Welcome to my first blog entry of 2018! I hope you had a wonderful New Year and that this year will bring new opportunities.
I've decided to make this guide to fabric, which will tell you about my experience with the types of fabric I've used in sewing. Maybe it will help you choose which fabric to use for a project, or maybe it will help your first experience with a fabric go a little more smoothly.
One note, though: these are just my opinions from my experiences and your experience may not be exactly the same (and my sewing machine is somewhat picky). Now let's begin!
I've decided to make this guide to fabric, which will tell you about my experience with the types of fabric I've used in sewing. Maybe it will help you choose which fabric to use for a project, or maybe it will help your first experience with a fabric go a little more smoothly.
One note, though: these are just my opinions from my experiences and your experience may not be exactly the same (and my sewing machine is somewhat picky). Now let's begin!
Felt
- Has no wrong side and no pile and is cheap, making it good for beginners. Felt was the first fabric I used. However, it may not look as "professional" as other fabrics on a project; good for prototypes.
- Hand-sewing: The edges may try to fray slightly, but other than that felt is very easy to sew by hand.
- Machine-sewing: Felt does not slip and is very easy to sew by machine; basting stitches will work well.
Fleece
- Has no wrong side and no pile, making it also good for beginners, though I'd recommend using it second, after felt. Fleece was the second fabric I used and is more expensive than felt, but cheaper than faux fur and minky.
- Hand-sewing: Very easy to sew by hand; edges do not fray.
- Machine-sewing: Fleece doesn't slip but may be a little more difficult to sew by machine than felt. Baste the pieces first.
Plush Fleece
- Has no wrong side and a very short pile; the pile is not long enough to get caught in the seams much. Soft and slightly more expensive than regular fleece. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: Plush fleece frays a lot, so you have to be careful when sewing; don't sew too close to the edges and leave plenty of seam allowance.
- Machine-sewing: Plush fleece is thick, so it's not easy to sew two layers of it together. When I tried, my sewing machine wouldn't sew it part of the time. Unless you're using just one layer of plush fleece with another fabric for the other layer, I'd suggest hand-sewing or using a different fabric. Basting can be somewhat difficult as well.
Flannel
- Has a wrong side but no pile and close to fleece in price. I use this for projects that are not stuffed animals. Good for beginners who have already had some experience.
- Hand-sewing: Frays somewhat but not enough to be a problem. Can probably be sewn by hand, but I haven't tried it.
- Machine-sewing: Very easy to sew by machine. Basting stitches should work fine as long as you use a straight stitch. It's better to use pins if the pieces are large.
Minky
- Has a wrong side and a very short pile, too short to get caught in the seams much. Since the pile is so short it doesn't matter that much if you cut it along with the backing. As long as you have a seam allowance the cut pile won't show in the finished project. Soft and more expensive than plush fleece, but cheaper than faux fur. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: The edges may fray slightly and slip a little, but other than that minky actually isn't too hard to sew by hand.
- Machine-sewing: Minky has a soft backing that slips a lot, but if you baste the pieces first and sew slowly and carefully, it won't be too hard to sew by machine.
Rose Minky
- Has a wrong side and a longer pile than regular minky, covered in swirly rose-shaped patterns. You'll want to push the pile away from the seams before sewing, and carefully pull out any that does get caught with a needle after sewing. Also cut only the backing when you cut the pieces. Very soft and close in price to other minky fabrics. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: The edges may fray slightly and slip a little, but other than that rose minky actually isn't too hard to sew by hand.
- Machine-sewing: Rose minky has a soft backing that slips a lot, but if you baste the pieces first and sew slowly and carefully, it won't be too hard to sew by machine.
Rabbit Snuggle Minky
- Has a wrong side and a longer pile than regular minky, about the same length as rose minky, with the pile facing different directions in different spots. You'll want to push the pile away from the seams before sewing, and carefully pull out any that does get caught with a needle after sewing. Also cut only the backing when you cut the pieces. Very soft and close in price to other minky fabrics. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: The edges may fray slightly and slip a little, but other than that rabbit snuggle minky actually isn't too hard to sew by hand.
- Machine-sewing: Rabbit snuggle minky has a soft backing that slips a lot, but if you baste the pieces first and sew slowly and carefully, it won't be too hard to sew it by machine.
Shaggy Minky
- Has a wrong side and a longer pile than regular minky, a little longer than rose minky, basically looks like faux fur with a soft backing. You'll want to push the pile away from the seams before sewing, and carefully pull out any that does get caught with a needle after sewing. Also cut only the backing when you cut the pieces. Very soft and close in price to other minky fabrics. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: The edges may fray slightly and slip a little, but other than that shaggy minky actually isn't too hard to sew by hand.
- Machine-sewing: Shaggy minky has a soft backing that slips a lot, but if you baste the pieces first and sew slowly and carefully, it won't be too hard to sew it by machine.
Sherpa
- Has a wrong side, a short pile, and is cheaper than faux fur. You'll want to push the pile away from the seams before sewing, and carefully pull out any that does get caught with a needle after sewing. Also cut only the backing when you cut the pieces. Sherpa has a soft, stretchy backing and it's not as easy to push the pile out of the seams as with other fabrics. It doesn't shed much; in fact, the pile tends to stick a little after you cut it, so you'll have to pull the pieces apart after cutting and pull any loose pile off. Not for beginners.
- Hand-sewing: Somewhat difficult because of the stretchy backing and hard-to-push-away pile, but it can be done. Hand-sew carefully.
- Machine-sewing: Sherpa is a thick fabric, so it can be difficult to sew by machine. Take it slow and stitch carefully, and you can do it.
Faux Fur
- Has a wrong side and a short, medium, or long pile, depending on the type of fur. You'll want to push the pile away from the seams before sewing, and carefully pull out any that does get caught with a needle after sewing. Also cut only the backing when you cut the pieces. Different furs have different textures and range in price, but they are generally soft and more expensive than other fabrics. Typical faux fur fabric has a stiffer backing than minky, making it easier to work with. Good for those with some experience.
- Hand-sewing: Not too hard to sew by hand; will only fray slightly, if at all.
- Machine-sewing: Faux fur in general is actually very easy to sew by machine as long as you baste the pieces first. It doesn't slip and follows the stitches well.
