A Lesson In Fabrics

Fabric should not cost a fortune.  As a beginner, I suggest you stick with 100% high quality cottons. These fabrics come on the bolt measuring 45” wide and can be cut to amounts such as ¼ yard, 3/8 yard, ¼ yard, and 1 yard increments, or anything in between.   You can find great bargains at quilt shops, fabric stores or department stores.  Stay away from cheaply made, flimsy, see-through fabrics.  The fabric should feel weighty to the touch, and simply put, the fabric should feel “good.”   I love www.fabrics.com.  They have very good quality fabrics and often have great sales with lots of choices.  There are many online fabric stores available.

You can be resourceful and use men’s shirts found at thrift stores, nice sheets, old curtains, etc., most of which can be purchased from thrift stores, estate sales, or garage sales.

Practice making your project on cheap muslin fabrics or old sheets before investing in high quality fabrics.  It’s worth the extra work.  As always, look for bargain prices but don’t sacrifice quality.

Always choose the types of fabrics that your pattern recommends.  If you get confused, ask a seasoned sewer, or the employee at your local fabric store (who should, but doesn’t always know the answer).

If you enjoy sewing and you are a beginner, invest in a beginner sewing book.  Most of these types of books explain various types of fabrics, what type of needles to use with them, and what these fabrics are generally used for (what types of projects are best suited).  Visit your local book store and find some good books on the subject.  Leave the store with the ISBN number, the title of the book, and the author.  Then run a check online with Amazon or Barnes and Nobel and get a used copy of that book.  You may also be able to find a great resource in a resale shop.

(Image above from makeit.com)