Every sewing enthusiast should get a little informed about the types offabric before choosing one for a sewing project. Choosing the right color andpattern aren’t enough to help you wear a piece that you actually like. Otherfactors, like the type of fabric, will affect the quality of the final result.
Fabrics are either knit or woven. These two typesdiffer in almost everything; how they’re made, whether they wrinkle, how muchthey’re likely to stretch, and whether they shrink or fray.
Knowing the type of your fabric allows you to care for it properlybefore and after you’ve executed an elegant custom-made piece. In this article,you’ll know everything about woven fabrics.
Everything You Need to Know About Woven Fabrics
Even if you’re shopping for clothes, it’s still important to know thetype of fabric you’re choosing. Some experienced users can tell the type offabric by looking at. Sometimes, it’s not that easy, especially if you’re notthat trained and the stitches are too small.
Look
If you feel that the stitches aren’t clear enough, you can use amagnifying glass to take a look at the fabric. The fibers, pieces of thread oryarn, are weaved in a crisscross form. The basket-like weave is a distinctivefeature of the woven fabric.
Stretch
Woven fabrics don’t stretch much. If you pull the fabric really hard, itwill stretch a little along its length, but it will hardly stretch along itswidth. This is one of the features that make woven fabrics quite easy to workwith.
Wrinkle
Doing a wrinkle test will help you determine whether your fabric iswoven or knit. Take a small piece and ball it up in your fist and press hard.If it creases, then this is probably a woven fabric.
Shrink
Unlike knit fabrics, woven fabric isn’t prone to shrinking. However, ifyou use very hot water, you might experience some shrinking. The only way youcan maintain a piece made of woven fabric is to use a material that has alreadybeen shrunk in the manufacturing process. The higher the percentage of naturalfibers like cotton in your fabric, the more prone to shrinking it will be.
Fray
Woven fabrics unravel easily so they’ll fray. As a result, you shouldfinish the fabric with a serger or a zigzag stitch to prevent fraying. Thiswill guarantee that working with your woven fabric will be a lot easier.
Types of Woven Fabrics
Woven fabrics are made of two or more threads or yarn interlaced atright angles on top of each other. They type of fibers used gives the fabricits distinctive name and features.
Woven fabrics are quite easy to work with because they don’t stretchmuch. Having a high count fabric, with more threads, means that the fabric willbe more durable. Low count fabrics are less durable and will snag easily. Hereare some types of woven fabrics that you might want to try for your upcomingsewing project.
- 1.Buckram Fabric
This fabric is used as supportive material in necklines, collars,waistbands, and other parts where you need to reinforce the fabric you’reworking with. It’s made of woven weave that’s supported by fillers and adhesivematerials that will give it more strength and durability.
Buckram fabric is very useful to amateur and experienced sewing enthusiastsbecause it overcomes the problems associated with other softer fabrics likesatin and silk. This fabric is usually white and has a coarse texture. It’swidely used in linings and can also be used in bags.
- 2.Cambric Fabric
A great choice for women’s and kids’ clothes that need to be crisp,Cambric fabric is a lightweight material which has a stiff finish. It’s one ofthe finest and most dense types of materials that can be used for differentclothing apparel. Most cambric fabrics are made of cotton.
- 3.Chiffon Fabric
Chiffon is probably one of the most popular types of woven fabrics andalso the most luxurious. This lightweight smooth fabric has a luminous finishand is usually made of silk yarn. However, silk chiffon is very expensive andthis prompted manufacturers to make new versions that contain polyester yarn.
- 4.Poplin Fabric
If you wish to make a fitted shirt, then you should think about usingpoplin. This rather durable fabric is similar to cotton but is stiffer so it’san excellent choice for tight-fitting shirts that fit beautifully under aformal suit. Now you can find poplin fabrics that are made of polyester blendsto overcome the problems associated with using pure cotton. Poplin fabric istreated so it doesn’t wrinkle easily so you can safely wear it all day long. Ifit creases, you can easily iron it.
- 5.Wool Dobby Fabric
The dobbyfabric is made of woven yarn produced on the dobby loom. Thefibers might be the same color or different. Wool dobby fabric can be used fordresses because it drapes beautifully. When fine yarn is used, the fabric islightweight and looks slightly patterned.
- 6.Corduroy Fabric
Corduroy fabric is usually made of cotton but most of the time cotton iscombined with polyester and other synthetic fibers. Corduroy has a visible anddistinctive pattern that runs throughout the length of the fabric. Somelightweight fabric has a short pile. Ironing this fabric can damage it, so youshould do it on the wrong side. At the same time, you shouldn’t press the irontoo hard as this might crush the pile.
- 7.Crepe Fabric
Crepe is either made of silk fibers or silk combined with synthetic fibers.Crepe is a popular choice for blouses and dresses. It’s one of the most popularchoices for summer and formal occasions because the fabric feels luxurious.It’s suitable for daily wear as well because it’s comfortable. Some crepefabrics are made of wool fibers.
Woven fabrics shouldn’t be washed in hot water. Lukewarm water is enoughto prevent the fabric from shrinking and to maintain its status. Use a milddetergent and no bleach to make sure that the fabric stays in shape.
