Fabric 101: Flannel

Flannel is a type of woven fabric that is known for its soft, fuzzy texture and warm, cozy properties. It is most well known for having a plaid print, but flannel fabric can be found with many different types of patterns printed on it or in solid colors.

When you think of flannel, you probably imagine a warm button-up shirt or a cozy set of pajamas. However, flannel is also used in all types of cold-weather clothing as well as winter bed sheets and pillows.

Fabric	Flannel
Texture?	Napped, fuzzy texture on one or both sides
Stretch?	No stretch
Heavy or light?	Medium-weight fabric
Stiff or flowy drape?	Somewhat stiff drape but is still suitable for shirting
Nap?	Napped fabric with a short pile
Typical fiber content?	Usually cotton, but it can be made from other fibers, such as wool
Opaque or sheer?	Opaque fabric
Shiny?	Not shiny
Fraying?	Frays and sheds easily
Pilling?	Pills easily
Colors and patterns?	Most well known for plaid patterns, but it can come with any design
Cool or warm weather?	Best for cold weather due to its good insulating properties
What to make?	Button-up shirts, jackets, coats, pajamas, bedding, pillows, cozy clothing
What needle to use?	Standard universal needles

What kind of fabric is flannel?

Flannel is a type of woven fabric that has a napped, fuzzy surface on one or both sides of the fabric. It’s known for being a cozy and soft, yet durable material that is insulating and will comfortably keep you warm in the autumn and winter. 

Flannel is a great and comfortable fabric for what I call in-between weather. The fabric manages to be warm while still being somewhat breathable. This prevents it from being too overbearing even in early fall weather, but also suitable for layering in winter clothing.

What can you make with flannel fabric?

Flannel is most often used for casual button-up autumn shirts (think lumberjack-style shirts). However, it has many other uses as well. In garments, flannel is frequently used for sweaters, skirts, cardigans, pajamas, and even some dresses. Flannel is also frequently used for home decor items, especially pillowcases and sheets. You’ll even see flannel used to make bags and belts sometimes.

Properties of flannel fabric

• Texture: Flannel has a soft and fuzzy texture that is has a brushed napped surface with a short pile. It’s usually both sides of the fabric that are brushed for the fuzzy texture, but it doesn’t have to be. Sometimes the reverse side will be the texture of standard cotton fabric.
• Stretch: Flannel does not have any distinct stretch. This is one of the ways that you can tell flannel apart from microfleece. The two may look similar, but fleece will have a little bit of a give while flannel does not.
• Weight: Most flannel fabric is medium weight. You can occasionally find some heavier-weight flannel that may be most appropriate for a late autumn coat, but most flannel will be a comfortable weight to use for a shirt or sturdy skirt.
• Drape: Flannel has a moderate drape that is a little more stiff than it is flowy. That being said, flannel is not so stiff for it to compare to bottom-weight material like twill or denim.
• Fiber composition: Most flannel is made from cotton. It was originally made from wool, and you’ll still find wool flannel occasionally. However, the cotton is more common and more affordable.
• Opacity: Flannel is a completely opaque material.
• Fraying: Like most woven fabrics, flannel does fray. It’s not the kind of fabric that’s going to disintegrate in your hands as soon as you cut out your pattern pieces. Flannel also tends to shed little tiny fibers from the fuzzy part while you are cutting and sewing the fabric.
• Durability: While flannel does have a durable structure, it is unfortunately prone to pilling. High-quality flannel will pill slowly over time, whereas low-quality flannel will begin to pill almost immediately.
• Wrinkling: Flannel can wrinkle somewhat easily. Cotton is just the type of material that likes to wrinkle and crease over time.
• Breathability: While flannel is somewhat breathable due to the cotton fiber content, the napped texture also makes it an insulating fabric. This means that it’s best for moderate weather and not hot summer days.

How to sew with flannel fabric

For the most part, flannel is a fairly easy fabric to work with, even for a beginner sewist. You do need to be aware of the nap of your fabric and make sure you cut out all of your pieces in the same direction, but otherwise, you can just sew the material as normal. A standard 2mm to 3mm stitch length works well and you can usually use universal needles (size 80 or 90).

The only other thing that you should be aware of is that flannel tends to shed a lot while sewing. This means that you’re going to end up with quite a lot of little fuzz pieces on and around your needle. If you find your thread keeps jamming or your machine is having difficulties and you can’t figure out why, you might need to clean the throat plate and the area underneath it.

Remove the needle and presser foot (to get them out of the way) and unscrew your throat plate. Then use a little brush to remove all the little fuzzies you find inside. Return the throat plate, and continue sewing as normal.

How to care for flannel fabric

Since most flannel is just plain cotton fabric, there is no problem washing it the same way you would any other garment. However, you should be aware that flannel can shrink if it has not been pre-washed. Using cold water can limit these effects, but the best thing to do is pre-wash your flannel fabric before cutting out your pattern pieces.

Should you iron or steam flannel?

Cotton fabric can stand up to quite a bit of heat from the iron or steamer. With flannel, it’s generally best to iron it from the back to avoid crushing the visible napped edge. However, sometimes the pile is short enough that it doesn’t really matter. Steam is also an excellent option that can make the ironing process go much faster.

• Check my experiments using an iron vs. a steamer