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LESSON 6
FABRICS

The type of fabric to use for any type of clothing is a very crucial step in selection of
clothes. Choosing the right fabric sometimes is too difficult to decide. Settling with the
wrong type of fabric can be one of the main reasons for the clothing to be disappointing to
wear and functional.
What makes the fabric selection process difficult is the fact that there are many
options for fabric types and a few of them could seem the “perfect” fit for a given garment.
However, by finding some common examples, looking at the catalogs and based on
experience, the process of choosing the right material for specific clothes can be made
easier.
There are only two reasons why we want to sew clothing. First, we like a fabric and
find a fitting pattern for it. The other one is we like a pattern for which we need to find a
fabric for. Finding the right decision lies in these two aspects. They complement to each
other and work together.

Learning Objectives:
At the end of the lesson the student will be able to:

a. Identify different kinds of fabrics and its uses.

b. Identify the different kinds of weaves use in a certain kind of fabric.

Methods of Fabric Construction

Weaving – is the process most used to convert thread into the material. It is done by
interlacing two or more sets of yarn at right angle to each other. Woven fabric is stronger and
more durable.

Woven fabrics are produced by interlacing of yarns. Warp (lengthwise) yarns are first
stretched onto a loom, arranged so that they can be alternately raised and lowered by
harnesses (movable frames). Weft (filling or crosswise) yarns are then inserted at right
angles to the warp, by shuttles. Weave structure can be varied by rearranging the pattern in
which warp and weft intersect.

There are three basic weaves: plain, twill and satin. Most other types are variations on
these three, except for patterned weaves. These are complex structures that require special
devices attached to the loom.

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 Every woven fabric has a ribbon-like edge, or selvage, running lengthwise along each
side. Always be sure that weft yarns are at right angles to the selvages; this indicates that
fabric is on grain, an important consideration in cutting. Though rough textured fabrics can
be interesting, those with smooth, tightly twisted yarns and a high thread count (number of
yarns per square inch of fabric) are the most durable.

a. Plain weave – the simplest of the weave constructions, in which each filling yarn
goes alternately over and under each warp yarn. Sturdiness varies with strength of
the yarns and compactness of the weave structure. Plain weave is the basis for most
prints.
Examples: Muslin, voile, challis, percale
b. Twill weave - a basic structure in which the weft yarn passes over at least two, but
not more than four, warp yarns. On each successive line, the weft moves one step to
the right or left, forming a diagonal ridge; the steeper the ridge, the stronger the
fabric. As a rule, twills are more durable than plain weaves.
Examples: Denim, gabardine, serge
c. Satin weave – a basic structure in which a warp yarns passes over four to eight weft
yarns in a staggered pattern like that of twill. Yarns exposed on the surface, called
floats its characteristic sheen. Sateen weave, usually of cotton fiber, is a variation in
which the floats are formed by weft yarns.
Examples: Peau de soie, crepe-back satin

Other kinds of weave produced from 3 basic weaves are:

Basket weave Swivel weave Rib weave Dobby weave
Herringbone weave Jacquard weave
Pile weave Gauze weave

Knitting – is the interloping of one or more yarns.

Knit fabrics are made up of a series of interlocking loops that result in a flexible
construction. While all knits have stretch, they vary considerably in amount and direction of
stretch. The influential factors in stretch are the yarn and the knit structure employed.

There are two basic knit structures, warp and weft.

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 Warp knit fabric is constructed with many yarns that form loops simultaneously in the
lengthwise (warp) direction. Each yarn is controlled by its own needle, and interlocked with
neighboring yarns in zigzag fashion.

Weft knits fabric is constructed with just one yarn that forms continuous rows of loops
in the horizontal (weft) direction.

Other fabric constructions are:

There are several fabric constructions or processes that cannot classified as knit or
woven.

 Felting is a process in which moisture heat and pressure are applied to short fibers,
interlocking them in a matted layer. Wool is the primary fiber in felt fabric because it
tends naturally to mat.
 Fusing – is like felting except that it employs a bonding agent to hold the fibers
(usually cotton or rayon) together.
 Bonding – is a process by which two or more fabrics are joined with an adhesive.
 Netting – is a fabric construction in which the yarns are held together by knots at
each point where they intersect.
 Braiding – is a fabric construction in which three or more yarns from a single source
are interlaced diagonally and lengthwise (just as in braiding hair).
 Malimo – is a fabric construction in which weft yarns are laid over warp yarns, then
joined by a third yarn of interlocking chain stitches.

