Types of Fabric for Sewing: A Beginner’s Guide to Fibers, Weaves and Knits

Choosing the right fabric doesn’t have to be hard. Every fabric comes down to two things: what it’s made of (its fibers) and how it’s made (woven, knit or nonwoven). Once you understand those two, you can read a fabric label, pick a fabric that suits your pattern, and know how it will behave at the machine.

This guide walks through the main fiber types, the three fabric structures, grain and bias, and how to choose the right fabric for your next project.

Understanding Fiber Types

Fibers are the raw material of every fabric. A fabric’s fiber content affects how it feels, drapes, washes, wrinkles and wears. Most fibers fall into three groups.

Plant-based fibers

Cotton, linen, hemp and ramie come from plants. They’re breathable, absorbent and easy to press, which makes them a great choice for beginners. They also tend to wrinkle and shrink, so prewash them before you cut.

Animal-based fibers

Wool, silk, alpaca, cashmere and mohair come from animals. Wool is warm and resilient, and it resists wrinkles. It can also felt and shrink with heat and agitation, and it needs protection from moths. Silk is strong and lustrous, with beautiful drape.

Man-made fibers

There are two kinds:

• Regenerated fibers such as rayon (viscose), modal, lyocell (Tencel) and acetate are made from natural cellulose, usually wood pulp, through chemical processing. They drape beautifully and feel soft, but some shrink or weaken when wet.
• Synthetic fibers such as polyester, nylon, acrylic and spandex are made entirely from chemicals. They’re strong, durable and wrinkle-resistant, and spandex adds stretch. They breathe less than natural fibers and can melt under a hot iron.

Blends

Many fabrics blend two or more fibers to get the best of each. Poly/cotton wrinkles less than 100% cotton. A little spandex in cotton or rayon adds stretch and recovery.

Fabric Types and Structure

The same fiber can become very different fabrics depending on how it’s constructed. Cotton can be a crisp woven shirting or a stretchy knit T-shirt. Every fabric is woven, knit or nonwoven.

Woven fabrics

Woven fabrics are made on a loom. Lengthwise yarns (the warp) and crosswise yarns (the weft) cross over and under each other at right angles. This makes woven fabric stable, with little or no stretch except on the bias.

Common weaves include:

• Plain weave: quilting cotton, muslin, broadcloth, chiffon
• Twill weave: denim, gabardine, chino (look for the diagonal lines)
• Satin weave: satin and sateen, smooth and shiny on one side

Best for: structured garments like button-up shirts, trousers, jackets and skirts, plus bags and home decor.

Knit fabrics

Knit fabrics are made of interlocking loops of yarn, like a hand-knit sweater on a much smaller scale. The loops let knits stretch and recover, so they’re comfortable and need less shaping to fit.

Common knits include jersey, rib knit, interlock, ponte, French terry, fleece and sweater knits.

Best for: T-shirts, leggings, activewear, swimwear, loungewear and pajamas. New to knits? Start with my complete beginner’s guide to sewing with knit fabric, and learn how to measure a knit’s stretch percentage.

Nonwoven fabrics

Nonwoven fabrics aren’t woven or knitted. Their fibers are bonded together with heat, pressure, moisture or adhesive. They don’t fray and have no grain, so you can cut them in any direction.

Examples include felt, many interfacings, and craft fabrics. Leather, suede and vinyl aren’t technically fabrics, but they sew much like nonwovens: no grain, no fraying, and pins leave permanent holes.

Best for: crafts, interfacing and stabilizing, and, for leather and vinyl, bags, coats and raingear.

Felt vs. fulled fabric

Felt is made by matting loose fibers together with heat, moisture and pressure. It has no weave at all. Fulled fabric, such as boiled wool, starts as a woven or knit wool. It’s then washed and agitated until it shrinks and thickens into a dense, felt-like fabric that resists fraying.

Grain, Bias and Selvage

Woven fabric behaves differently depending on which direction you cut it. That’s why every pattern piece has a grainline arrow.

