[Deanna]

I am looking at sewing some shirts/blouses for myself. I would like to sew in fabrics that have a nice drape. 1) What are these fabrics? 2) What are the nicer fabrics to work with? 3) Are there any tips (previous posts?) for working with slippery fabric?

Also, I buy my fabric exclusively online since I am not happy with the quality at the local Joanne’s. However, that means I can’t go to the store and just feel it. This is why I am looking for some specific names/types. (Another reason, I have avoided working with anything beyond cotton at this point.)

Up to this point, I have worked exclusively with cotton (quilting cotton, corduroy, twill, ticking, light denim, etc.)

[Liesl Gibson]

This is a pretty big topic and more than I can address in a quick reply. However, I did do an introduction to some basic garment fabrics in a CreativeBug class if you’re interested: https://www.creativebug.com/classseries/single/fabrics-101

I think if you look back at previous blog posts you’ll be able to gather a lot of information as well. Try searching “Principles of Fabric Selection” and “Fabric Friday,” both of which are older blog series. Hopefully some other forum members will chime in with some thoughts as well.

Do keep in mind that apparel fabrics aren’t “standardized:” all chambrays aren’t the same, nor is all silk charmeuse the same drape, hand, etc. Different manufacturers and even different dye colors will give different thicknesses, densities, etc. to a similar fabric. It’s always a good idea to feel before you buy. There are some stores that offer swatching services, which is really helpful. Mood sells them for a low price, so that might be a good way to shop? I hope that helps!

[Deanna]

Yeah, I kind of realized it was a huge question. However, thanks for pointing me to some good resources. I will just have to keep a running list of types as I peruse blog posts, pictures, etc. I wish one could find more stores that sold apparel fabrics (and decent ones).