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Transcript:

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Helen: Hello, and welcome to Love to Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew our own clothes and want to encourage you on your sewing journey, too.

Caroline: Join us for today’s topic: Choosing the Perfect Fabric.

Hello, Helen.

Helen: Hi, Caroline.

Caroline: How are you doing today?

Helen: I’m doing…

Caroline: I don’t know why I said that weird.

Helen: I’m doing well. Thank you. It’s sunny today, and I just went for a walk with my dog, so I’m feeling good.

Caroline: Nice. I… It is also sunny here in Vancouver, really beautiful blue sky right now. And I did a little meditation before we started recording, so I’m feeling really good.

Helen: Awesome. Well, today’s episode is right up your alley: Choosing the Perfect Fabric.

Caroline: Oh yes. Such a good topic. Another one of those ones that I’m like, how have we not covered this before? This is a question we get all the time, so I’m really excited to dive into it.

Helen: Yes, but first we have some feedback from Corinne who’s one of our patrons on Patreon. Thank you for supporting us there, Corrine.

“Hello. I‘m so glad to have discovered your podcast. I am in my car all day, and it killed me that I had been wasting all of that time on nothing but true crime podcasts.”

Not a waste of time. We’re with you.

Caroline: Relatable.

Helen: “I saw that you once did an episode on ‘sewing revelations’ and helpful sewing knicknacks. I know I already missed the boat on that one, but in case you ever do part 2, these are some discoveries that changed my sewing life:

One: the magnetic seam guide ruler by Madam Sew. Holy cow! I thought I would NEVER reach a point where I could sew a straight line. I popped this thing on and BAM. Factory level precision. If for some reason your stitch plate isn’t metal, I’ve also seen people use ‘building block tape’ (picture a roll of legos that you can cut and stick like scotch tape). Amazing.”

Caroline: “Number two: a dedicated scrap fabric drawer. Ok, so anytime I try a new fabric with my serger, I end up having to get up and cut a few extra scrap pieces to test on. It adds an extra layer of frustration to the whole process. Today, I cleaned out a drawer in my sewing table, divided it into 3 spaces (wovens, knits, & silky fabric), and filled it with some precut scraps. Why didn’t I think of this before?”

Helen: Ooh. I love this tip. So smart. Just have those right on hand.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: “Number three: a mini vacuum cleaner. This was huge for me. I have 3 cats, all of whom love to eat things other than food. I was terrified when I started sewing that one of my ‘children’ would end up eating my thread scraps. We’ve had vet emergencies for similar incidents, so I am extra paranoid. The vacuum makes me feel so much better! I keep it in my drawer, and whenever I end up having to pick a seam or cut off some tail threads, I grab it and clean up the mess in 10 seconds or less. You can also use it to suck the fuzz out of your machine. I think that’s what it’s actually for.”

Caroline: Wow. Thank you so much, Corinne. I love all of this. A magnetic seam ruler is great. You can also put washi tape or painter’s tape on your machine at the seam allowance if you need. And keeping small scraps for testing your stitches is a great idea. A drawer is good. A bin or some jars would work well, too. And the mini vacuum cleaner is obviously also a great idea for pet owners or really anyone who wants to corral all of those tiny threads that end up everywhere when we sew and cut. So good to keep a clean sewing space.

Helen: Yes. If you have a dedicated sewing room, I think a dedicated sewing room vacuum, if that’s something that you’re able to get your hands on, would be pretty awesome cause that way it’s just that much easier to clean up at the end of the day.

Caroline: Totally. Okay. We have a question from Amy today.

“Hello! I have been wondering about interfacing. I am very aware of the environment and concerned about the sustainability of, especially, fusible, but also the stereotypical non-fusible interfacing. What happens to the glue used in fusible as we wash our garments? Most interfacing is also polyester.

I do think about using horsehair, as was traditionally used. But I looked those up recently and what I saw are a blend which includes polyester and all sorts of other materials. So I don’t think that that was any better than the straight polyester interfacing I can buy.

What is the history throughout garment sewing? Before synthetics were invented in traditional tailoring, I wonder what they used. I think about using an extra layer of cotton or linen as interfacing, but I don’t know how that would react. I have no problem hand sewing my interfacing in. It means I can have a more sustainable garment and practice. Can I just use another layer? Is there an ideal fabric to use? And what is the traditional horsehair?

I love the podcast, listen to episodes repeatedly, and appreciate the whole team!”

Helen: Ah, thanks so much, Amy. This is such a great question. If you’d rather not use synthetic materials to interface, there are options for you. So many times you can interface with a layer of the same fabric that you’re using for the outside of your garment. It’s just adding that extra level of stability there.

