The Best Fabric
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Not all fabrics are created equal, and the first thing you should consider when shopping for fabric is what purpose the fabric will ultimately serve. Quilters often work with a number of smaller pieces that will be cut and assembled into a blanket-sized design. Many quilters want fabrics with no stretch.
If you’re sewing clothes, however, you may need a knit fabric with some stretch built into it, which makes the article more forgiving to individual variations. If you’re constructing one large piece, you might want to be able to choose the length of your fabric rather than buying at set dimensions.
Materials also come into play when choosing fabric. For example, fleece is thick, soft and warm, while cotton fabrics like muslin and tweed are thinner and lighter. The project you’re working on will narrow down the number of appropriate fabrics.
Our Picks For The Top Fabrics
This cozy, anti-pilling fleece comes in 2-yard sections at 72 inches by 60 inches. It's offered in a number of solids, plaids and patterns for use in various projects for babies, children and adults.
Soft and Anti-pillingUse this fleece for making throws, blankets, pillows and comfortable baby items.
These 9.8-inch by 9.8-inch squares come in a set of 56 pieces in a variety of colors and patterns of polka dots, stripes, flowers or plaid. Each piece is made from cotton and the set contains nine different colors that come in an array of different patterns.
A Wide-Ranging SetThis fabric set is great for quilting, home decoration, doll clothing or other small projects.
This fun, sparkling fabric contains a high density of 3-millimeter sequins and comes in lengths of 36 inches to be used for clothing or decor. The sequined cloth comes in six solid colors and a gradient rainbow, and has sparkly elements sewn right into a polyester mesh.
Sparkling Glitter AccentsThis fabric’s bright glitter makes it great for decoration or for any garment that could use a bit of sparkle.
Unbleached or uncolored muslin fabrics are made of 100% cotton. They are used to make dress templates for fittings as well as backdrops, draping and simple clothing. The fabric is 63 inches wide and can be purchased in lengths from 1 yard to 100 yards.
Solid Color SimplicityLong lengths of muslin are great for simple projects that need the drape of pure cotton.
What to Look For
- Fabrics for sale online normally indicate their purchasable length. However, make sure you check the width as well to make sure you have the proper square footage.
- You can use fabrics in similar colors but different patterns to complement one another in a project.
- Make sure you wash fabric before using it! Some fabrics will change dimensions significantly once washed.
More to Explore
The earliest fabrics were created from flax (used for linen), cotton and wool, all of which are naturally occurring fibers that humans learned to spin into thread and weave together.
Manmade fibers are made of synthetic polymers and didn’t come into use until about 100 years ago.