The Top 7 Types of Fabric Every Sewist Should Know

Sewing is a highly enjoyable and rewarding activity that gives you boundless opportunities for creating different items for your family, friends, or customers. Most sewers start doing it as a hobby and later on make sewing their profession. However, you can have a lack of information about sewing and different kinds of fabrics. For beginner sewers, you should start with natural fabrics which are durable and not over-elastic. These fabrics tend to be a bit softer and make it easy to work with and build your confidence and skills. Examples of such fabrics include linen, cotton, and polyester. This article talks about the best fabrics for beginners why some fabrics are good for beginners' sewers and are quite helpful for them.

Different types of fabrics for sewers

Cotton

Cotton is considered an ideal fabric for all kinds of sewers especially beginners due to its ease of use and its forgiving nature. Cotton fabric is considered the best fabric for beginners. It comes in a variety of weights which help you to choose according to your sewing project. When working with cotton, beginners can start with straightforward patterns for different items such as shirts, pants, blankets, bags, and pillowcases. It is recommended to prewash the cotton fabric for getting the best results in your sewing project. Overall it is a great fabric due to its ease of use, versatility, affordability, and accessibility.

Muslin

Muslin is another fabric that is easy for beginners to work with due to its plain weave and versatility. It is a kind of fabric that is popular among sewers at the initial stage. Muslin can be used for a variety of projects like upholstery, quilts, dresses, blouses, washcloths, and blankets. Experienced sewers also use this fabric for practicing before working on expensive and luxurious fabrics. Muslin is an excellent fabric for beginners for multiple reasons.

Polyester

It is a synthetic fabric that is lightweight and easy to sew for your sewing project. It is an excellent alternative to natural fabrics and highly affordable. One of the unique properties of this fabric is that it does not absorb moisture and is highly resistant to stains. This makes it a popular choice for jackets, shirts, hats, pants, blankets, bedsheets, and upholstered furniture.

Linen 

Linen fabric is easier to sew but it can be a bit expensive. Therefore, it is used for a variety of projects and mistakes can be costly. It is advisable to use woven linen that is blended with pure linen instead of pure linen. However, linen tends to wrinkle easily which can be frustrating for beginners.

Wool

Wool is a classic fabric that is known for its versatility and durability in different climates. Although it is used for different types of garments, it can be intimidating by it. Although there is no need to intimidate it and it can be a very satisfying fabric to work with. It is important to note that there are different types of wool fabric and not all of them are suitable for beginners. It is important to choose the right wool fabric for beginners.

Lyocell

It is also known as Tencel which is a fabric pretty much similar to silk fabric when using a sewing machine or needle. It is a type of rayon fabric that is drapery and heavy but still easy to handle. Despite its slippery and silky feel, it stays in place and is easy to manage while sewing. It is washable and wrinkle-resistant, making it a convenient fabric to work with. 

Lightweight upholstery fabric

There is an uncommon type of fabric that beginners are not aware of but it is easy to use and versatile fabric for upholstery work. If you want to go for upholstery fabric, go for its lightweight version which is easy to use. You can ask the shop that you are buying the fabric from to give you something very lightweight to practice. But it is also expensive and can be intimidating for you.

Conclusion

Sewing is an art and you cannot become a master in it overnight. As a beginner, you have to start with affordable and less costly fabrics to practice them. There are different fabrics such as cotton, linen and silk, polyester, and other fabrics to get a good hand on sewing works. Within a short period, you can gain expertise in it.