I discovered canvas, this lovely fabric, in Japan. Indeed, in Japan this material is widely used in making bags, pouches, drawstring bags, or even to create sturdy furoshikis. Moreover, Japanese manufacturers produce them with very beautiful patterns, notably the Echino brand, which is part of the Kokka group!

Since then, I see more and more of it in Europe, and the patterns that were initially overlooked in favor of plain fabrics are increasingly offered by haberdasheries including mine 😊

But what exactly is canvas, you ask... so let's dive into this amazing and little-known material!

Definition

Canvas is a fabric made with a plain weave. That’s actually where its name comes from. Indeed, canvas in English means fabric or sailcloth. It is therefore a fabric woven in plain weave. The warp thread is woven crosswise, very tightly, with the weft thread. As a result, the front and back of the fabric look similar and can both be used.

Made from natural fibers such as cotton, linen, or hemp, canvas is a thick, durable, and versatile woven fabric. That’s why it was used to make boat sails, tents, and workwear. And a little aside, for those who read the article about denim, Levi Strauss started using canvas before switching to denim for making work clothes they sold to gold miners... end of the aside and if you want to learn more about denim, it’s here.

Today, canvas is ideal for making bags, backpacks, pouches, structured clothing like jackets, pleated skirts, pants, overalls... even sneakers, chair seats, furniture coverings! In short, canvas has many uses in clothing sewing but also in upholstery! At the workshop, we love using it to make bags that are very popular with our beginner sewing students.

Properties of canvas fabric

Canvas fabric has many advantages, it is:

• durable thanks to its plain weave
• tear-resistant
• protective against wind and bad weather
• breathable due to the use of natural fibers
• textured because of its stiffness
• smooth to the touch
• absorbent, especially of moisture

Points to watch out for:

• the tight weave and thickness of the fabric do not offer a nice drape. Canvas is therefore not recommended for garments requiring fluidity
• Because of its natural fiber composition, don’t forget to prewash the fabric to avoid future shrinkage.

What to sew with this fabric?

Beginners can start with simple cushion covers or unlined bags. Since the weave is plain and made of natural fibers, sewing canvas fabric is easy and accessible to all sewers!

Once more experienced, why not try making canvas backpacks, shoulder bags, fanny packs, shopping bags, or sports and travel bags like the George bag?

And for those who love garment sewing, canvas offers many options for those who want durable clothes without giving up style and chic. Canvas fabric is therefore suitable for durable jackets and pants for all weather.

What tools to sew it?

Canvas fabric is easy to work with; it is therefore suitable for beginners for their first projects but will also be great for intermediate or advanced sewers tackling more complex projects.

Cutting canvas fabric

Canvas fabric is quite thick, so it’s necessary to use a sharp tool. Scissors work very well or you can use a rotary cutter. The latter is very useful when making accessories mostly composed of rectangular pieces that are very easy and quick to cut with a cutter.

Both sides of the fabric look similar, so be careful to mark the direction of your pieces. Use chalk or a temporary marker.

Sewing canvas fabric

Since the fabric is quite thick, a universal needle size 90 or a jeans needle will be your ally.

Choose a good quality polyester thread like the Gütermann brand or Metler all-purpose thread. You can also use extra-strong thread for projects that will be subjected to higher stress or harsher conditions (backpacks, outdoor projects...).

Sewing is easily done with a straight stitch. As with all fabrics, be careful not to pull or push the fabric.

Maintaining canvas fabric

Canvas fabric is sturdy and durable, it withstands use well. However, this fabric is not intended for creations that require frequent machine washing. Indeed, canvas fabric does not tolerate frequent washing.

It can be machine washed on a delicate cycle (at 30 degrees) and cannot be spun or tumble dried. For drying, prefer flat drying (you can place an absorbent fabric like a towel to soak up excess water).

Canvas fabric can be ironed without any problem. Choose the iron temperature according to the fabric composition.

There you go, you now know more about canvas fabric, which I increasingly love for making accessories.

And you, have you ever sewn with it? What did you think?

Get your needles ready!