Gabardine, twill weave, twill...: let's take stock!

Finding your way around fabrics is undoubtedly one of the hardest skills to acquire when you start sewing! In fact, there is a good reason why we developed the classes "Discovering fabrics" and "Matching patterns and fabrics": our students and shop customers really do want to get to know fabrics better!

So this week, to mark the arrival of our lovely 100% cotton twills, I invite you to explore the differences between gabardine, sergé and twill...

Let's get started!

Weave versus fibre

When buying fabric for sewing, you need to distinguish the weave from the fibre...

All fabrics have two main characteristics:

- the weave, meaning the way the threads are woven

- the fibre or fibres from which the fabric is woven.

This is why you can sew with cotton, viscose or linen poplin...

What is sergé?

Sergé is not a fabric but a weave: a way of interlacing warp and weft threads to create a fabric, a cloth...

Twill is very easy to recognise by its small diagonal lines. These diagonals are created by the interlacing of warp and weft threads. The weft thread passes under one and then over two (or more) warp threads, moving across by one thread with each pass, which creates the diagonal.

The best-known and most widely worn twill in the world is denim!
If you would like to learn more about denim, there is an article here.

Twill can be light or heavy, matt or smooth, and comes in many variations, including chino, denim, cavalry twill and gabardine...

It can be made from various fibres... at C'est du Joly, you will mainly find cotton twills and viscose twills... and yes, the English word for the French "sergé" is... twill!

Twill weave

The best-known example: denim

What is gabardine?

Gabardine is a strong, tightly woven fabric with a weave recognisable by the diagonals visible on its right side: in other words, a twill!

Gabardine is therefore a twill with a particularly tight, dense weave.

Historically, the word gabardine comes from the Spanish gabardina, a long wool coat worn for protection against the cold. It is also thought to come from the Arabic qaba, which gave French the word caban. The key point is that gabardine was originally a wool fabric intended for coats. It was therefore expensive, dense and rather rough to the touch. To achieve a softer feel and a more affordable price, the original wool was replaced by cotton as this fibre became industrialised and more widely available.

Today, gabardine can be made from different fibres, natural or otherwise, so it is essential to read the composition of the gabardine you want to buy carefully. The weight of gabardines on the market can also vary greatly. A "good" gabardine should be a fairly heavy, dense fabric with a beautiful drape. It should have body, with a certain stiffness that helps it resist creasing. Its density also gives it a slightly water-repellent effect.

Characteristics of twill and gabardine

These two fabrics generally share the same characteristics, particularly because of their similar weaving methods. Both are strong, available in a wide range of colours, from bright shades to pastels, and easy to care for.
However, a few differences are worth highlighting:

- Compared with twill, gabardine creases very little
- Gabardine is a water-repellent fabric
- Gabardine is a relatively heavy, stiff fabric

Advantages

Twills in general are:
- easy to care for and machine washable
- available in a wide range of fibres, from the lightest to the warmest
- available in a wide range of colours
- also available with patterns: think of viscose twills
- very strong thanks to the tight, meticulous weaving technique, making for long-lasting garments
- relatively supple because of their weave
- accessible: apart from silk twills, these fabrics are inexpensive.

Points to bear in mind

Although twills have many qualities, there are a few points to consider.
Twill can lack elasticity because of its weave. Its tight weave offers little stretch, which can limit certain uses.

Similarly, twill tends to crease a little more than gabardine.

What can you sew with gabardine?

As you will have gathered, the iconic gabardine garment is the trench coat, but there are many other possibilities...

Depending on the composition and weight of your chosen gabardine, other options are available to you.

More generally, gabardine is suitable for jackets, coats, capes and other protective garments. Its density and body make structured designs that need support particularly well suited to this fabric.

Gabardine can also be used to make trousers, skirts, dresses and suits.

Finally, it can be used for bags, pouches, cases and other accessories that need body.

You could imagine making a pouch from the remnants of your trench coat to create a matching combination. Gabardine is an excellent choice for beginners and for anyone who would like to try sewing a complex garment, as it is very pleasant to sew.

Isla trench coat by Named Clothing

Trousers by Atelier Brunette

Recommended patterns for gabardine

Trench coats:

Isla by Named Clothing (32 to 56)

Iam Bob by Iam patterns (34 to 52)

Chloé by Julia Martejevs (XS to 3XL)

Calamity Jane by Sewing Soon (34 to 50)

Jackets and coats:

Iam Artemis by Iam patterns (men, women and children)

Tsar coat by Maison Fauve (34 to 52)

Adeline by l'atelier des premières (34 to 50)

Opal by Instinct Couture (32 to 52)

Bob by Iam patterns

Opal by Instinct Couture

Men's Artemis by Iam patterns

What can you sew with twill?

With heavyweight cotton, linen or wool twill

With heavyweight twill, you can sew durable, structured pieces such as:
- trousers, Bermuda shorts and shorts

- dungarees, playsuits...
- jackets
- skirts: straight, pencil, pleated...
- sturdy bags: totes, backpacks, pouches, travel bags, school bags...
- accessories: wallets, belt bags, pouches, cases, curtains, tablecloths, cushions

Recommended patterns for heavyweight twill

Trousers

Fauvette, Lyria by Instinct couture

Sunshine, Armor, Nout... by Iam patterns

Patrick, Pénélope, Philippine... by Coralie Bijasson

Brooklyn, ronsard, Belem, récif by Maison Fauve

Luze pants and inar by Lantoki

Charlie Jade, Myriam and Oxane by Cha Coud (34 to 48)

Toffee by Lamericana (32 to 56)

Dungarees

Diamond, Chrystale and Colibri by Iam patterns

Lyon by Ikatee
Aurélie by Atelier des premières (34 to 50)