TYPES OF FABRIC AND FABRIC CARE
Natural Fibers
Natural fibers are grown in nature – hence the ‘natural part! – and can be both cellulose fibers
(cotton) or protein fibers from animals (silk).
Manufactured Fibers
Manufactured fibers refer to those that are not found naturally, but instead are created by man,
whether from cellulose fibers (rayon) or derived from other means like petroleum (polyester)!
Animal Skins
The skins of animals are not ‘fibers’ but they are often viewed as a type of fabric. Just like
manufactured and natural fibers, the skins of animals need to be treated before they can be used.
Animal skins are:
• Leather (outside grain of skin)
• Suede (inside grain of skin)
• Wool on skin (shearling)
• Furs (rabbit)
I’ve separated the last two because shearling is often finished in a way that the skin side can be
worn unlined, while with furs, garments are usually lined.
What Is Fabric Structure?
When we talk about the structure of fabric, we’re referring to how the fabric is made:
• Woven fabrics
• Stretch fabrics
• Knitted fabrics
Woven Fabrics
Fabrics that are woven, have a warp and a weft, and are woven on looms. They often have tightly
woven edges – called the selvedge – and there are many weave types to create different effects.
The most common are:
• Plain weave
• Satin weave
• Twill weave
• Denim weave
• Waffle weave
• Brocade weave
Stretch Fabrics
Stretch fabric is its own type of fabric structure as it is often woven with stretch materials
making up a percentage of the fiber content, giving that stretch factor.
Stretch materials that are often included are:
• Elastane
• Spandex
Fabrics that have stretch added in this way are usually better for stretch recovery than knitted
fabrics.
Knitted Fabrics
Knit fabrics are constructed from connected loops and can be created from:
• One continuous yarn (weft knit)
• Many yarns but only one stitch (warp knit)
Yes, many knitted fabrics are often stretchy, with the fabric created able to mold close to the
body or drape in loose folds.
Patterns created for knitted fabrics will often have ‘negative ease’ included, meaning the pattern
is smaller than the intended body, to account for the additional ‘stretchiness’ of the suggested
fabric.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FABRICS
Sheer Fabric Types
Batiste
Batiste is a plain weave fabric, lightweight and made from different fibers.
Challis
Another plain weave fabric, challis, is great for sewing beginners because it is easy to sew. Being
lightweight, it is great from lightweight garments!
Chiffon
chiffon is a plain weave fabric made from natural fibers (silk chiffon) and artificial (poly chiffon)
Eyelet
Eyelet fabric is an embroidered fabric featuring small embroidered holes. This technique can be
applied to many different fabric types and fabric weights.
Gauze
Used for curtains historically, gauze is a woven fabric made in a variety of fibers, and is now
used for more casual garments as well.
Georgette
Often confused with chiffon, georgette is also made from silk or polyester but has a more crepe
finish than chiffon. You can learn more about the different types of georgette fabric here!
Lace
Lace is first and foremost a decorative type of fabric made from many different fiber types!
Lace has many uses, the choice often depending on the weight and stiffness
Lawn
It’s a medium crisp fabric type due to the higher thread count used to weave it, and has a fine
finish, and yet is still quite sheer
Net
Net fabric is a meshed fabric, created in different weights, and is most often associated with
costumes and hats.
Organdie
Made from combed fibers, organdie – also known as organdy – is a tight plain weave fabric
often used for interfacings because of its stiffness and sheerness!
Organza (and Gazar)
Organza is a plain weave fabric, made from silk (beautiful) or polyester (cheap) yarns, and
usually quite translucent.
When it is very heavy and almost opaque it is known as ‘gazar’.
Tulle
Tulle is a type of net, made from hexagonal mesh. It is fine and very drapey and there are
many types of tulle fabric to choose from!
Voile
Another fabric made from either natural or manufactured fibers, voile is semi-crisp.
Lace Fabric Types
As mentioned further up, lace is a decorative fabric type and can be manufactured in different
fabric weights, fibers and styles!
1. Alençon Lace
2. Allover Lace
3. Breton Lace
4. Chantilly Lace
5. Cluny Lace
6. Embellished Lace
7. Filet Lace
8. Guipure Lace
9. Tape Lace
10. Val Lace
I have this guide to different types of lace if you’d like to learn more about lace!
