Welcome to this week's Tutorial Tuesday! We've decided that we need to help inform our customers of all the wonderful details that may get confusing when shopping for handmade clothing and accessories. So with that in mind, this weeks tutorial is all about the different types of fabrics that boutiques may use to make clothing. To keep it as easy to understand as possible, I have made a list of the more popular fabrics and a small description of each.
We will begin with the two most popular types of fabric you will find being used for making handmade clothing- woven cotton and knit.
Cotton fabrics are very popular in the handmade clothing business because they come in a variety of colors, patterns, and are breathable and comfortable. Sometimes the cottons used are not 100% and can sometimes be blended with synthetic fibers. Blended cottons can have a little stretch to them that 100% cotton may not have. Some terms you may hear with woven cottons are Broadcloth, Kona, Sateen, and Designer. These are just different types of cottons that boutiques may use to make clothing. They are all a little different in their feel and quality, but the end results all give the same similar appearance.
Now on to knits. When you hear the word knit you're probably thinking yarn, sweaters, etc. But in terms of fabric and sewing, knits are not exactly dealing with knitting needles. Knit fabric is a term used for the stretchy materials we find used in t-shirts, leggings, yoga pants, etc. Knits are nice because like woven cottons, they also come in a wide variety of colors and patterns. Some terms you may hear used along with knits are ribbed, jersey, and cotton/lyrca. These extra terms determine how much the knit fabric stretches, it's texture, or what it's made of.
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Some other fabrics used in boutique clothing are:
Denim, twill, and corduroy- All of these are heavier fabrics used for many things such as pants and jackets.
Chiffon, organza, tulle (sounds like tool)- These are lightweight, sheer fabrics used in dresses and tutu's.
Silk and satin are those shiny but soft fabrics often used in special occasion dresses.
Linen is known for its specific woven look. People often like to wear linen in hot climates because of its cool feel.
Chambray is a commonly used fabric for shirts, dresses, and children's clothing. It can resemble a lightweight denim. It is made by combining a colored yarn and an uncolored yarn.
Flannel, fleece, and minky- Soft fabrics used in lounge wear, pajamas, and blankets. Flannel is the thinnest of the three and is often used to make button down plaid shirts (think lumberjacks). Fleece is warm, soft, and thick. Minky is also a warm, soft, and thick fabric. However, minky has a furry feel to it. Minky can sometimes be found in different variations such as smooth, ribbed, or even raised dots.
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Hopefully this helps you understand some of the differences with the fabrics you see in our shops. Next time you think about ordering a custom made item you'll feel a little more comfortable knowing what to expect when the boutique starts asking you if you want a chiffon overlay with the cotton sateen dress and a tulle under skirt.
Come back next week for our blog about how to properly measure your child for custom clothing!
~Robin from My Little Lady and Gentleman
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