When starting sewing, we often focus on choosing the tools and end up paying very little attention to the choice of fabric for our projects.
However, the choice of fabric is essential to succeed and be proud of your first projects. In fact, it is often this pride and joy of having created something useful and beautiful that will motivate us to continue learning sewing.
So, it is true that it’s tempting to select a fabric solely based on what looks good to us, but… will it be suitable for our project, our type of pattern, and our skill level...? Yes… these are questions to ask yourself before choosing your fabric.
What are the selection criteria?
The first criterion to consider when selecting your fabric is the type of project.
Indeed, the pattern designer must first specify the type of fabric:
- warp and weft (woven) like poplin, denim, …
- knit (knitted) like jersey…
- non-woven like felt, interfacing…
Next, the pattern designer will specify the fabric type often based on its weight or natural drape. This is important for the final look of your project.
The second criterion is your sewing skill level.
It’s better to start with fabrics considered “easy to sew” when you’re a beginner. Avoid knits that curl, slippery woven fabrics, very thin fabrics like muslin… even if they suit the project you want to sew… in those cases, I recommend practicing on simpler projects before tackling more complex ones.
The third criterion is the fabric pattern.
When starting sewing, it’s easier to choose a fabric that doesn’t require matching seams. So, avoid plaids and stripes intended for more experienced sewers and opt for fabrics with small repetitive patterns like florals, polka dots, asanoha… or heavily patterned fabrics like traditional Japanese fabrics that don’t require any matching. Plain fabrics are obviously also an option ;-)
Let’s look together at which fabrics are “easy to sew”
For first sewing projects, woven fabrics made of natural fibers (cotton, linen, hemp…) will be easier to sew. Indeed, this type of fabric:
- is quite stable during sewing (doesn’t slip)
- withstands repeated handling (doesn’t stretch…)
- holds up well to unpicking and resewing seams
- is suitable for many sewing projects, whether garment making or accessories
- is breathable and comfortable to wear.
Cotton fabric and poplin with tight weave are perfect for beginners. They are not very stretchy and maintain excellent shape even after being sewn and unpicked. You’ll find a nice selection of these fabrics in my shop because cotton (and natural fibers in general) is my favorite material ;-)
Cotton-linen blends, often a bit heavier, are also very popular with beginners. I’ve selected some very nice ones here. Cotton-linen blends are also a great material to work with and suit many projects like skirts, dresses, children’s and adult pants... as well as accessories.
Don’t forget to wash them before sewing, as natural fibers tend to shrink on the first wash (or rather the first drying); you can also check out my article on this topic by clicking here.
Here are the fabrics considered “difficult to sew” and therefore to avoid when starting sewing
All slippery fabrics like satin, silk, viscose, shiny polyesters… Cutting them is already a real challenge for beginners because they slip and move when you pass the scissors blades.
All thin fabrics like muslin, voile which require special needles and quite a bit of time to baste the seams.
All thick fabrics and fur which often require a walking foot machine to handle the fabric layers.
And after practicing on cotton fabrics, what can I move on to?
After gaining some experience, other fabrics can be used to advance your learning such as:
On this subject, I recommend reading the book “Practical Fabric Guide” by Rebecca Deraeck which is quite well done to help you better understand fabrics.
And why not try sewing knit fabrics to make your t-shirts and sweatshirts? Here too, I recommend reading “my bible” for sewing this material “Sewing Stretch” by Marie Poisson.
All that’s left is to get started! Happy sewing!
