Sewing Fabrics You Can Choose From

In sewing a garment, choosing what fabric to use is the most important decision. A wrong choice may lead to an unsuccessful outcome. There are a lot of fabric options for any pattern to help you choose the right fabric for your project. The style of a garment affects the material, and the material is a significant part of the appearance of the garment. Choose the material according to what you want the garment to look like. The use and maintenance of a garment is also essential. You should consider the condition of the fabric if it needs to be washed or ironed often to prevent final garment from shrinking.

Before getting into different types of fabrics, you should also pay attention to fabric weight. Thin fabrics are good for tops and dresses. Heavy fabrics will do better for jackets, skirts, and pants. But fabric aren’t always labeled with the weight when you go to a fabric store, so it is better to feel the fabric and judge for yourself. However, all garments should be made to last as long as possible, so it’s always wise to choose good quality materials.

When starting a sewing project, you must also find a suitable pattern to go with it. Patterns indicate which type of fabric it is designed for. Fabrics vary in terms of weight, stretch, drape and other attributes that complement the design of the pattern.

Here are some types of fabric that are commonly used for garment sewing:

• Cotton

  Cotton is a natural product that is strong and durable. It is typically used for shirts, pants, blouses, jackets, bed linens and curtains. Today, there is a wide range of cotton with mixes of synthetic product available in the market. Cotton is very cool, absorbent, and comfortable. The reason for this is to reduce shrinkage, cost cutting and lessen creases. It should be washed in cold water and do not bleach it.

• Nylon

  It is a man made product. The most common nylon is designated 6-6. It is used mostly for stockings, sports wear and swim wear. It is strong, elastic, easy to wash and very quick to dry.

• Silk

  Silk has been used as a symbol of wealth and power for centuries. It is commonly used for blouses, dresses, scarves, suits and wedding dresses. It is considered as the strongest natural fiber. It can be slippery and more difficult to work with and it makes a great lining fabric. This type of fabric should avoid exposure to sunlight. Most silk should be dry cleaned only and avoid hand washing it.

• Satin

  Satin is originally from silk and blends from some man made products. This is to add a slippery and glossy effect to the garment. For high end wedding dresses and lingerie, duchess satin is perfect because it is luxurious. Duchess is 100% silk thread and a synthetic variant. Satin jacquard is a woven variant of satin that has more flexible and supple flow. Like silk, it should only be dry cleaned.

• Linen

  This type of fabric is woven from flax and it is two to three times stronger than cotton. Linen is labour intensive and expensive to manufacture. It has a smooth look, can easily be dyed and holds colour when washes. It should be gently washed because it wrinkles and creases easily.

• Wool

  Wool comes from sheared sheep. This type of fabric is extremely hard-wearing and versatile. Since it is very warm, it is a good choice for cold weather garments.

  

• Flannel

  Flannel is a soft, lightweight fabric. It work well for colder temperature shirts, pants and jackets.

• Polyester

  Polyester is one of the cheapest fibers. It is very strong. And it is also called terylene. It does not wrinkle and does not absorb water well. It dries quickly and doesn't shrink n water.