Kinds of Cotton Fabrics

Canvas
Uses: Used as a home decorating fabric (curtains cushions
and outdoor gear).
Characteristics: Tightly woven heavy duty cotton

Cotton Batiste
Uses: For elegant garments (blouses, baby dresses, and
underlining)
Characteristics: A finely woven lightweight cotton
Use straight stitch/ jeans presser foot and 60/8 or 70/10
machine needle

Broadcloth
Uses: Perfect for shirts.

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 Characteristics: Fantastic, closely woven cotton that has
slight rib

Chambray
Uses: For blouses, men’s shirts, children’s wear
Characteristics: Light cotton that has a colored warp thread
and white weft thread. Chambray can also be found as a check or a
striped fabric

Cheesecloth
Uses: For curtaining and other household uses wear
Characteristics: A fine, plain, open-weave cotton. Can be
found in colors but usually sold as natural/unbleached or
white. Makes great pressing cloths and interlinings. Washing
prior to use is recommended.

Corduroy
Uses: For pants, skirts, men’s wear
Characteristics: A soft pile fabric with distinctive stripes
(known as wales or ribs) woven into it. The name depends on
the size of the ribs: baby or pin cord has extremely fine ribs;
needle cord has slightly thicker ribs; corduroy has 10–12 ribs
per 1in (2.5cm); and elephant or jumbo cord has thick, heavy
ribs.

Cotton chintz
Uses: For home decorations (curtains and cushions)
Characteristics: 100% cotton. Needs special fabric
treatment that leaves it shiny and smooth

Cotton pique
Uses: The most common fabric used in the tie and waistcoat of white
tie
Characteristics: Medium weight cotton fabric that has raised nubby
surface

Cotton shirting
Uses: Pajamas and boxers.
Characteristics: Lightweight 100percent cotton that makes fantastic
menswear shirts

Cotton voile
Uses: Mostly used in soft furnishing such as curtains, mosquito nets,
and also in dressmaking.
Characteristics: Crisp lightweight cotton used for garments

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 Denim
Uses: Great for work clothes, jeans and jackets.
Characteristics: One of the most heavy-duty cottons

Eyelet
Uses: The fabric is used most often in children’s wear, baby clothes,
summer skirts, and blouses
Characteristics: A fine, plain-weave cotton that has been
embroidered in such a way as to make small holes.

Gingham
Uses: The fabric is used for Children’s wear, dresses, shirts, home
furnishings
Characteristics: A fresh, two-color cotton fabric that features a
check of various sizes. A plain weave made by having groups of
white and colored warp and weft threads.

Jersey
Uses: Used to make Underwear, draped dresses, loungewear,
bedding
Characteristics: A fine cotton yarn that has been knitted to give
stretch, making the fabric very comfortable to wear. Jersey will also
drape well.

Madras
Uses: Used to make Shirts, skirts, shorts, home furnishings
Characteristics: A check fabric made from a fine cotton yarn, usually
from India. Often found in bright colors featuring an uneven check,
an inexpensive cotton fabric.

Seer sucker
Uses: Used to make clothing for spring and summer wear
Characteristics: This falls into the category of cotton crinkles which
have surface texture.

Terrycloth
Uses: Used for robes, towels, beachwear and home decorating
Characteristics: Thick, absorbent cotton

Velveteen
Uses: Used in dressmaking
Characteristics: Either a 100-percent cotton or cotton blend, it has
a duller and slightly stiffer look than velvet.

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 Kinds of Linen Fabric

Cotton and Linen Mix

Uses: Used for summer-weight jackets, tailored dresses
Characteristics: Two fibers may have been mixed together in the
yarn or there may be mixed warp and weft yarns. It has lots of texture
in the weave.

Dress-Weight Linen
Uses: Used for Dresses, pants, skirts
Characteristics: Medium-weight linen with a plain weave. The yarn is
often uneven, which causes slubs in the weave.