• Selvage: the firmly finished edges along both sides of the fabric. They won’t fray, but they often shrink differently from the rest of the fabric, so don’t use them inside your pattern pieces.
• Lengthwise grain: runs parallel to the selvage. It’s the strongest direction with the least stretch, so most pattern pieces are cut with it running up and down the body.
• Crosswise grain: runs from selvage to selvage. It has a little more give.
• Bias: any diagonal, with the true bias at 45 degrees to the selvage. It has the most stretch and drapes beautifully, which is why it’s used for bias tape and slinky skirts. It also stretches out of shape easily, so handle bias edges gently.

For a closer look at lining up your pattern on grain, see what you need to know about grainlines, marking and cutting fabric.

Nap and Direction

Some fabrics have an up and a down. Velvet, corduroy and other napped fabrics, along with one-way prints, look different depending on which way you cut them. Use the “with nap” layout on your pattern, and make sure every piece faces the same direction. Learn more in directional vs non-directional fabric.

Choosing the Right Fabric for Your Project

Start with your pattern. The back of the envelope lists suggested fabrics, and the pattern was drafted with those in mind. Swapping a knit for a woven, or the reverse, changes how the garment fits and drapes. A knit pattern often relies on stretch to fit, so the same pattern sewn in a woven may not go on at all.

When you’re choosing between suggested fabrics, consider:

• Weight and drape: Should the garment hold its shape, like a jacket, or flow, like a skirt?
• Feel: Hold it against your skin. Will you be comfortable wearing it?
• Care: Is it machine washable, or dry clean only? Will it shrink or wrinkle?
• Durability: Kids’ clothes and bags need sturdier fabric than a special-occasion top.
• Your skill level: Stable, non-slippery wovens are easiest to start with.

Project	Good fabric choices
First projects, tote bags, pillows	Quilting cotton, canvas, linen
Button-up shirts and blouses	Cotton shirting, lawn, chambray, linen
Pants and structured skirts	Denim, twill, corduroy, ponte
T-shirts and leggings	Cotton jersey, spandex blends
Pajamas and loungewear	Flannel, French terry, jersey
Flowy dresses and tops	Rayon challis, crepe, voile

For more help, read how to choose fabric for a sewing project. Before you cut, learn how to get your fabric ready for sewing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the main types of fabric?

Fabrics are grouped by how they’re made: woven, knit and nonwoven. They’re also grouped by fiber: plant-based (cotton, linen), animal-based (wool, silk) and man-made (rayon, polyester, nylon, spandex).

What’s the difference between woven and knit fabric?

Woven fabric is made of yarns crossing at right angles, so it’s stable with little stretch. Knit fabric is made of interlocking loops, so it stretches and recovers. Woven fabric suits structured garments, and knit fabric suits comfortable, close-fitting ones.

What is the easiest fabric for beginners to sew?

Quilting cotton. It’s stable, doesn’t slip, presses well and is inexpensive. Linen and medium-weight cotton are good next steps.

Should I prewash fabric before sewing?

Yes, for anything you’ll wash later. Natural fibers like cotton, linen and rayon can shrink, and prewashing gets that out of the way before you cut. Wash it the same way you’ll wash the finished project.

What does “cut on the bias” mean?

It means cutting the fabric diagonally, at 45 degrees to the selvage. Bias-cut pieces stretch and drape more than pieces cut on the straight grain.

Learn More About Fabric

• Ultimate Fabric Sewing Guide: Tips for Sewing Every Fabric Type
• Directional vs Non-Directional Fabric
• How to Sew Cotton Fabric
• How to Sew Linen Fabric
• Sewing with Denim
• How to Sew Corduroy Fabric
• Sewing With Velvet
• Sewing With Knit Fabric
• Sewing Leather

Learn to Sew or Improve Your Skills

Do you want to start sewing but need a helping hand with the basics? Our Sewing 101 course has everything you need to start sewing confidently and improve your skills. Be sure to join our free private Facebook group.