in stores as it can be used on anything from clothes to quilts to home décor. Cotton is a woven fabric that comes in hundreds of different colors and prints and is easy to sew, press, and care for, which makes it a great fabric to use when learning to sew.
Related video: Tips for Finding the Straight Grain in Fabrics
Fleece & Flannel
Fleece and flannel are also fabrics that tend to be easier to work with. Even though they are thicker than cotton they are still easy to cut and in most cases can still be stitched with a universal needle. A benefit to using fleece in projects is that it doesn’t ravel, which means there is no need for hems or other edge finishes.
Related video: Fabric Tips: Sewing Fleece
Knits & Woven
In general, woven fabrics can be easier for beginner sewers than knit fabrics. Knits are stretchy fabrics, which can make it difficult to both cut and work with the fabric. They can also require the use of a stretch or ball point needle and may need some kind of edge finishing, as they ravel.
Related video: Knit vs. Woven Fabrics
Specialty Fabrics
Other fabrics that can be tricky to work with include silks, satins, and brocades. While these may be some of the prettiest fabric they tend to ravel the most making them difficult to work with. Also, these fabrics can tend to have a lot of static. While this may not be difficult to work with it can be frustrating, which is not something you want when you are just learning to sew.
Related video: Tricky Fabric Stitching Techniques
With so many fabric choices available to you, the possibilities are endless! If you’re new to sewing, try out several different types to see which ones you prefer to work with. You might be surprised with what ends up being your favorite!
Happy sewing!
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What is the best material to make microwaveable bean heating pads? Thank You.
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I would like to make a cotton pillow case for an extra long pillow, which is the best Cotton fabric to buy and is there a pattern?
Hello Sheryll,
Thank you for contacting us.
Any kind of 100% cotton (quilting cotton) would work great! And while we don’t currently have a pattern for that, I was able to find this one for you:
https://www.craftandfabriclinks.com/pillowcases/cases.html
If you have any other concerns, please contact us at 1-855-208-7187, or chat with us on our site.
We greatly appreciate your business!
Sincerely,
Lindsay
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I want quality fabrics for garment sewing. Can you recommend a few good online companies. I have to drive a long way to the city for a store, so online is a better choice.
Hi Cami. Great question! The ‘Ask an Expert’ section is currently for members of our online community. I would be happy to send your question off to the experts. To get started, please send the email associated with your paid membership account. Thanks!
Jean
National Sewing Circle Video Membership
I haven’t sewn in years; are there videos for beginner? selecting a sewing machine; threading a needle, etc????
Hi Rosa,
Thank you for contacting us.
There is a search window on the site that you can use to find different videos. Type in buying a machine and you will find what you are looking for. Ashley Hough has some great information on the subject.
Sincerely,
Joan
National Sewing Circle Video Membership
I have always wanted to learn how to sew and today I found your site and joined. I’m excited to begin …….. where do I find where to start and it’s got to be basic – thanks for any help!
Hi Angie,
Welcome to National Sewing Circle! I have provided you a link for the “Easy Sewing Project for the Beginner”. I also want to mention when you are in your Account Dashboard, at the top of the website look for the word “Browse”. There you will find all your videos that you have access to 24/7. If you are looking for something particular, type in the key words in the search bar.
https://www.nationalsewingcircle.com/article/8-easy-sewing-projects-for-beginners/
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Shelley
National Sewing Circle Video Membership
My cotton fabric leaves linty. It’s been washed, dried and pressed, just ironing it my clothes are covered in lint. It’s a fleece feeling cotton. I was going to attempt pants. What fabric is best for pants? Casual pants
Hi,
Some cotton fabrics produce more lint than others. Higher quality fabrics will generally produce less lint. When it comes to casual pants, you can use a cotton fabric or a cotton blend fabric- something with some polyester for a bit of stretch.
Cheers,
Ashley
National Sewing Circle
One key piece of advice is to pay attention to what fabrics a pattern or craft calls for; when in doubt, ask at the cut counter. I purchased a cotton blend for a pattern that required something much lighter weight and with more stretch, and it was a headache. Mother-in-law was able to tweak and save the project, but it was a big mistake on my part!
I have found that knits ravel very little, contrary to the comment above. For instance, I made a top of matte jersey which used unfinished cut edges on the sleeve hems and the neck binding.
I am making a dupioni silk dress for my daughters wedding in july. While i think it should properly be lined, I hesitate to line it because…its July!! Any thoughts…should I line it, is there a breathable lining out there somewhere??
I’ve had many silk dresses and blouses and trust me, every single silk dress i’ve had tends to cling on the thighs unless you do the trick of spraying the inside of the dress with hairspray or non-clinging sprays, but that doesn’t last long either and wears off.