Printed Linen
Uses: Used for Dresses, skirts
Characteristics: Many types of linen today feature prints or even
embroidery. The fabric may be light to medium weight, with a smooth
yarn that has few slubs.

Suiting Linen
Uses: Used for Men’s and women’s suits, pants, coats
Characteristics: A heavier yarn is used to produce a linen suitable for
suits for men and women. Can be a firm, tight weave or a looser
weave.

Fancy Weave Linen

Uses: Used for Dresses, jackets
Characteristics: A linen woven with additional decorative yarns such
as metallic or lurex.

Kinds of Silk Fabric

China Silk
Uses: Used almost exclusively for lining

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 Characteristics: A very lightweight silk

Brocade
Uses: Luxurious fabrics made into clothing or wall hangings
Characteristics: Textured silk with some stiffness

Chiffon
Uses: Can be used in all sorts of garments
Characteristics: Lightweight, very drapery silk .This is the fabric that
goes with the flow.

Charmeuse
Uses: Works well as a 1940s redux dressing gown, dresses and
blouses
Characteristics: A slinky, satiny, supple silk

Crepe de Chine
Uses: For making a full range of garments
Characteristics: A light to medium weight silk and comes in two-ply,
three- ply, and four- ply (the heaviest) weights

Duchese Satin
Uses: For Special-occasion wear
Characteristics: A heavy, expensive satin fabric used almost
exclusively for special-occasion wear.

Dupioni
Uses: For making Capri pants or a fancy room divide
Characteristics: A stiffer and crisper silk that has tell-tale slubs and
raised yarn on the fabric; easy to-sew silk that adds a lot of fashion
flair

Georgette
Uses: used for blouses, dresses, evening gowns, and trimmings
Characteristics: Lightweight silk and barely visible

Habutai
Uses: used for Lining, shirts, blouses
Characteristics: Originally from Japan, a smooth, fine silk that can
have a plain or a twill weave. Fabric is often used for silk painting.

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 Matka
Uses: used for Dresses, jackets, pants
Characteristics: A silk suiting fabric with an uneven looking yarn. Matka
can be mistaken for linen.

Organza
Uses: used for Sheer blouses, shrugs, interlining, interfacing
Characteristics: A sheer fabric with a crisp appearance that will crease
easily.

Raw silk
Uses: woven into textiles.
Characteristics: Rough-looking silk with a dull finish made from short silk filaments
discarded as waste but easy to sew and has a distinctive look

Washed silk
Uses: A great travel fabric
Characteristics: The washing process makes this silk creamy and soft.

Shantung
Uses: For special occasion uses
Characteristics: Especially crisp and shiny silk

Taffeta
Uses: for special occasion clothing
Characteristics: A crisp silk that wrinkles and swishes upon movement

Kinds of Wool Fabric

Boiled
Uses: For blankets and jackets
Characteristics: Made in similar fashion as felt, but much richer and
more supple. There’s no need to finish the seam edges.

Boucle
Uses: Perfect for soft shaping in coats and jackets

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 Characteristics: Has a distinctive sweater-like nubby surface created with little loops

Challis
Uses: Perfect for all types of garments
Characteristics: Medium to lightweight, it is hand washable and doesn’t
wrinkle much.

Crepe
Uses: for scarves, shawls, and bonnet trimmings, Perfect for making
shirts
Characteristics: Can be composed of wool, silk, cotton, or synthetic. It
varies in quality and it is expensive. It is a beautiful fabric that drapes
well and is extremely wearable.

Flannel
Uses: Coats, jackets, skirts, pants, men’s wear
Characteristics: Wool with a lightly brushed surface, featuring either a
plain or a twill weave. Used in the past for underwear.

Gabardine
Uses: Works well on tailored and constructed garment
Characteristics: A twill-weave fabric, hand washable and do not wrinkle

Mohair
Uses: Jackets, coats, men’s wear, soft furnishings; knitted mohair yarns
for sweaters
Characteristics: From the wool of the Angora goat, a long, straight, and
very strong fiber that produces a hairy cloth or yarn for knitting.

Melton
Uses: Used for coats
Characteristics: Thick and bulky wool with a soft napped surface but
too thick to handle

Merino
Uses: widely used in the textile industries
Characteristics: Very fine, expensive, closely-woven wool made from
Merino sheep’s coats.

