Sweatshirts are one of the most comfortable garments you can possibly wear and have become an incredibly popular wardrobe staple throughout the entire year. If you ever want to sew your very own sweatshirt, you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that the fabric choices available are normally some of the easiest to work with. Especially as it’s starting to get a lot colder now, it’s time to think about making clothes which not only look and feel amazing - but keep us warm too! Therefore, the team at Fabrics Galore have put together this blog to help you understand the different types of sweatshirt fabrics you can work with.
What is brushed back jersey?
Browse our brushed back sweatshirt fabrics
Brushed back sweatshirt fabric is an incredibly versatile and practical material, which is very fluffy and dense. Of course, jersey fabric, in general, is known for being a very soft material. However, brushed back jersey has an even fleecier feel, and is softer on the inside - so perfect for a warm, sweatshirt to wear on cooler days. It’s a little thicker than normal jersey, but still looks like any other knit, and its fuzziness is what distinguishes this sweatshirt fabric from French terry.
Brushed back jersey is incredibly popular, and here at Fabrics Galore, we have this fabric available in a wide range of gorgeous prints. One of our most popular collections is our speckled brushed backed sweatshirt fabric, which provides a little bit of glamour to an otherwise casual top.
Speckled grey brushed backed Sweatshirt
The difference between brushed back jersey and fleece backed jersey
The Fleece Backed Jersey Sweatshirt fabric is often ‘heavier’ (has far more of a pile), has a cosier feel and is manufactured using synthetic fibres.
Browse our fleece backed sweatshirt fabrics
What is loopback jersey?
What is the difference between Loopback Jersey and French Terry?
French terry is often used for more casual styles of clothing, as it’s a very soft textured textile which is mid-weight, but still a low maintenance fabric. Loopback jersey is slightly different but is still knitted in a way which forms lots of little loops on the reverse - giving it a slightly heavier feel when compared to French Terry fabric.
Is all Jersey suitable for sweatshirts?
Jersey fabric is frequently a lighter weight fabric suitable for t-shirts and sweatshirt fabric is usually a heavier weight with a warm fleece or brush backed reverse. Jersey fabric usually has more stretch than sweatshirt fabric with a small percentage of elastane in the fabric composition.
At Fabrics Galore we have a great range of jersey fabrics like this gorgeous Frida Kahlo panel print which can be used in all types of dressmaking from T-shirts to leggings to sweatshirts.
Why should you purchase sweatshirt fabrics from Fabrics Galore?
At Fabrics Galore, Paul Johnston heads up both our online store and the physical fabric store in London. He has built up an excellent rapport with his suppliers over many years, which we then pass on to you - both in the range of products and the price, and this is no different with our sweatshirt fabrics. He has found that 250gsm weight is the ideal weight for sweatshirt fabric and you will see this reflected in the collection.
Unlike many other fabric suppliers, the majority of our sweatshirt fabric collection has a very high cotton content of either 95% or 97% cotton with a small percentage of elastane providing the ideal amount of stretch for comfort and fit.
Many of our sweatshirt materials also meet the OEKO-TEX 100 standard and are available in gorgeous plain colours as well as stripes and florals. We even have a large range of jersey ribbings, which can be used as cuffing as well as on necklines to give your sweatshirt projects a professional finish.
To have a conversation with Paul, or another member of our team, regarding the fabrics we have available, you are more than welcome to telephone us on 020 7738 9589. By signing up to our free newsletter, we can provide you with regular email updates about your favourite fabrics here at Fabrics Galore.
