Types of fabrics for clothing

Types of clothing fabrics. What are sewing fabrics

For many tailors, the closet is crammed to the top with cuts that they would like to sew "this-and-that" and also "this", but do not know if this fabric is suitable for sewing the desired thing. Or they don't know exactly what they would like to sew, they just bought something because they liked the pattern. I call this an irrational approach to tailoring. The fact is that I also wanted to immediately buy the fabric that I liked, because I liked the interesting print or color and at that moment I did not think at all what clothes I would sew from it. It often turned out that the fabric was not suitable for the intended thing at all or I just had no experience working with such a material.

Today I will tell you how to start sewing, and avoid such mistakes. So let's start with the basics - what kind of fabric.

cotton fabric

According to their characteristics, fabrics are divided into simple and complex. I will give you an example with the basic fabrics and I will tell you exactly what properties the fabric should have, so that you do not have problems and difficulties when sewing. I always advise beginner seamstresses to move from simpler to more complex fabrics, and choose simple sewing patterns, otherwise you may lose any desire to create. The same principle applies to fabrics - there is a group of fabrics that are easy and simple to sew, and they are ideal for beginners.

Easy to sew fabrics

1. Chintz . The lightest and most affordable cotton fabric. It is environmentally friendly, does not cause allergies, so it is used to make clothes for babies, and some everyday clothes - shirts, pajamas, bathrobes, as well as bed linen, tablecloths, napkins.

2. Gabardine . Due to its high wear resistance and water-repellent properties, I recommend using this fabric when sewing bedspreads on furniture, bedspreads, curtains, and some artists use it as a canvas for paintings. It is easy to work with, gabardine does not bend, so skirts, raincoats and pants are best made of it. But I would not recommend sewing tight-fitting gabardine clothes for everyday use. This fabric is mostly made of synthetics, which means that there will be poor air circulation, you will sweat in such clothes and you will not feel comfortable. Although gabardine made of wool or made entirely of cotton is appearing in some fabric salons today, so study the composition carefully before buying it.

3. Jacquard . Quite expensive and sophisticated fabric, and all because of its relief, created by a special intertwining of threads. If you look at the front of it, you can see how the pattern is not just printed on the fabric, but embossed or embroidered on it. Clothes made of jacquard do not need additional decoration, the fabric itself gives an elegant look. This fabric can be handled perfectly, so dresses, coats and pants can be sewn from this fabric. Jacquard also looks beautiful in the interior, from it you can sew furniture upholstery or put curtains. The composition can be cotton, silk, blended, synthetic. For a beginner seamstress, it is best to use cotton jacquard or synthetic.

jacquard boards

4. Satin with matte finish, without gloss - dense, durable, beautiful fabric that does not lose its properties after repeated washing, is pleasant to use and durable. From it sew bed linen, curtains, tablecloths, clothes.

5. Staple - thin and light fabric. Due to its properties it absorbs moisture well, while cooling the skin, the staple can be used for sewing summer things: dresses, blouses, skirts. It is perfectly draped, making it suitable for models with joints and numerous folds.

6. Viscose - the softest and most pleasant to the touch fabric. Despite the belief that viscose is a natural tissue, viscose is actually made artificially.

There are three types of viscose fabric:

100% natural viscose from wood pulp. This is the most used type of viscose. It wrinkles quickly, shrinks when washed, and to sew this type of fabric, you need experience.

viscose with cotton. This combination will make it easier for you to sew. If you like natural fabrics - pay attention to this composition. It makes good dresses, skirts, blouses.

synthetic viscose. The inscription on the viscose label is not always a guarantee that the fabric is natural. If you are new to sewing, the manufacturer may deceive you and sell not real viscose. It is easy to distinguish synthetics - fabric made of artificial viscose is much cheaper, it almost does not fold. But then the clothes are quickly covered with spools and are not suitable for summer due to poor air permeability.

7. Crepe for dress and blouse. Surely many people remember how in Soviet times it was considered chic to wear a dress made of crepe. This type of fabric has not yet lost its appeal to women's clothing. Today in mass sales you can find from crepe to satin, silk and synthetics. For a beginner seamstress, I would recommend using the latest type of sewing crepe, as it is the most unpretentious in the work. Crepe has a rough surface, so things from a crepe dress look textured, I would compare it to suede, but lighter.

8. Thick knitwear . There are many types of knitwear and I would divide it into two groups: tight and highly stretched knitwear. For a beginner seamstress, it will be easiest to work with tight knitwear that is not very taut, does not open at the edges. These are such types of knitwear as: cashmere, acrylic (synthetics), textured knitwear.

I would not recommend to beginners to sew from biflex, mesh knitwear, suede, towels, angora knitwear - sewing from such fabrics requires practical skills, otherwise you risk ruining your fabric and mood.