Tartan
Uses: Traditionally kilts, but these days also skirts, pants, jackets, soft
furnishings

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 Characteristics: An authentic tartan belongs to a Scottish clan, and each has its
own unique design that can only be used by that clan. The fabric is made using a
twill weave from worsted yarns.

Tweed
Uses: Jackets, coats, skirts, men’s wear, soft furnishings
Characteristics: A rough fabric with a distinctive warp and weft, often in
different colors. Traditional tweed is associated with the English
countryside.

Worsted
Uses: Used for tailoring jackets, skirts and pants.
Characteristics: Lustrous wool in a variety of weights

Kinds of Man – Made or Synthetic Fibers

Acetate
Uses: Special-occasion wear, linings
Characteristics: Introduced in 1924, acetate is made from cellulose and
chemicals. The fabric has a slight shine and is widely used for linings.
Acetate can also be woven into fabrics such as acetate taffeta,
acetate satin, and acetate jersey.

Acrylic
Uses: Tailored outerwear; knitted wear, pile fabrics, blankets and carpets
Characteristics: Resists wrinkling High bulking power Wool-like texture
Very resistant to effects of sunlight

Nylon
Uses: Women's stockings were the first commercial use of nylon.
Also used for clothing, upholstery and carpet, rope, tents and fishing
line
Characteristics: It was first developed as a substitute for imported silk.
With exceptional strength, excellent elasticity; retains shape. Woven
fabrics feel uncomfortable in contact with skin.

Polyester
Uses: Wash and wear clothing- often in combination with other fibers,
especially cotton Curtains, carpets, fiberfill, raincoats and hats. It is ideal
for constructing strong outerwear for damp climates.
Characteristics: Strong and durable synthetic fabric; dries quickly, with
sharp pleat and crease retention.

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 Rayon
Uses: Light and medium weight clothing. Drapery and upholstery fabrics.
Blankets, throw rugs and table coverings. Characteristics: Soft, cheap
and comfortable fabric absorbent; lacks resilience; wrinkles easily. Not
easy to sew as plain cottons.
.
Rubber
Uses: Foundation garments Swimwear
Characteristics: Stretch and recovery rate is high
Damaged by oils and light, with discoloration
Care: Frequent washing in mild suds; avoid constant overstretch at high
temperature

Spandex
Uses: Foundation garments; Swimwear Surgical hose Ski pants and
other sportswear
Characteristics: Stretch and recovery rate is high. Resists abrasion and
body oils, with discoloration

Synthetic Furs
Uses: Outerwear
Characteristics: Created using a looped yarn that is then cut on a
knitted or a woven base, synthetic fur can be made from nylon or acrylic
fibers. The furs vary tremendously in quality and some are very difficult
to tell from the real thing.

Environment friendly materials

1. Natural Fibres - which are found in nature and are not petroleum based. This of two
categories:
 Cellulose or Plant fibres (Abaca, cotton, flax, jute, ramie, etc.)
 Protein or Animal fibres (Wool, cashmere, silk, etc.)

2. Recycled Fibres - or reclaimed fibres which are made from scraps of fabrics
collected from clothing factories which are processed back into short fibres for
spinning into a few yarns.

Fabric for Classic styles:

Such classic style as shirtwaist dresses and tailored sport clothes features fabrics of
subtle weaves and conventional dots ad check. Repeatedly you see small conventional
designs and tie-silk effect in these fashion cycle. Neutral fabrics is beige and gray, natural or
undyed, from any important group; and there is some dyed fabric that looks neutral fabrics.
Like the self-pattern weaves, this fabric must be made up in patterns that features
constructions details.

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Printed Fabrics:
These garments are designed to useful garments, everyday garments, dress up
clothes and formal evening clothes. They should be made up in every simple pattern.

Novelty Fabrics:
The gay novelty fabrics are designed for vocation clothes such as peasant dresses
which must hold their own on the beaches, for traveling and in active sports. The color
weaves and print in this group are often used in children’s clothes and children love to wear
them because they are gay and bright.

Smooth-surface Fabrics:
Flat crepe stain, plain clothes, and such smooth surface fabric show up every detail
of curt and construction. They demand a more sophisticated garments of subtle style.

