Choosing the Right Fabric for your Sewing Pattern
Selecting the right fabric isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about ensuring the functionality and durability of your garment. No matter how good your sewing technique is, using the wrong type of fabric will make your final result disappointing.
The good news is that modern sewing patterns make it a lot easier to pick fabrics that work well with the design. Most of the information you need is written in plain English (or French) on the back of the pattern, and what’s not there can be inferred from the line drawings and some basic knowledge about the drape of different types of fabric.
1. Look at your pattern envelope
If you’re new to sewing, all that information written on the back of a pattern envelope might look like a whole lot of nonsense. But it’s actually got a lot of pretty useful information, including a little section labeled fabric suggestions.
This is the first place you should look to decide which fabric to use for a pattern, since these are the specific fabrics that have been recommended by the pattern makers. If there are any photos of the finished pattern on the front of the envelope, it will be made with one (or multiple) of these fabrics.
Now, some people will tell you that you need to stick to the specific fabrics listed on the pattern envelope. In my opinion, it’s not necessary to be that strict with your fabric choice. If you understand that type of fabric that’s being recommended, it’s okay to branch into other fabrics with a similar weight and drape.
For example, if the pattern recommends crepe de chine and charmeuse, you need a fabric that is lightweight and has significant drape. In this case, I may use a viscose rayon since I know it has similar properties.
By grasping the nature of the recommended materials—whether they offer drape, structure, or stretch—you can make informed choices. It’s about matching the essence and not just the names on the envelope.
2. Understand the drape and weight needed for the design
Understanding the drape and weight are the most important parts of choosing a fabric. In addition to looking at the fabric recommendations, you also want to look at the photos and lineart on the pattern envelope to help you understand what type of fabric is best.
Looking at the photos, try to ignore the pretty colors and patterns used, and look only at the structure of the garment. Your goal is to determine the general weight and drape of the material in the image and compare that to the fabric that you intend to use.
You can also examine a pattern envelope’s line art. Illustrations that feature more drape lines suggest a need for a fabric that can cascade effectively, meaning you will need a reasonably flowy fabric for that pattern.
Selecting the right level of drape and weight ensures not only a flattering fit to the body but also a manageable sewing process. With your fabric choice aligning closely with your design’s requirements,you will pave the way for a polished and professional final piece.
3. For knits: test the stretch of the fabric
Knit fabric can be a bit more difficult to get right, since it needs to be stretchy enough for the pattern to work. Luckily, most knit patterns come with a stretch guide on the envelope to help you pick an appropriate fabric.
Unfortunately, if you’re buying fabric online, it’s difficult to know how stretchy a fabric is. However, some retailers will give you a percentage of stretch to help you choose your fabric. If a fabric is described as having a “50% stretch,” this means it can stretch to 1.5 times its original length without distorting.
You can measure the difference in the stretch guide to get the percentage you want the fabric to stretch. If no percentage is given online, something described as low stretch fabric will typically be less than 25%, moderate stretch will be around 25%-75%, and high stretch (or high performance) will be 75%+.
| Fabric at rest | Stretched length | Stretch percentage |
| 4 inches | 5 inches | 25% |
| 4 inches | 6 inches | 50% |
| 4 inches | 7 inches | 75% |
| 4 inches | 8 inches | 100% |
You’ll also need to pay attention to the 2-way (one direction) vs. 4-way stretch (two direction or all direction). Most knit patterns only need to stretch across the width of the fabric, but occasionally you’ll come across a pattern that says it’s made for 4-way stretch knits only (usually tight knits and athletic clothing). In these cases, you’ll want to make sure the pattern stretches enough lengthwise as well.