9. Polyester with cotton - easy to sew fabric that does not fold, creates beautiful folds and practically does not shrink after washing. For starters it is best to take this material containing synthetic fibers or mixed composition. Suitable for sewing summer things - dresses, baggy pants, sundresses. This type of fabric has only one disadvantage - after a certain period of time spools may appear on it, but its price is affordable.

10. Taffeta is the most elegant fabric and is therefore used everywhere for sewing evening dresses or to create a rich interior. It is easily recognizable by its shiny surface and hardness. Due to the properties of taffeta, it is good to keep your shape - it is suitable for lining long dresses and skirts

In the fabric store it is easy to distinguish several types of taffeta:

Synthetic taffeta is the most affordable type of fabric. If you have not yet decided what to sew your baby's dress, you can safely make a choice in favor of acrylic taffeta. Do not be afraid of the unnatural composition, because you will wear such clothes only for one night. I recommend all beginners in sewing to work with this fabric.

cotton taffeta - you will definitely shine in this outfit, because the ability of taffeta to reflect light is the best! But keep in mind that cotton products also fold well, but are hygroscopic - which means they are suitable for everyday use. Working with cotton taffeta is easy; With it, every beginner seamstress can test her skills in sewing a suit or dress.

taffeta dress

Silk taffeta is an expensive option for those who want more budget clothing. As you know, it is better for a seamstress to refrain from working with silk fabrics - firstly, the experience is not enough, and secondly, things may not work out and you risk throwing a lot of wind.

11. Suit fabrics - this is a separate group that includes fabrics used for sewing jackets for adults and children, pants, skirts. They are:

woolen suit, tweed. Not capricious in work, resistant to fabric shape. Perfect for winter dresses, vests and warm lining: skirts, pants. However, "newcomers" should know that woolen fabric is prickly, so such clothing should be lined. If you have not mastered the technique of sewing the lining to the product - it is better to refrain from buying fabric with wool composition.

suit fabric made of synthetics. These include gabardine, memorials. The main advantage of artificial fabrics is wear resistance and wrinkle resistance. Such suits may not even be ironed after washing. For starters, I recommend that you sew something, such as a school uniform. At the same time, the price for it is affordable.

fabrics for cotton suit - denim or jeans, linen. From all this I would advise you to start sewing with denim at the beginning of training.

but the best material for the use of a suit remains the material with a mixed composition. If you find such a thing - take it!

12. Poplin is a natural double-sided cotton fabric. In terms of density, I would put it between staple and satin. That is, it is not too thin and at the same time suitable for the warm season. Therefore, dresses, skirts, shorts are excellent choices for making poplin. If you are in the process of choosing a natural fabric for a summer dress - consider poplin. Due to the two types of threads available, it has a smooth and slightly shiny surface. Also, due to its low price, you can afford to sew poplin bed linen.

poplin

Complex sewing fabrics

1. Painted and satin fabrics : velvet, suede, velvet, plush, satin. Although the fabrics are beautifully draped and pleasant to the touch, I do not advise a beginner to sew products from velvet, suede or plush. Experience and knowledge of sewing technology is required. There is a specific direction, so when cutting it is necessary to observe this feature, otherwise the dress will be multicolored. Such fabrics must be made in accordance with all technologies. And if your eyes "fell" on satin, then I advise you to reconsider your choice in favor of taffeta or jacquard. Because on satin there are often traces of needle piercing. Therefore, all your inaccuracies in the form of curved lines will be visible.

2. Colorful and striped fabrics . To make the plaid dress look neat, you need to cut all the details according to the figure. It will not be easy for a beginner to correct the model, and the mistakes made will immediately reveal the inexperience of the tailor.

3. Thin, tight-fitting knitwear . Here, too, have their nuances. The stretch of the fabric needs to be taken into account, otherwise you may end up with something a few sizes larger, even if you used a size model.

4. Sheer fabrics : chiffon, organza, silk and lace. Some of the most difficult fabrics to sew. Here I advise the novice seamstress not only not to sew products from this group of fabrics, but also when ordering lace dresses to order, look for a good experienced specialist.

5. Loose fabrics with high flaking : linen, wool, tweed. Although tweed is used to make fine demi-season coats - when working with it you will constantly encounter garbage. Honestly, I don't like working with these fabrics, especially sewing a wool coat. Then you have to vacuum the whole room and if you think you have allergies, then you can completely refuse to work with such materials.

linen and wool coat

6. Natural silk . Its price corresponds to the difficulty of working with this fabric. The price of silk, woven from natural threads of silkworms, starts from a few thousand per meter. To date, they have learned to make silk using artificial methods, but no matter how it turns out, experience is needed to sew clothes from silk. When cutting on silk fabric, it is difficult to arrange the patterns in the usual way - the fabrics slide and the usual chalk markings are not used here. Therefore, at the beginning of your career development, I advise you to consider more than one lesson on working with silk and focus on cheaper organza.

There are many other types of fabric classification, I have listed only the most common. But even the ones discussed in today's example will help you make the right choice in the beginning so that you don't get frustrated with your own skills.