Special Occasion Fabrics
The fabric types in this section are usually the fabrics we create garments for important
occasions from:
1. Anniversaries
2. Christenings
3. Weddings
Special fabrics used for the above occasions can be:
1. Sheer fabrics (chiffon, organza, tulle)
2. Lace fabrics
3. Satins
4. Brocades
5. Embellished fabrics
Satin
Satin fabrics are made with the satin weave, which gives the fabric a gorgeous shine on one side.
Satins can be drapey and silky, or stiff and structured.
Usually, they fray like crazy when cut into so they aren’t really a beginner friendly fabric
type!
Brocades
Brocades are beautiful fabrics with a permanent design created on the surface of the fabric’s
right side.
Woven on a jacquard loom, brocade is available in different fabric weights.
Embellished
Fabrics that are embellished can be laces, brocades, tulle and more! Embellishment can be:
• Sequins
• Beads
• Crystals
• Glitter
Piled and Napped Fabrics
Fluffy fabric types that have a pile are often referred to as napped fabrics, but pile and nap are
two different things.
Types of nap and pile fabrics are:
1. Chenille
2. Corduroy
3. Faux fur
4. Fleece
5. Terry
6. Velvet / velour
Chenille
Chenille is created by punching tuffs through existing fabric. The tufts can be short or longer.
Imagine the tufts created similar to how a punch needle works!
Corduroy
Corduroy looks like a ribbed fabric, with vertical stripes but is in fact a pile fabric.
Faux Fur
Another popular pile fabric is faux fur, which is quite often referred to as a deep pile fabric due
to the longer lengths of the pile.
Fleece
Made with wool or hair, fleece is one of those fabrics that gives me the heebie-jeebies! It’s
usually a very soft fabric with a pile.
Terry
erry fabric is made with uncut loops. There is no nap to the fabric and is used for towels, robes
and more.
Velvets
Velvet fabrics (velvet, velour, velveteen) have a short pile.
Felt Fabrics
Felt fabrics are great because they are no-fray because the fibers used are felted with water.
Fabrics created using the felting technique are made from wool, mohair, cotton, rayon, fur and
some synthetic fibers.
Double Faced Fabrics
Fabrics that have two usable sides are referred to as double-faced and are naturally created
during the fabric construction process, whether woven or knitted.
As both sides of a double faced fabric can be used, they don’t really have a ‘wrong side’ which
makes them perfect for anything you plan to make that will be unlined!
Double-Cloth Fabrics
This type of fabric is created from two layers of fabric, and like double-faced fabrics, are
reversible.
Creating double-cloth fabrics can be done by a specific weaving technique, sewing layers of
fabric together or fusing them with double sided fusing, like bondaweb.
Quilted Fabrics
Quilting is a technique that is used to sandwich a filler fiber between two layers of fabric. This
can be done by machine or hand.
Quilted fabrics can be purchased ready made, or you can learn the process of quilting to make
your own.
Depending on the weight of the fabrics and the filler used in the quilting process, the resulting
quilted fabric can end up quite heavy and bulky.
Filling Options
• Polyester batting
• Cotton batting
• Bamboo batting
• Wool batting
Quilted fabrics have been used for both casual and occasions-wear garments for some time.
Plaid Fabrics
Plaid – when woven or knitted and *not* printed! – is a repeated pattern created during the
weaving and knitting process.
Plaid (and tartan) can be quite bold, or more subtle like the photo above.
Plaids can be balanced and unbalanced – the latter being much trickier to pattern match so not
advisable for sewing beginners!
Technical Fabrics
Types of fabric in this category are usually created for specific use:
• Exercise
• Water activities
• Outdoor activities
Exercise Fabrics
These are fabrics that are used to wick away moisture during activities like cycling, skiing and
running.
Water Activity Fabrics
Swimwear and other clothing for water sports are obvious here, with suitable fabrics ranging
from lycra to neoprene.
Fabrics should allow for plenty of movement, and fit close to the body.
If you’re looking for a fabric that is suitable you can learn more about 2 way vs 4 way stretch
fabrics which cover swimwear fabrics!
Outdoor Activity Fabrics
The fabrics used to create garments for outdoor activities could be lightweight and wicking for
the summer months or insulating and weatherproof for those colder (and wetter!) winter months.
What are the types of fabric patterns?
