When you start out dressmaking it’s easy to overlook the importance of fabric choice and wonder why your finished garment doesn’t look anything like the pattern photo. In fact, fabric choice is just as important as skill to creating the dream wardrobe.
Choosing fabrics online is even harder as a beginner if you don’t have experience of feeling the texture, weight and drape of fabric types in person. Follow our guide to choosing dressmaking fabrics online (where we explain what fabric drape and weight means for fit) and make finished garments you will be proud to wear.
The 3 Fabric Features that Control how a Garment Looks
The 3 core fabric features which determine how your finished garment looks and fits are:
- Drape (how the fabric hangs)
- Weight (how heavy or light it is)
- Structure (how much it holds its shape)
Understanding these 3 elements will help you visualise the final silhouette of your garment make. Let’s explain each of these in turn.
Understanding Drape
The simple definition of drape is the way a fabric hangs and moves: does it cling to the body in soft folds or stand away from the body maintaining a stiffer look?
Drape Spectrum
- Fluid and flowing —> viscose and silk
- Fluid but holds shape —> cotton lawn, linen
- Structured and stiff —> denim, cotton canvas
If your fabric choice is a mismatch with your pattern, you may be disappointed with the result. As an example, if you choose a stiffer fabric like cotton poplin for a floaty dress, it will look boxy and shapeless. Conversely if you choose a drapey fabric like viscose for an A line tailored skirt it will cling to your hips and you will lose the A line shape entirely.
For a more in depth guide to drape, read our longer article on A Dressmaker’s Guide to Drape.
Understanding Fabric Weight
You will see on our product descriptions that each product has a weight expressed as GSM which is grams per square metre. This is the weight per square metre of cloth and indicates the density of the fabric.
As an example, our lightest weight fabrics like Liberty cotton lawn tend to be between 104 gsm and 115gsm while our heavyweight fabrics like denim can be as heavy as 330 gsm.
Quick Guide to Fabric Weight and Uses
|
Cotton Voile |
65 - 70 gsm |
linings |
|
Swiss Knot Cotton |
70 gsm |
blouses, tops, nightwear |
|
Cotton Lawn |
70-104 gsm |
summer dress, blouses |
|
Viscose |
110 - 115 gsm |
dresses, blouses |
|
Cotton Chambray |
115 gsm |
shirts, tops, pyjamas |
|
Cotton Poplin |
120 - 130 gsm |
blouses, tops, dresses |
|
Linen |
130 - 230 gsm |
trousers, dresses, shirts |
|
Denim |
270 - 330 gsm |
trousers, jackets |
|
Wool |
320 - 405 gsm |
trousers, jackets, skirts |
If you are new to sewing, we recommend a medium weight cotton like chambray or poplin as the easiest to sew.
Understanding Fabric Structure
By fabric structure we mean, how much the fabric holds its shape. Stiffer fabrics like denim or cotton twill hold their shape well, making them ideal for trousers. At the other end of the spectrum a fabric like voile or lawn is so lightweight and soft that it hangs in delicate folds, which is ideal for a floaty dress but wouldn’t work for a jacket.
How Fabric Drape and Weight Affect Fit
What beginners often don't realise is that the same pattern can look completely different depending on fabric choice. An example of this is the popular wrap dress:
Wrap Dress Fabric Options
This is why all patterns will recommend which fabrics work best for the design. In general, a soft and drapey lightweight fabric follows the body shape but doesn’t cling; a medium weight fabric skims the body, and a stiffer more structured fabric holds its own shape separate to the body.
Quick Pattern Selection Checklist
When choosing a dressmaking pattern check two things straight away:
-
What is the sewing skill level required to make this pattern? Pattern suppliers will usually indicate whether the pattern is suitable for a beginner, confident beginner, intermediate or advanced dressmaker.
