Fabric can be one of the most challenging parts of designing a new project. With so many different types on the market, you need to know basics of fabric before selecting which will work best for your garment. Fabric is made up of three main parts: type, structure, and weave. It’s important to understand these basics in order to make an informed decision about what fabrics are right for your project. In this article I’ll explain basics of fabric including types, structure, weave, and use.
The basics of fabric types
There are various different ways to categorize fabrics, but the most important distinction is whether a fabric is natural or synthetic. Natural fibers come from animals and plants while synthetics are made in labs using chemicals. The three main categories for natural fibers include animal hair (wool), plant fiber (cotton) and silk.
Animal hair (wool)
Wool is the most commonly used fabric for sweaters and coats because it’s very warm, durable and can be easily dyed many colors. Additionally wool has a two-way stretch which makes knitting with it easier than other fibers. Wool comes from sheep so there are numerous types of wool including merino.
Plant Fiber (Cotton)
Cotton is very comfortable and easy to care for. It can be dyed in a variety of colors, comes in different shapes (skeins, balls, hanks), and weights (lightweight up to bulky).
Silk
Silk is more delicate than wool or cotton which makes it poorly suited for sweaters but great as sleeping wear as its a smooth and soft fabric.
The Fabric Structure
After understanding basics of fabric types, there are also basics to understand about the structure. There are two main categories for fabrics: knits and wovens. Knit fabrics have stretch which makes them great for garments that need some give like t-shirts or yoga pants while woven fabrics don’t stretch as much but they can be easily tailored when needed.
Knit Fabrics
Knits are made with machines that produce vertical or horizontal ridges across the fabric. Knit fabrics can stretch in all directions, which makes them comfortable and great for garments like t-shirts and yoga pants where you need some give. The three main categories of knit fabrics include jersey (the most common), rib knits, and interlock.
Woven Fabric
Fabrics that are woven have a distinct front and back. The right side of the fabric is called the face while the wrong side is known as the backside. Most fabrics you’ll see on store shelves will be made from cotton or polyester, but other materials include acrylic, rayon, wool, leather and silk.
The Weave
The weave of a fabric determines the appearance and texture. The most common weaves include plain, twill, satin, dobby/jacquard , ribbing, herringbone , hounds tooth checkerboard, basket-weave and animal print . Each textile is almost always woven in two directions which are the lengthwise and the cross-grain.
The Fabric Usage
Now that you understand basics of fabric types, structure and weave, it’s important to know how to use this information. Knowing what each category of fabric is good for will help you in your next fabric project. Understanding how specific fabrics are used is important when trying to determine its aftercare instructions.
Common mistakes people are making is not using the appropriate fabric of their project and not understanding basics of fabric types, structure and weave. Fabric is one of the most important parts of designing; if you don’t know basics about fabrics including terminology and construction, you aren’t going to end up with a product that turns out exactly as expected.
Now that you know, go! Get out there and make your next project memorable. And if you need more guide to fabrics, then visit our blog here!
Fabric can be one of the most challenging parts of designing a new project. With so many different types on the market, you need to know basics of fabric before selecting which will work best for your garment. Fabric is made up of three main parts: type, structure, and weave. It’s important to understand these basics in order to make an informed decision about what fabrics are right for your project. In this article I’ll explain basics of fabric including types, structure, weave, and use.
