What type of fabric is good for clothing making?

Question

I'm making clothes for my young girls and the quality of fabric at joann's is just not good enough. Too stiff! Should I buy 100% cotton, cotton with lycra, stretch cotton, stretch knit, etc? I'm making summer dresses and capris/tops. Thank you! Please only answer if you truely know.. I don't like guys who come on here just so they can get points.

Answer 1

Natural fabrics are always best, cotton, silk, wool etc.  However, there is a wide range of quality with any type of fabric.  There is really good quality cotton and really poor quality silk.  JoAnns is usually not great quality.  There are plenty of sites online to buy good quality fabrics.  Try Martha Pullen's site.  Remember, quality fabric will cost more.  Happy sewing!

Answer 2

Cotton blends will help keep the wrinkles down.  I don't find Joann Fabrics as offensive as you do.  I think their material is fine for just about anything I sew.  If you don't know what type of material you need to make clothes for two little girls, I don't see how you can judge Joann's Fabrics as being "not good enough".   As far as being too stiff, most fabrics change their "feel" once they have been washed.  Always wash your fabric before cutting out the pattern.  Cotton and Cotton blends wash up very soft and comfortable.

Answer 3

The back of the pattern you are using lists suggested fabric types.  For kids clothes, cotton, cotton knits, cotton blends and some polyesters are good.

Answer 4

Find a simple pattern first.  Then use the envelop back as a guide.  Fabric straight from the fabric store does feel stiff because it hasn't been "worked" yet.  Always pre-wash your fabric before you cut and sew it.  It will remove excess sizing and dye that can cause stiffness.

Answer 5

Have you tried explaining your problem to the people at Joanns and asking them for specific suggestions? That would be my first suggestion - nothing beats live, knowledgeable help walking you to a bolt of material and saying, "This would be great for that sundress you're making!"

It's not only the content but also the weight. You can get seersucker, denim, twill, and duck all in 100% cotton but all of different weights (stiffness.) Try taking a sample of what you're looking for (i.e. take a man's shirt in if you're shopping for fabric for a mans shirt) and compare the finished product to what's on the bolt.

And yes, there are fancier, better quality fabrics than the average JoAnn fabric but they're more expensive and I would suggest that you finish a few things for the girls before cutting into some pricey fabrics!

Enjoy!