- Does the pattern need a stretch fabric? While we recommend that beginner dressmakers avoid sewing with stretch on their first project, if you are determined, see how much stretch the pattern requires - a t-shirt ,for example, will need more stretch than a fitted pair of jeans.
How to Choose Fabric Online at Fabrics Galore
When shopping online, you can't feel the fabric but here are a few simple ways to choose with confidence on the Fabrics Galore website.
Explore Fabrics by Project
Use Collection Menus and Filters: if you run your cursor along the top menus, you will see the menu option “Fabric Use” which allows you to select fabrics for your intended garment, such as a dress, skirt, blouse or trousers.
Read the Full Product Description
When you are browsing our collections and see a fabric you like, click on it rather than select the Quick View so that you will see the full product description. It will usually include descriptive words like crisp, soft, drapey and a sentence highlighting what you can make with it.
Check fibre content
At the top of each product description, you will find the fabric composition. For fabric blends we always highlight the percentage of each fabric e.g. 55% linen, 45% cotton.
This will also be where you will find out if it contains elastane and is therefore stretchy or not.
At Fabrics Galore we also add details such as Knit, OEKO-TEX 100 and others to the top right hand corner of the product image to help give you even more information.
Check Weight and Width
Weight is expressed in grams per square metre (see table above) and the width is usually between 115-150cm so check your pattern for the necessary fabric quantity based on width.
We write our product descriptions with dressmakers in mind - so you know how a fabric will look and feel and its ideal uses.
Consider Ordering a Sample
if you really want to touch and feel the fabric before committing to a full purchase and are unable to visit our shop in London, order a sample first.
Beginner Friendly Dressmaking Fabrics We Recommend
If you’re new to dressmaking, avoid stretch fabrics like jersey and slippery fabrics like satin and silk. Also avoid heavyweight fabrics like wool and denim. You want a fabric which will not move around too much when sewing. These are some of our most beginner-friendly fabrics:
Cotton Poplin
- Crisp, smooth and holds shape
- Great for shirts, skirts and dresses
Cotton Lawn
- Lightweight but stable
- Great for floaty dresses and blouses
Cotton Chambray
- Lightweight tight weave fabric
- Great for shirts, summer dresses and skirts
Brushed Cotton/Flannel
- Soft, comfortable and stable fabric
- Great for a beginner project like pyjama bottoms
These fabrics are some of our most popular for a reason, as they are easy to handle, can be used for a wide variety of garment makes and look great when worn.
Once you have chosen your fabric, don’t forget to order extras like our matching thread service, sewing machine needles and interfacing.
Top Tip: Choose Plain or Abstract Prints
Pattern matching across seams and closures can be a real challenge for beginner dressmakers so start with plain coloured fabrics or busy, abstract prints rather than a geometric or a stripe where matching is more critical.
Common Beginner Dressmaker Mistakes
Top Tip: We have all fallen in love with a pattern or fabric which is tricky to sew - our best advice is to save it for when you are further on in your sewing journey. Or make it first in a cheap fabric like a toile or calico to perfect the fit before sewing with your final fabric
Quick checklist for beginner dressmakers
- What do I want to make?
- Do I want structure or drape?
- Is this fabric easy to sew?
- Does the pattern recommend similar fabrics?
Fabrics Galore Best-Selling Beginner Dressmaking Fabrics
At Fabrics Galore, we stock perennial best-selling fabrics which our customers return for again and again:
Shop with Confidence at Fabrics Galore
Choosing fabric online doesn’t have to feel overwhelming. Once you have understood the basics of drape, weight and structure, everything else falls into place and you can be confident of enjoying your first dressmaking project. Explore our dressmaking fabric, remember to read the product descriptions and if you are still unsure, our friendly team are always on hand to help with advice for your project.
Authored by: Annabelle Rigg, Online and Store Manager at Fabrics Galore London
Reviewed by: Paul Johnston, Owner and Founder of Fabrics Galore London since 1992
Photo by Vitaly Gariev on Unsplash