Oh, this is an article in itself I’m sure. Here’s a list of pattern types for you to start with:
• Abstract
• All over
• Argyle
• Batik
• Block print
• Burn out
• Chevron
• Damask
• Floral
• Gingham
• Guilloche
• Half-drop repeat
• Houndstooth
• Ikat
• Offset
• Ogee
• Paisley
• Repeat
• Shibori
• Side repeat
• Square repeat
• Stripes
What is the strongest type of fabric?
The strongest natural fiber is silk – but the silk from spiders, not silkworms! For the strongest
fabric made from natural fibers, it’s a very close call. Technically hemp is considered the
strongest natural fiber used in creating fabric but with variables such as the way the fiber is spun
into yarn and then woven into fabric, it is a close tie with flax / linen!
Dyneema fiber is currently the strongest synthetic fiber in the world and any fabric incorporating
it would definitely be in contention for the strongest synthetic fabric!
We wear different types of fabrics every day, but chances are that we don’t know what they are,
or even how to take care of them. Good fabrics are worth nothing if not cleaned or maintained
properly, and improper care could be a waste of money.
Clothing, after all, is and should be treated as an investment. Proper care for the different clothes
in your wardrobe can help keep them looking their best and prolong their use. Here are the
different kinds of fabrics and how to take care of them:
Cotton
Most cotton fabrics are “pre-shrunk”, which makes them highly durable. Cotton garments can be
machine-washed with any detergent. As with any fabric, reserve bleach for whites. If bleach is
needed for colored clothing, use color-safe bleach as much as possible.
(Denim, the cloth you find in jackets and jeans, also falls in this category – cotton is woven into
denim using a twill.)
Machine-wash in cold or warm water with all-purpose detergent and line-dry in shade to avoid
yellowing. For white cotton, wash with bleach on a hot water setting.
Synthetics (Polyester, Nylon, Spandex, etc.)
Synthetic fabrics don’t have the risk of shrinkage unlike more delicate fabrics, and are resistant
to water-based stains. However, friction makes them conducive to static electricity.
Polyester, considered the “wonder fiber” of the 20th century, makes for durable, easy-to-wash
garments that come in a wide variety of colors. Most polyester fabrics can be machine-washed in
warm water, but be sure to iron on low heat to keep the fibers from melting.
Another synthetic widely used today is spandex, an elastic fiber used in a lot of sportswear
because of its flexibility and its resistance to wear and tear due to friction. Be sure to avoid
bleach and hot water when washing spandex fabrics.
Rayon
Rayon is a textile made from wood pulp and is treated with chemicals, which makes it a
semisynthetic fabric.
While cool and comfortable, rayon has the drawback of losing its crispness, as well as bleed
and/or shrink, when laundered.
Consider hand-washing in cold water with mild detergent if dry-cleaning is not an option. Air
dry and iron when slightly damp.
Linen
This is an example of a natural fabric, this time made from flax. Linen is a surprisingly light and
breezy fabric that keeps you cool in hot weather, and, like cotton, is machine-washable.
Clean linens in warm water with chlorine-free bleach and hang to dry. Using the medium heat
setting on the dryer is also a good option for drying this fabric.
Cashmere
Cashmere makes for some of the most comfortable sweaters and scarves, as this fabric is made
of a natural fiber woven from goat hair.
Dry-clean cashmere as much as possible. If this is not an option, consider hand-washing with
baby shampoo. Ironing or machine-drying can ruin cashmere, and wringing can loosen the
weave.
Never hang cashmere scarves or sweaters. Instead, fold them to make sure they retain their
shape.
Silk
Silk feels exquisite, but is quite delicate to handle and difficult to clean. This natural fiber is
among one of the world’s oldest textiles and clothing materials, and the fiber is in itself
washable.
However, silk is difficult to clean because of the many fabric weaves that may tighten or pucker
when washed. When washing silk, be sure to follow the garment labels. Dry-clean as much as
possible. If hand-washing is an available option, use products formulated especially for delicate
fabrics.
To dry silk garments, roll them in a towel to press out the moisture and hang to dry. Press with a
warm iron.
Wool
Natural wool is woven from animal fur, which is a great natural insulator and really easy to dye
into many different colors.
Wool fabrics can be a cross between rugged tweeds and wool challis, and sometimes both
weaves are incorporated in certain clothing. Wool knits need to be dry-cleaned, but may be hand-
washable in cool water depending on the label.
Garments made of lined wool look best when dry-cleaned once a month. Be sure to remove the
surface soil a damp cloth and refresh by hanging from a padded hanger.