Luxury Fabrics:
Velvet, satin and the rayon crepes with rich surface interest suggest festive
formality. This group includes metal and often very expensive. Using a little of a rich fabric
is a good way to reduce cost.

Staple Fabrics:
There are the tried-and-true weaves which continue season after season. They are
offered woolens as cheviot and flannel; in worsted as tweeds and men’s suiting effect; in
rayon such as crepe and taffeta; and in long list of cottons, such as chambray, broad cloth,
voile and percale.

Utility Fabrics:
utility fabrics are for garments which will be given hardware, day in and day out. Use
them where wearability comes first and style second, and aim for a useful beauty which will
last.

Pile Fabrics:
Velvet, corduroy, velveteen, and synthetic fur-like fabrics with a pile are used for
skirts, jackets, coats, and trimming.

Cold-weather fabrics:
Beside the pile fabrics mentioned here, satin and any novelty weaves in rayon which
look warm are closed to cold-weather fabrics. Stretch fabric both cotton and wool are used
for pants and skirts there are many cottons and synthetic that look like wool and are
designed to appear warm. They can be washed and hold up well.

Warm-weathered Fabrics:

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 They should be porous and so allow the heat of the body to evaporate. This does not
mean that the fabric must be transparent. Tropical worsted for example, are porous. So too
are cottons, linen and some rayon.

Fabric Contrasts:
Each season the changing cycle of fashion calls for different types of fabrics to be
combined, blended, or contrasted.

Coat Fabrics:
A coat, suit, or jacket costume stands or falls on fabric. Service coats are the most
expensive single item in a family’s wardrobe, selecting the right fabric is very important. Will
the fabric wear well? Will it show marks easily? Will it pick up lint? Will it rub thin wear? On
the answer to those questions depends whether the fabric is right for the all-purpose town
coat.

UNDERWEAR FABRICS
There are four important classes of fabric in the underwear group: (1), bathrobes (2),
sleeping garments (3), plain sturdy underwear and (4), luxury underwear.
1. Bathrobe Fabrics:
Fabrics for winter bathrobes must be soft, warm, and blanketlike. Corduroys, quilted
rayons and taffetas, are as smart as they are warm. For summer robes, use only
spongy cottons and seersuckers which are cool and need no ironing. More formal
robes are made of rayon brocade and rayon novelties. For house- coats and
negligees, watch the fashion cycles and choose the newest fabric for stay-at-home
clothes.

2. Fabrics for Sleeping Garments:

Sleeping garments for every member of the family should be made from fabrics
which will stand up under hard wear and look fresh after countless washings. Never
waste your time making up bargain fabrics, for, strange as it may seem, your
sleeping garment gets harder wear than almost anything else you own.

3. Sturdy Underwear Fabrics:

Fabrics for sturdy underwear for every member of the family should be selected
from the fine weaves of cotton. These fabrics in mesh constructions or crinkle
finishes will save hours of ironing and still be as pretty and dainty as you wish. In
selecting fabrics for underwear, plan for beauty, but never buy a fabric which must
be ironed, no matter how beautiful.

4. Luxury Underwear Fabrics:

Luxury underwear will of course be ironed, and there is no limit to your choice of
dainty cottons or rayon crepes. Before you put time and money into a luxurious
embroidered or lace-trimmed fabric, be sure it will wear well. Do not let prejudice
blind you to the fact that there are rayons so well made that experts can hardly tell

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 them from silk. There are, of course, cheaper rayons of poorer quality which do not
wear so well. In this, as in all buying today, read your labels and be guided by them.

A lining performs a definite and important function. Understanding of that fact makes
it possible to appreciate the need for a lining, the best fabric to meet the need, and how
wearable the fabric should be to give satisfaction. Linings which are seen must be
harmonious with the color and richness of the garment. Linings which are not seen are no
less important and should be as carefully selected.
1. Linings Which Arc Seen:
These linings are usually facings or collar linings. They can be made from
the garment fabric, or from a contrasting or decorative silk or rayon. They can also
be made from a light-weight lining fabric such as sateen, per- cale, or other closely
woven cottons. Plan facings and collar linings carefully because they often show.

2. Linings Which Are Not Seen:

Linings such as those which hold the skirt of a two- piece dress may be made
of rayon crepe, sateen, or any cotton of firm weave, such as chambray, lawn, or a
light cambric.

