To buy the right fabric, you need a basic understanding of how different types of fabric are constructed.
Table of Contents
How Fabric Is Sold
Fabric is sold in bolts. A bolt of fabric is a long rectangle of fabric that’s wound lengthwise around a cardboard tube or slim box. Fabric on the bolt is sold by the whole or fraction of a yard (or meter). When you buy fabric, the specific length of fabric you request is measured and cut from the bolt. The bolt label lists specific fabric information, including price per yard. Most fabric bolts measure 36–60″ wide. The total length of fabric on a bolt varies, but it’s usually about 10 yards.
Bolt Remnants
When a large amount of a bolt’s fabric has been sold and the remainder isn’t enough fabric for most projects, it’s considered a bolt remnant. Remnants are often sold at a discount of the fabric’s original price, which makes buying remnants an economical way to dabble in small sewing projects.
How to Read Bolt Labels
Each bolt of fabric has a label that provides the following information about the fabric:
- Fiber content: Any fiber that makes up at least 5% of the fabric must be listed.
- Care instructions: These instructions offer guidelines for how to wash, bleach, dry, and iron the fabric.
Fiber Content
Fabric can be made from natural or synthetic fibers or a blend of both. Here are some of the most common fiber types:
| Fiber Type | Qualities and Common Uses | |
| Acrylic | This synthetic fiber dries quickly, is easy to clean, and is strong but heat-sensitive. It’s used to make sheer fabrics, knits, fleece, and faux fur, and may be blended with cotton or wool. | |
| Cotton | This relatively inexpensive natural fiber comes in a wide variety of types, including jersey, poplin, terry, corduroy, denim, and tweed. Cotton fabrics are durable and comfortable and work well for light summer clothing and thicker warm layers. | |
| Linen | This light and breathable natural fiber wrinkles easily. It’s used most often to make warm-weather clothing such as dresses, tops, and suits. | |
| Microfiber | This synthetic fiber is very soft and wicks moisture away from the body. It’s often used in athletic apparel. | |
| Nylon | This synthetic fiber comes in a variety of weights, finishes, and blends and is often used for swimwear and rainwear. | |
| Polyester | This low-maintenance, quick-drying, and non wrinkling synthetic fiber comes in a variety of weights and blends and is used to make fabrics of all kinds. It’s especially popular for fleece, knits, and lingerie. Some polyester does not breathe well and can become staticky. | |
| Silk | This strong, warm, natural fiber is resistant to wrinkles and dyes well, though it can cling and must be cared for carefully. It’s occasionally blended with synthetic fibers and is used mostly for formal wear such as dresses, tops, and suits. | |
| Wool | This elastic, springy natural fiber holds warmth well. It dyes well but may shrink when washed and dried. It’s used most often to make cool- and cold-weather fabrics such as tweeds, knits, flannel, jersey, and felts. |
Fabric Construction
Fabric can be woven or knit. In general, novice sewers tend to work with woven fabric, but it’s helpful to know the basics of woven and knit fabric.
Woven Fabric
Woven fabric has two types of threads: warp and weft.
- Warp threads: Run the length of a piece of fabric
- Weft threads: Run across the width of the fabric and are woven through alternating warp threads
A woven fabric’s thread count is based on the number of warp and weft threads per square inch. In general, the higher the thread count, the higher-quality the fabric, and the smaller the needle you’ll have to use to push and pull the needle through the closely packed warp and weft.
Selvage
Most woven fabrics are sold with selvage edges, which are finished edges of densely woven threads designed not to fray.
Lengthwise, Crosswise, and On the Bias
Sewing patterns may instruct you to cut woven fabric along the lengthwise grain, crosswise grain, or on the bias.
- Lengthwise grain: In the same direction as the warp
- Crosswise grain: In the same direction as the weft
- On the bias: On a diagonal line that cuts through the square made by intersecting warp and weft threads (Fabrics cut along a bias have a natural stretch and bounce to them.)
Knit Fabric
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Knit fabric consists of many rows of interlocking V-shaped loops of thread or yarn and have more inherent stretch than their woven counterparts. The wales, or ribs, of a knit fabric are lengthwise columns of loops (or V’s), whereas courses are crosswise rows of loops (or V’s).
How to Select Fabric for a Project
The fabric you choose for a particular sewing project depends on your personal taste and the fabric’s:
- Suitability: Consider a fabric’s durability, washability, texture, and drapability before deciding to use it. For example, denim is sturdy enough for a floor pillow but too stiff to drape well for use in sewing curtains.
- Price: Fabrics can range from a few dollars a yard to many times that. If you’re sewing on a budget, keep an eye on the price per yard when making your choices.
When you’re working from a pattern, the pattern advises which fabrics to use. If not, you can use the fabrics that your favorite clothing designers or patterns use.
Calculate Fabric Quantities
When you’re working from a pattern, the pattern will tell you how much fabric to buy. Otherwise, you can estimate how much fabric you need to buy by sketching out the fabric pieces you need. It’s a good idea to buy somewhat more fabric than the pattern calls for (or than you envision using) to give yourself some room for error. You should definitely get extra fabric if you’re working with printed fabric. For example, if you’re working with striped fabric, you’ll need enough fabric to ensure that you’ll be able to align the stripes on the different pieces of your project.
How to Prepare Fabric for Sewing
Before you begin working with a fabric for sewing, remove any wrinkles, creases, stains, or marks on the fabric. Then wash the fabric according to its care instructions. (If the fabric is going to shrink, it’s better to discover that before sewing with it.) After the fabric dries, iron it to remove all remaining wrinkles or folds.
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[…] is threaded through the eye of the needle. The needle cycles up and down, plunging through the fabric with each downward motion. To install a needle in your sewing machine, loosen the needle clamp, […]