Have you ever tried to thread a needle, but the thread just won’t go through the eye? Sewing thread comes in many different sizes, and picking the right one for your project will help you sew smoothly and easily! The key is to learn about sewing thread sizes so you can pick the correct size …
Fabrics
If you plan to visit a cold part of the world this winter, you may want to stock up on clothes made from insulating fabrics. What type of socks will keep your toes the most warm, and what kind of material should you look for in a warm coat? To answer these questions, you need …
Have you ever finished sewing a shirt or dress only to find that it hangs crookedly when you wear it? You can often trace this common problem all the back to the first steps of the sewing process, when you may not have cut out the pieces of fabric exactly straight. Learning how to cut …
If you have ever hosted a tie-dye party, you know how much fun everyone has folding, tying, and dyeing a garment into bright splotches of color! But these days, buying cotton t-shirts for a whole group of people may seem prohibitively expensive, which leaves you with cheaper options such as polyester tees. But this begs …
Whether you need a new pair of leggings for your weekly yoga class or a good jacket to take up jogging, you probably wonder if it matters what kind of fabric your activewear uses. Will yoga pants containing cotton fibers work, as well as yoga pants made out of spandex? To find out, you need …
If you have ever found yourself facing racks upon racks of workout clothing in Target or Kohls, you know how difficult it is to pick just the right pair of leggings for a dance class or the perfect tank top for a marathon. Besides figuring out what style and size you want, you also have …
Do you hate putting on a damp swimsuit multiple days in a row while on vacation? Or do you like to go backpacking and want a jacket that will dry before you pack up your campsite each morning? Either way, you need to learn about the best quick-drying fabrics for clothes! Quick-dry synthetic fabrics use …
Making a skirt is a great way to start sewing your own clothes because many skirts feature a simple design and easy, straight seams. But before you begin sewing, you have to select the perfect material for your skirt. So, how do you pick the best fabric for skirts? The best fabric for skirts includes …
I’m looking for a cozy check fabric to make a winter coat. But I’m not sure what check to go for. Should I choose gingham fabric or plaid? Plaid vs Gingham, what’s the difference? The main difference between plaid and gingham is the style of the checkered pattern. Gingham is a uniform pattern of squares …
Mesh fabric is versatile and useful. Great material for sports and athletic wear, bridal wear, lingerie, bags and more. Mesh fabric comes in many different weights and types and can be found in every rainbow color. Mesh can be super handy in many applications – but working with this material can be intimidating. So – …
Sustainable clothing is a goal that many of us strive for. The fashion industry doesn’t always make our search easy, though. There are so many fabrics to choose from. How can you tell what is good for the environment? What are the most sustainable fabrics? The most sustainable fabrics are made from organic or recycled …
Mesh fabric has many different applications and is used for both fashion and practical use. However, not all mesh fabric is the same. There are different types of mesh fabric, and each of them has a different function and use that it is ideal for. So what are the different types of mesh fabric? There …
More than half of all the clothes sold every year contain polyester. If you find this tough to believe, check the tags inside your clothes! You can find many different polyester fabric types, which makes it a versatile material. Different types of polyester fabric, like PET and PCDT, depend on the chemical structure of the …
For thousands of years, screen printing offered an elegant way to create richly colored printed designs on fabric. Today, the most popular use of this ancient art form is to create graphic t-shirts! But before you start printing your own tees, you probably want to know what the best fabric for screen printing is. Cotton …
Choosing the fibers for your clothing can be a challenge. Should you go for natural or synthetic? Is natural fiber more comfortable? Can synthetic fiber keep you warm? Is one type of fiber better than the other? What is the difference between natural and synthetic fibers? The main difference between natural and synthetic fibers is …
Do you love the thought of crafting matching tees for the whole family to wear on Christmas Eve? Or do you want to give a special gift to an older relative who would appreciate a hand-printed tea towel or set of matching napkins? Either way, you probably wonder how to print on fabric at home. …
Have you ever looked at the manufacturer’s tag inside the waistband of your pants and wondered what the fabric composition meant? Or perhaps you want to sew a dress but have no idea what kind of cloth to use. This handy guide to different types of fabric will help you understand your own clothes! Different …
When I first began sewing, one of my greatest challenges was understanding the many differences between the fabrics I saw at my local craft store. I was quickly drawn towards woven fabrics since they are excellent for quilting, making clothing, and many other projects I like to undertake as a sewing enthusiast. But what are …
On a recent thrift store visit, I purchased some vintage linen. The only trouble is the linen is very yellowed with age. Can it be returned to its original brilliant white? What’s the best way to do that? Can you bleach linen? Linen fabric can be bleached using natural products. Vinegar, sunlight, and lemon juice …
Nylon is a synthetic fabric with many beneficial uses. It has a smooth, slightly shiny surface and is the main material used to make pantyhose and tights. While nylon may not wrinkle as easily as some fabrics, it’s still not completely wrinkle-free – so, have you ever wondered if you can iron nylon? Nylon is …
As you prepare for the winter months, you may decide if your wardrobe will keep you warm enough. New winter clothes often use thermal fabric to provide extra insulation. If you want to learn about the best thermal fabric for clothing, check out this handy guide! Thermal fabric for clothing may contain cotton or polyester …
Whether you like snuggle into soft sweaters or strike a dashing pose in a bespoke suit, chances are you enjoy wearing wool fabric! This incredibly diverse material comes from the hair or fur of many animals, including rabbits and goats. Check out this complete guide to learn all about different types of wool fabric. Wool …
Sewing is one of my favorite hobbies, and I’m always looking for a new project to make for myself or my family. Over time, however, my sewing room has been overrun with all the different fabric types I keep on hand to work with. Because of this, I’ve spent a lot of time working on …
My local fabric store sometimes feels like my home away from home. I love spending hours there browsing through the different fabrics and seeing what new options they have gotten this week. Recently, I’ve been drawn more and more to the many types of textured fabric I’ve come across. There are dozens of different textured …
There’s nothing worse than getting drenched from a sudden downpour. That’s why it’s always good to have a raincoat handy. We wear raincoats to keep our clothes from getting wet, but we want the raincoat to be as effective as possible. So what’s the best raincoat material to keep you the driest? The best raincoat …
I was out shopping for a birthday gift for my brother the other day and decided to get him some new button-down shirts. I quickly noticed that many stores had shirts made of flannel, while others labeled their options as chamois. That led me to wonder, what is the difference between flannel and chamois? Chamois …
Have you ever spotted an adorable pair of painted jeans and wondered if you could replicate them at home? Well, I’m here to tell you that you can! All you have to do is apply a mixture of acrylic paint and fabric medium. But what is a fabric medium? A fabric medium is a clear …
Duvet covers make washing and changing up your bedding a lot easier. They can be easily removed from the duvet itself if they need to be washed while providing just as much style and comfort as other types of bedding. But duvet covers can be expensive, so if you want to make your own, you …
Light and airy sheets for summer nights, or warm, snuggly ones while it’s snowing – whatever your favorite happens to be – it’s usually a consensus that most people prefer them soft. When it comes to bedsheets, thread count has largely become revered as the tell-all sign of luxury, quality, and softness. This may leave …
Blackout curtains are beneficial for darkening rooms and potentially lowering your energy bill. But, these thick curtains aren’t as available in many colors and prints as other curtains, and they can sometimes be pricey. Because of this, you may wish to make your own blackout curtains. But, what are the best fabrics to use? The …