3. Coat Linings:
Coat linings are made of silk or rayon crepe or satin, or printed rayons or
novelties. There is coat linings made of cotton and rayon, or all cotton, especially
designed for this purpose. A coat lining should look rich and help make the coat slip
off and on easily; and today’s fashion, which has stood for the last few years, calls for
a matching lining. Useful fashions which perform a definite function seldom change.
However, fashions come along which combine warmth, trimming, and novelty all in
one, such as the button-in linings usually made in bold or subdued plaids. Remember
that a self-color lining which does not soil is the most practical choice. Consider the
wearability of the fabric. Do not make the mis- take of buying a cheaper fabric when
a lining which looks the same but will give twice the wear costs only a little more.
Read the labels on lining fabrics; the labels give the results of standard tests. A
tested lining may cost more, sometimes as much as $1.50 more for the whole coat;
but if it wears longer you save the cost of relining plus the hours of extra work. If you
are choosing a lining for an old garment, the cheaper lining is best, of course, unless
you expect the garment still to give a great deal of wear. Coat linings with smooth
surfaces are preferable. They soil less and let the coat slip on and off easily. Sport
coats are sometimes lined with wool for extra warmth and style effect. Some
expensive looking summer coats are lined with the same wool used for the coat
itself, but in a different shade. In a summer fabric which does not wrinkle, this makes
a luxurious garment. Other dress-up coats feature novelty dress or blouse fabrics for
linings in rough rayon crepes, printed crepes, or light-weight dress woolens.

INTERLININGS
Interlinings perform two vital functions: (1) They hold an edge in shape so it will not
stretch or sag—this is necessary in every coat or jacket. (2) They form a stay to strengthen
an edge which must hold the weight of buttons. (3) They strengthen a point which otherwise
would rip and ravel. Other interlinings are used to add body or stiffening to some basic
construction, feature of the garment so it will hold its shape. Still others are for warmth only.

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When you want to add more support than unbleached muslin permits, weigh carefully the
relative merits of French canvas, French linen, and tailors’ canvas, choosing the weight best
suited to your needs. Although French canvas and French linen are the same weight, French
canvas is cheaper and does not wear as well. Either can be used in suiting. Tailors’ canvas
is used for the heavier coatings. These are the interlinings used by tailors to ensure edges
that will not stretch and collars that roll and hold their shape. You can use them to interline
handbags in many other accessories.
1. Interlinings to Hold Edges:
In all woolen coats and many rayon ones, an interlining is recommended in
the pattern. Sewers who use it carefully produce jackets with firm, straight edges
which do not sag or lose their shape. For this simple operation, use unbleached
muslin and wash it before you put it in the garment. In inter- lining double collars
that should roll, unbleached muslin must be used if you want to avoid a flat look.
Coat collars should always be interlined this way.

2. Interlinings for Stays:

Interlinings for this purpose can be made from the garment fabric, from
sateen, or from a lightweight firm cotton such as lawn. Stays are in- tended to hold a
section of the garment in place—for example, under gathers or godets. They also
guard against raveling when you slash into fabric in the front of a garment or at a
gathered seam. They fortify an edge which holds buttons. Sometimes the band is cut
with a extra fold that forms an interlining, or a straight strip of material is added under
the buttons.

3. Interlinings for Warmth:

The most popular interlining sold in stores is a loose construction of wool on
a cotton warp. Coats are also interlined with flannel or with all-wool interlining. The
purpose of the interlining is to add warmth without bulk; and if it looks thin,
remember that you can lay one thickness over the other in certain spots of the coat
and so gain more warmth without bulk.

STIFFENING
Buckram is a stiffener. It is made in several weights. The lighter or thinner types of
buckram are pliable, the heavier are stiff. You buy these in millinery supply houses or
upholstery shops. You can sometimes use the transparent braids used in millinery to help
you in stiffening some piece of work that otherwise presents a problem—for example, in
making the stiffened, transparent collars that stand up and frame the face or the ruffle on a
hat that you want to flare and look transparent.

