12 Types of Heavy Fabric and What to Sew With Them
Heavyweight fabrics are a staple in the sewing world, known for their durability, structure, and ability to provide warmth. These fabrics are ideal for a range of projects that require a sturdy and resilient material, such as pants, coats, outdoor gear, and upholstery home decor.
However, not all heavy fabrics are the same. While most will have a fairly structured drape, you’ll need to consider the intended application and the type of structure you want to achieve so you know how flexible and how durable the final product needs to be. By understanding the characteristics of these fabrics, sewists can create lasting pieces that not only meet practical needs but also showcase their creativity and craftsmanship.
Heavyweight fabrics often require different sewing techniques and tools, such as a heavier needle and stronger thread, to ensure a successful outcome.
1. Bouclé
Bouclé is a distinctive type of fabric that is known for its unique curled and looped yarns, which give it a nubby texture you can feel and see. When you’re considering a fabric like bouclé, picture something like cozy sweaters – the sort of clothing that feels like a warm embrace on a chilly day.
- Bouclé can be used for Sweaters, coats and outerwear, upholstery, winter suits, skirts, and dresses
2. Canvas
Canvas is a sturdy and durable fabric known for being heavy-duty and versatile. You often see it used for items that need to withstand a little more wear and tear. Its tight weave not only provides excellent strength but also a degree of water resistance.
- Canvas can be used in garments for bottom-weight apparel such as pants, coats, as well as some hats and skirts. It’s also used for bags, home decor and upholstery, art canvases, outdoor gear for gardening and camping, covers, and tarps.
3. Chintz
Chintz is a cotton fabric that is known for its glazed surface. The fabric goes through a treatment process that coats the face of the fabric in a waxy substance that makes the fabric more durable. Chintz is best known for its classic floral patterns and its use in upholstery as coverings for sofas and chairs.
- Chintz is mostly used for upholstery and curtains, but chintz can also be used for bags, and bedding.
4. Corduroy
Corduroy is a durable type of woven fabric that is known for its vertical ridges with a soft velveteen texture. It is thick and sturdy with a stiff drape that is well-suited for bottom-weight apparel. The ridges on corduroy (known as wales) add considerable thickness to it, making it a good choice for warm-weather attire.
- Corduroy can be used for pants, overalls, coats, blazers, structured skirts or dresses, and some home decor (pillows, upholstery)
5. Denim
Denim is a sturdy and adaptable fabric made from cotton fibers. It uses a diagonal twill weave that makes the fabric quite durable. The sturdiness of denim makes it long-lasting, allowing it to withstand the test of time and last through daily wear and tear, while also maintaining some flexibility so that it can be comfortable to wear.
- Denim is most often used for jeans, heavy-duty pants, and denim jackets, but it can be used for a wide range of apparel and home decor.
6. Duck
Duck fabric is a durable, woven cotton textile that is a type of canvas. Duck is a bit heavier than plain canvas and is used in applications where sturdiness is required, such as work clothes, canvas sneakers, and equipment covers.
- Duck can be used for outdoor gear, such as tents, tarps, and outdoor furniture. It’s also used for bags, backpacks, and totes, in addition to tough work pants and jackets.
7. Heavy Fleece
The thickest types of fleece fabric have excellent insulating properties while also being known for being extra cozy and soft. Heavier fleece materials, such as polar fleece, also have slightly better moisture-wicking properties than thinner types. This makes it better at keeping you dry as well as warm.
- Heavy fleece can be used for coats, jackets, winter accessories, blankets, stuffed animals
8. French Terry
French Terry is an extremely comfortable and cozy knit fabric that is excellent for cold-weather loungewear. It is created with a looped yarn texture on the reverse face of the material, while the front face is smooth and soft. The fabric is generally quite breathable, yet still manages to have good insulating properties
- French Terry can be used for sweaters, hoodies, warm leggings, sweatpants, cardigans, long-sleeved T-shirts
9. Jacquard
Jacquard is a type of fabric that is created with a design woven directly into the fabric. While it can be made with fabrics of any weight, jacquard is often used to create heavy upholstery-weight and home decor fabrics. So you’ll usually find it in rather stiff heavyweight materials.
- Jacquard is frequently used for upholstery items (drapes, duvets, pillows, bedding), and decorative elements in clothing such as vests, ties, and sashes.
10. Sweater knits
Sweater knits are a general category of knit fabrics that are soft, often cozy, and designed to provide warmth and comfort. Many sweater knit fabrics are constructed to try to mimic the appearance and texture of a hand-knitted sweater, but sweater knits come in various patterns and textures, from chunky cable knits to jersey knits. Sweater knits also usually have some level of stretch, making them highly comfortable to wear.
- Sweater knits can be used for sweaters, jackets, cardigans, hats, dresses, some skirts, blankets
11. Twill
Twill is the overarching name for a family of fabrics that use the twill weave when they are constructed. It’s a diagonal, durable weave that makes a dense fabric with a high thread count. Because of this, most types of twill will be thick and sturdy bottom-weight material.
- Twill is most often used for pants, blazers, coats, heavy skirts, polo shirts, and bags.
12. Velour and Velveteen
Think of velveteen as velvet’s durable, more structured cousin. Velveteen’s construction involves a weave that typically gives it a firm texture and a more matte appearance compared to velvet.
Velour is the knit version with stretching capabilities that make it more comfortable to wear. It also tends to be more durable and useful for everyday clothing
- Velveteen is mainly used for upholstery or for structured clothing, like coats, while velour is more often used for tracksuits, hoodies, and loungewear.
