Did you know there’s been a surge in home crafts in the last few years?
It’s common for people to turn to art during tough times because it can help them heal. Whether you do crafts as a hobby or as a profession, it’s worth knowing what materials you can have on hand to work with. Half the battle of a given project involves finding the perfect fabric.
Are you unsure what options are available to you? Keep reading to learn all about the different types of fabrics with this in-depth guide.
Sheer Fabrics
Some materials are more transparent than others. If you want to work with something that has a see-through quality, then you can rest easy knowing there are plenty of fabric options to choose from. Some of the most popular types you’ll see in a fabric store include chiffon, gauze, lace, and net.
Nets are perfect for a creative costume. From stockings to added textures on a jacket, the possibilities are almost endless. A less practical but by no means less beautiful choice is lace.
Lace is one of the most baroque fabrics you could ever buy and it comes in various sizes and weights. This can allow you to use it in many different ways, especially as a decorative element.
Gauze first started out as a sheer fabric material for drapes. Nowadays, you can find gauze incorporated into outfits and more. This goes to show you that you should never limit your vision when working on a project.
One of the sheerest fabrics on the market is chiffon. If you’re new to sewing and alterations, you may want to avoid chiffon because it’s quite slippery. Regardless of this, natural or synthetic chiffon can work wonders in many situations.
Animal Fabrics
There’s a range of animal skins you can use to elevate many different projects. Whether you’re making clothing, accessories, or even a pillow, it’s worth considering leather, wool, suede, and fur.
Keep in mind that leather refers to the outside of the skin while suede is the inside part of the skin. Leather is made by tanning the raw hides of various animals, including cows or even alligators. If you want something softer, then suede is the way to go.
If your project is for professional purposes, you may want to avoid animal materials. More and more consumers are becoming conscious of their buying habits and now go out of their way to get vegan materials, such as faux leather and fur.
Companies can make faux fur by using polymeric fibers. They dye these fibers to create fur of almost any color. Aside from the color, you can also choose between different fur textures.
Wool is even more versatile because it’s used in several different fabric types, including flannel and felt.
Stretchable Fabrics
When buying fabric, it’s worth noting its ability to stretch. This factor is essential in clothing projects, among others. Two of the most common stretch fabrics include spandex and elastane. These two materials are confused with each other because they’re so similar.
They’re both made from the same polymer known as polyurethane. There’s no denying that their stretchiness provides clothing comfort like no other. That’s why you see these materials used so often in fitness wear.
As if that wasn’t amazing enough on its own, it’s also possible to add spandex and elastane to other materials so that they have a higher stretch factor. It’s most often combined with cotton.
While these two fabrics are some of the most stretchable, knitted fabrics also have a favorable degree of stretchiness. This includes continuous yarn fabric that’s made with a weft knit. It’s also true of warp knit which mixes many different yarns but holds them together with a single knit.
Before you rush off to the fabrics store for these, it’s worth noting that knitted fabrics don’t have as much of a stretch recovery as spandex, for instance. This is why knitted clothing is often made smaller. That way, there’s an allowance made for its semi-permanent stretch.
Quilted Fabrics
Few things are cozier than quilted fabrics. The basic concept behind quilting involves layering using two sheets of fabric to contain a filler made of specific fibers. The most common options for fibers include cotton, wool, polyester, and even bamboo batting.
It’s possible to mass-produce quilts with a machine or do it the old-fashioned way with your hands. Keep in mind that you don’t have to use quilted fabrics for quilts only. You can also make clothing that’s either casual or for special occasions.
The beauty of quilted fabrics is the ability to mix and match a wide range of patterns that you otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity to combine.
These are far from the only fabrics you can choose from. You never know what you’ll come across when you go hunting online or in person. As long as you have an open mind, you can make a combination that will wow everyone.
Are you in need of new fabric? If so, be sure to check out the Mesquite Bean fabrics store.
Are You Ready to Use Different Types of Fabrics?
Now that you’ve learned all about the different types of fabrics available, you can have a much easier time choosing the ones that will fit your project like a glove. By being open to fabrics you may not have thought of using, you could make wonderful headway with certain projects. This is why it’s worth learning as much as you can.
One way you can stay in the loop is by reading our website’s content on a regular basis. From fashion and entertainment to fitness and sports, you can always rely on us to keep you informed.
