Print PDF
Favorite
Email
Step 2Fabric Definitions and A Good Fabric Choice to Start With
What makes a good seamster will be familiarity of medium. The most important part about knowing how to sew on a machine is learning how to manipulate the fabric as it goes under the needle. This is where fabric choices come in.
I'll start with some definitions:
WEIGHT: Fabric come in several "weights". Generally, you have lightweight (feels thin to the touch, mostly sheer enough to see your hand through them, you can fold it many times without creating much girth - most often used for curtain sheers), midweight (feels more substantial, folding creates some girth - most often used for clothing) and heavyweight (thick, folding will create substantial girth - most often used in home decorating, like upholstery)
The STRETCH TEST: Fabric can also have stretch. How to tell a fabric stretch (or non-stretch) is by stretching it both lengthwise and widthwise (all fabric will have some amount of stretch on the diagonal, also called the bias). Non-stretch fabric will have little give on both the length and width.
FIBER CONTENT: This means what makes up the fabric. Natural fibers can be cotton, silk, linen, bamboo. Polyester and Nylon are examples of manmade fabrics.
1. Start with a medium-weight, non-stretch fabric made from natural fibers (like cotton).
2. You'll want to choose a fabric that has thin stripes that are about a half inch to an inch apart. The stripes should run down the fabric, not from selvage (the finished edge on the side) to selvage. Have at least a half yard (18") of it.
I'll start with some definitions:
WEIGHT: Fabric come in several "weights". Generally, you have lightweight (feels thin to the touch, mostly sheer enough to see your hand through them, you can fold it many times without creating much girth - most often used for curtain sheers), midweight (feels more substantial, folding creates some girth - most often used for clothing) and heavyweight (thick, folding will create substantial girth - most often used in home decorating, like upholstery)
The STRETCH TEST: Fabric can also have stretch. How to tell a fabric stretch (or non-stretch) is by stretching it both lengthwise and widthwise (all fabric will have some amount of stretch on the diagonal, also called the bias). Non-stretch fabric will have little give on both the length and width.
FIBER CONTENT: This means what makes up the fabric. Natural fibers can be cotton, silk, linen, bamboo. Polyester and Nylon are examples of manmade fabrics.
1. Start with a medium-weight, non-stretch fabric made from natural fibers (like cotton).
2. You'll want to choose a fabric that has thin stripes that are about a half inch to an inch apart. The stripes should run down the fabric, not from selvage (the finished edge on the side) to selvage. Have at least a half yard (18") of it.
| « Previous Step | Download PDFView All Steps | Next Step » |
 |
Add Comment
|
