5 Things to Check When Buying Fabrics Online

They say, &#;what&#;s within is what makes you shine than what&#;s outside&#;. This holds true for not only the metaphorical aspects of life, but also in buying fabrics. 

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Would you buy an apparel by just its color and no heed to the size, fit and pattern? 

Or a technical product without checking for its features? No, right? 

Pretty much the same applies to buying fabrics online. It isn&#;t just about picking up the most interesting and attractively printed piece. If you want your garment or accessory to have a great quality and stand-out appeal, it&#;s numerous factors to be taken into account before making that final choice.  

1. Weight 

Weight is a great determinator of the comfort of nearly anything as it does for fabric. And we all know, extra weight has never helped anyone ever.

Now, if you want a lightweight fabric or heavy, it totally depends on the use.  Where a cushion cover might be good with a little heavy one, a stole or flowy saree has to be made of light fabric.

Here in the weight, the fiber type, weave and finish are some of the factors to contribute, by which you can make a call on the suitability of the fabric for its use.

Here are some of the fabrics divided based on their weights: 

Lightweight: Chiffon,  Linen, Organza, Mesh, Lace, Voile, Habutai.

Medium:  Velvet, Satin, Taffeta, Oxford.

Heavy weight: Upholstery fabric, Canvas, Brocade, Denim.

2. Thickness

The weight and thickness can seem quite ambiguous to define, but they sure have quite some difference.

While weight is the heaviness of a fabric, thickness is one of the factors that can influence the weight.

How thick fabric you want depends on the use, and vice-versa. A garment such as a coat or a blazer needs a thicker fabric to hold the stiffness, while sarees  are mostly thin to allow more flow to them.

If you talk about curtains, they can be thick or thin, depending on the style. Usually your decision on the fabric relies on not one but many factors in a bunch.

3. Feel, Drape and Flow

Feel free to identify these as the easiest basics to identify how you like the fabric. 

Feel - &#;Wear what feels good to your skin&#;. Feels like a familiar though?

Well, by feel of the fabric we are talking about the texture that a fabric gives. Different fabrics have different natural textures - Velvet feels furry and soft, satin feels quite smooth, and cotton has coarseness.

These textures depend on the core material as well the quality of weave, thus defining how it feels.

Drape and Flow - Drape of a fabric can be said to be it&#;s quality of flow or fall. The fall here is influenced by the weight, among other weave factors.

A heavy weighted, thickly weaved fabric is likely to have much less quality of flowy-ness than a lightweight fabric. A good example of this is canvas versus satin. 

While selecting a fabric and to check its flow, first you can determine the use and kind of fabric you want.

If you would want a dress that falls freely without wrinkles and has a smooth texture, you might go for satin.

If you want to make a fancy jacket, well it cannot be free falling. Here you would need something with a tighter drape to hold the stiffness of the garment. 

4. Material

Material is the composition of a fabric which is based on a couple of things such as fiber composition, weave technique and extra added finishes such as color resistance, etc. To dive-in better - wool is the material behind woolen clothes, cotton for khadi weaves. The material can fairly be called a summation of all the properties of a fabric.

While the purpose of buying fabric is solely to make attire but the weather of your surroundings and where you want to wear it, play an equally important role in deciding what kind of fabric you should choose.

The base material of fabrics is made with a variety of materials like cotton, wool, silk, polyester, linen, etc. Choosing a silk fabric for a summer dress will not be a good idea, but linen & cotton are absolutely perfect for it. Similarly, if your skin is sensitive you should not opt for polyester & other synthetic materials, instead, go for more natural & breezy fabrics for any of your designs.

Though keep in mind, a blazer might need the base cloth to be made of strong textured and thick material, or a flowy dress to be made of lighter material.

Similarly, for making carry bags, the texture may not be that much an issue, but if the material is not strong to hold things as a carry bag, the purpose is defeated. Likewise, if you would want to dye a shirt on your own but what if you end up buying a fabric whose material is color resistant?

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Therefore, for whatever purpose you want to pick a fabric, the characteristics and choice of the material play an important role.

5. Washing and Care Instructions

Remember that dress you bought with so much enthusiasm? And right after first use you sent it for laundry instead of dry cleaning.

