Beginners guide to buying fabric
Getting to know fabrics.
Choosing fabric is the most important step in sewing a garment, in this article the Beginners guide to buying fabric I will help you try to understand fabric choices.
The wrong choice can mean wasted money and disappointment, and we have all been there at some point.
Fortunately, there is usually more than one “right” fabric for any sewing pattern. Here are a few pointer to help you out.
How to choose fabric for clothes
When starting a project, you will begin in two places, either you have a pattern that you have fallen in love with and need fabric to make it, or you’ll have fallen in love with a fabric and need to find a pattern.
Have a pattern?
Patterns will tell you which types of fabric that the garment was designed for. Although this doesn’t mean that you have to follow that the pattern suggests, if you are new to sewing you may want to stick to the pattern suggestions.
Another way that will help beginners is to open your wardrobe and touch and feel that fabrics of the favorite garment that you like wearing. You can take that garment with you to try to find something that has a similar feel to it.
Buying fabric is all about touch and feel. Pick up the fabric, hold it up and see how it drapes. Does the fabric drape the way that you want it to look in the garment that you intend to make?
Collect samples of fabric and label them with the name of the fabric, stick them into a book and this collection can become your go to when you are deciding on what would suit your next project. This can be time consuming but it will save you money in the end as you will not be buying and cutting fabric out that does not suit what you are making.
It is possible to get to know and understand fabric you just need to be patient and persist. Don’t rush when purchasing.
“Understanding Fabric Book ”
is here and it will alleviate all the stress and overwhelm of choosing the right fabric for your sewing project.
Inside this swatch booklet there are over 40 samples of the most popular fabrics that are available for you to purchase at retailers around Australia.
You will have the sample of the fabric (both knits and Woven) showing the name, which sewing machine needle to use for that fabric, the fabric content and what items of clothing you can sew from that fabric.
Click here to see more about the Understanding Fabric Book
This booklet is a must for anyone who finds shopping fabric difficult.
Once you become confident and you feel that you are past the beginners stage in your sewing you may want to improve your skills, take a look at the Intermediate online sewing course there are so many skills that you will learn which will help make it easier to follow a sewing pattern. https://www.sewnsew.net.au/intermediate-online-sewing-course/
