Sewing/Fabric

Variety of fabric. From the left: evenweave cotton, velvet, printed cotton, calico, felt, satin, silk, hessian, polycotton.

Terms

Face

the right side of the fabric

Selvage

finished edges

Raw edge

unfinished edges

Grain

the direction of the nap

Nap

Bias

Warp

Weft

Bolt

Preparing Fabric

Always wash and press all fabric before sewing with it. New fabric will usually shrink a certain amount. Marking of patterns must be done on quite flat (well-pressed) fabric, as creases will distort the shape of the chalked pattern.

Types of Fabric

There are two groups of fabric, natural and synthetic. Synthetic fabrics are man made, while natural fabrics are either from a animal protein, like silk or wool, or a plant fiber, like cotton or linen. Fabrics can either be knit, or woven.

Natural fibers

Natural fibers are known to be more expensive than synthetic, but can drape beautifully and keep one cool in a way that synthetic fabrics often cannot.

Cotton Muslin

It is recommended that beginner in sewing get started with a cheap natural fiber such as cotton muslin. This is un-dyed unbleached cotton that is useful for making mock-ups and undergarments. It is a woven fabric so it has little stretch.

Cotton Jersey

Cotton jersey is a knit fabric. It is stretchy, soft, and does not wrinkle or pucker. It is another good beginner fabric, however it can be pricy. Its often used for activewear.

Cotton Flannel

Cotton Flannel is a warm, soft, medium weight fabric. Its weave is loosely spun. It's good for cold weather clothing.

Linen

A type of woven fabric made out of the flax plant. Very good for keeping cool in summer.

Wool

Wool is a protein fabric made from the hair/fleece of camels, goats, alpacas and other animals. It's very good for cold weather.