Forgot to read that the fabric will react negatively to water wash. There you go, just lost a great new buy. 

Each fabric, owing to its qualities, demands different care and maintenance.

You should always check for the kind of care the fabric demands before committing to it, or what took so much effort to buy, costs you double to maintain - something you may not have wanted to opt for. 

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So, before you go out to buy any fabrics, make sure to answer for yourself its purpose and then tally against the above pointers.

A little understanding of how the fabric behaves  can help you go a long way and enjoy the feel of it. *wink* 

Did you find the above information useful? Or you knew a lot of it already?
Let us know in the comments.. 

Choosing the right fabric to create your clothes can be tough. Finding the right fabric is the first step in your garment sewing process. To help you along your way, here are 5 tips for buying the best clothing fabrics.

#1 Natural vs. Synthetic

First, you&#;ll want to choose what kind of clothing fabric you prefer, and this falls into two major categories. First, natural fiber fabrics. Cotton, hemp, and linen are examples of natural fabrics. Natural fabrics are soft, absorbent, and generally easy to care for. For sensitive skin, natural fibers are often preferred. Unfortunately, natural fibers are also more likely to tear.

Second, synthetic fabrics, such as nylon, polyester, and rayon are durable and resistant to the wear and tear of wearing apparel over and over. These fabrics tend to try quickly; this makes them perfect for athletic clothes. Synthetic fabrics are not ideal for people with hypersensitive skin. Some synthetic fabrics don&#;t breathe well, either. It depends on the types of materials used. 

Our suggestion is to start off with cotton fabric if this is your first garment sewing project. Cotton is less finicky than other fabrics. Let&#;s discuss why:

#2 You Can Count on Cotton

Cotton isn&#;t just one type of fabric. There are at least 100 different kinds of clothing fabrics made of cotton. If you&#;re looking for fabric with comfort in mind, look for knitted and woven cottons. They breathe, feel good even when it&#;s hot, and best of all it&#;s easy to sew. If  you&#;re about to embark on your first garment sewing project, we highly suggest using cotton. The key disadvantage to this inexpensive fabric is that it&#;s more likely to wrinkle than synthetic fabrics. Here are other benefits to cotton:

• Moisture control
• Hypoallergenic
• Comfortable
• Durable
• Insulates well
• Warm in winter, cool in summer

#3 Search for Ethical Animal-Based Fabrics

For conscientious makers, make sure you&#;re sure about where your animal-based clothing fabrics are coming from. Leather, wool, silk, cashmere, and angora are examples of animal-sourced fabrics. So, before jumping into buying these types of fabrics, do some research. Also, animal-based fabrics are not considered vegan. All of these fabrics have different benefits when making apparel (and some downsides too). For example, wool is strong, breathable, and water resistant. However, it can be itchy, requires special care, and can shrink with relative ease.

#4 Search for Clothing Fabrics by Characteristic

As we&#;ve said before, every fabric has its own special characteristics. You can search for fabrics online based on your desired outcome. Do you want something easy to sew with and flattering? Then cotton might be right for you. If you want something breathable, sustainable, and that softens over time, hemp might be the best material for the job. For projects that need to be stretchy but keep their shape, Lycra or Spandex may be appropriate.

#5 Blends, Baby, Blends

As you get better at sewing and working with different clothing fabrics, you&#;ll eventually venture into blended fabric territory. Blended fabrics are two or more fabrics woven together to get the benefits of each. However, blends are often more difficult to work with. Yet, they create some stunning pieces. When working from patterns, be sure to always check what the pattern maker suggests for fabric types. Using the wrong fabric can completely ruin your garment. Common fabric pairings include nylon/wool, linen/cotton, linen/rayon, polyester/cotton, and so many more!

Canvas ETC &#; Your Source for Clothing Fabrics

At Canvas, ETC, we love working with our customers to find the right fabrics for their sewing projects. Don&#;t hesitate to reach out to us on social media to ask questions and share your projects! We can&#;t wait to see what you create with clothing fabrics.

For more Cotton Dressinginformation, please contact us. We will provide professional answers.