Remnants:
In shopping for fabrics don’t forget remnants. The smaller pieces are priced at less
than complete yardage of the same fabric. Often in the better stores you can find remnants
for a blouse, collar, or trimming in a truly lovely luxury fab- ric. This is particularly important in
metallic fabrics, as the less expensive are not to be compared in beauty or endurance with
those of better quality. Often a child’s coat can be lined with two remnants. When one is
large enough from which to cut the body of the lining, the other can be used for sleeves,
even if it is of darker tone.

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Determining the Quality and Suitability of the Fabric

There are simple tests that you can perform on samples of fabrics that will help you
determine their qualities and suitability to your purpose.

1. Test by Thumb
Determine the strength and shape-holding qualities both lengthwise and crosswise
of fabrics. With both hands, grasp a sample between your thumbs and forefingers.
Stretch the fabric by moving your hands back so that the thumbs separate and the
fingernails push together. Weak fabrics pull apart or become thin where they are
stretched.

2. Test by Pin
Determine slippage of threads. Pin a small tuck in a sample. Pull on the
fabric from both sides of the tuck, working back and forth as you pull. If the fabric
tears or pulls away from the pin it would probably pull at the seams.

3. Test for Sizing

Determine whether stiffening has been added to give a more closely woven
look and firmer feel. Rub the fabric between your hands; observe whether a powder-
like dust falls out indicating stiffening added. If heavily sized, the rubbed part will look
thinner when held to the light and will appear limp and coarse. Sizing dissolves in
water.

4. Test for Straight of Grain

Examine fabrics to determine whether the fabric grain will need to be
straightened. At one end of the fabric, observe whether lengthwise and crosswise
threads are at right angles to each other. Designs on printed fabric must be exactly
on crosswise grain; otherwise do not purchase.

5. Test for Wrinkle Resistant

Crumple a corner of the fabric; release it, and note the degree of wrinkling in
it.

6. Test for Ability to Take Pleats

Fold the fabric crosswise or lengthwise; press with your hands. Note
whether pleats remain or fall out.

CONSIDERATIONS IN BUYING FABRICS

1. Fabric that is appropriate for the season

Some fabrics may be used anytime of the year. Example cotton and cotton synthetic
mixture are used in blouses, worn throughout the year. Other fabrics such as
corduroy and velveteen are more suitable for late fall winter wear.
2. Fabric that is suitable for the pattern
Fabric selected depends greatly upon the style of the garment you plan to make.
Points to remember in selecting fabrics

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 o Sheer fabrics are ideal for ruffles and tucks.
o Lightweight fabrics are used for gathers.
o Firmly woven fabrics hold pleats than loosely woven fabrics.
o Soft fabrics may be used for patterns that require soft fold.
o Stiff fabrics stand out and tend to make the figure appears larger.
o Loosely woven fabrics should be used loosely fitted garments.
o Lightweight fabrics are good selection for skirt.
o Flat medium weight fabrics may be attractively stitched for decorative
purposes.
o Opaque fabrics should be chosen for garments that have numerous seams
and darts. Example denim
3. Fabric that is becoming to the wearer
a. Choose a fabric in color which is becoming to your personal coloring.
b. Choose a fabric of both a design and texture that will flatter your figure.
c. Choose a fabric design that is suitable for the pattern.
d. Solid color are ideal for tucks.
4. Fabric that is reasonable in cost
a. Easier to handle in sewing
b. Easier to clean
c. Last longer
d. Joy to wear
5. Fabric that is easily handled
Usually cotton fabrics are easier to handle, hold crease well not slippery to handle.
The machine stitching may be removed from cotton leading without mark from ripped
stitches.

6. Fabric that is firmly woven

a. qEasier to mark than the loosely woven fabrics.
b. Wear longer than sleazy fabrics.
7. Fabric that is colorfast
This means that this fabric will last longer and will not fade.
8. Fabric that is easily to care for
Fabrics that are easy to care for are those fabrics that do not require more effort in
laundering. They are wash and wear and no need of ironing. Example silk and linen

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Practical Task: Collect Fabric Swatches

1. Collect fabric swatches and compile

it. Identify the type of fabric and its
use. Refer to the picture on the
right.

Criteria Points
The student identifies the different kinds of fabrics correctly 20%
The student labeled the Fabrics correctly. 20%
The output is presentable, attractable and informative. 20%
The information is complete and accurate 40%

Total Score 100%

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