If you’re working with an especially shifty fabric, though, you might want to choose something with a bit more of a stable weave, so you can use cotton muslim, broadcloth, silk organza, cotton organdy, or quilting cotton. Prewash all your fabrics to get them to their final level of shrinkage, and then try to match the weight of your project with the stabilizing fabric that you choose.

So if you’re working with, like, a rayon or Tencel, for example, and you want a more crisp structure behind that, you can use a cotton. Just make sure that you preshrink everything. And if you’re worried about things like shifting or shrinking at different weights, you could maybe sew, like, a test collar and then throw that in the wash and just see what happens so that you know what you’re going to get.

And in answer to your other question, horsehair canvas is very stiff and is usually used to tailor structured jackets. There are options available that are a blend of cotton and horsehair. It helps to search for cotton horsehair canvas. And that actually is made of horsehair, right, Caroline?

Caroline: Yes, it is.

Helen: Yeah, but there are polyester alternatives. Um, it is quite pricey, as well. You’ll notice that when you go shopping for horsehair interfacing. Um, and with, sew-in interfacing, you treat the fashion fabric and the interfacing fabric as one. So once you sew it together, you can trim away the interfacing fabric close to the seam in order to reduce bulk in those areas.

And for more information about all kinds of interfacing, you can check out our Interfacing 101 Episode.

Caroline: Awesome. Thanks, Amy. Alright, let’s move on to the show. Fabric shopping is one of the most important and fun parts of the sewing process. And if it wasn’t clear from our stash numbers in the Fabric Stash Org episode, we love fabric shopping. I mean, I have a fabric store, so I have to love fabric shopping.

Helen: Yes, I think it was Emilia who said that fabric shopping and sewing are like two different hobbies, and you can spend lots of time doing one or both.

Caroline: Yes, you really can. And you can learn a lot from just fabric window shopping. Um, what kind of designs and fibers are out there, what patterns are recommended, and if you’re shopping in person, you can get your hands all up in the fabric. That is totally allowed in a fabric store. I personally can’t walk by a fabric bolt without touching it. It’s kind of a problem.

Helen: Yes. It’s amazing to get a chance to shop in person and touch all the fabrics. Um, one of the biggest challenges, I think, in making clothes comes before the sewing part. It’s actually ensuring that your fabric is a really good match for your pattern. That is what the whole episode today is going to be about because we both get a lot of questions about that in our inbox, and people wanting to make sure they’re going to invest this time, money, energy, into making this project, and they want to make sure that the fabric they’re choosing is going to be the right fabric for the project.

Caroline: Yeah, of course. It’s a really obvious thing, right? You want your project to work, so you want to be able to pick the perfect fabric for your project, and it’s not always the most obvious thing. Picking the perfect fabric should not be rushed, and getting the right choice really sets you up for success and longevity. So if you can nail the fit and the fabric, you’re going to have a garment that you can love for years to come.

Helen: Yeah, and if you’re new to fabric shopping, or if you’re more experienced and you want to make sure you know all the basics about fabric, we also have episodes like Fabrics 101, that’s Episode 27, Fabric Q&A, where we answered lots of listener questions about fabric, that one’s Episode 103. We’ll link those in the show notes. I think we also have Fabric Shopping Online. I’m not sure which number that is, but that would be another good one to check out. So today we’re going to be talking specifically about pairing patterns and fabric.

Caroline: Yes, and so there are lots of things to consider when you’re searching for the perfect fabric. And I think, for most, the first step is picking a sewing pattern. Or if you’re a self drafter, you might be drawing out your idea and drafting a pattern at this stage. Your first step is to figure out what you’re going for with this garment. So this is, like, the research phase.

Helen: Yes, you can use Pinterest or Instagram Collections to create mood boards, collect small groups of images that have the vibe that you’re going for, and look for commonalities in the images like colors, textures, shapes, prints, et cetera.

Caroline: Yeah, and you can also shop in person. Look closely at pieces that you like. How are they constructed? Feel the fabric, check the fiber content on the tag, take a photo with your phone, or jot down some notes. So you can go to, like, a retail store and look at finished garments to get inspiration for the types of fabrics that would work with what you want to make.

Helen: Yes. And you can also check out your own closet. Note the garment shapes that you love, as well as the fabrics that you feel best in. You can look at the fabric labels to find out what they’re made out of. A lot of ready to wear clothes, I find are blends. Um, so it might not be possible to find, like, that specific blend from your favorite t-shirt, but you might be able to find something similar based on what’s in that blend.

Um, and I also want to say that it’s totally okay to, like, copy something that you see. Like, if you collect something, um, in one of your Instagram albums, like, somebody has made, you know, the Kalle Shirt Dress, and it’s exactly what you want, just use that exact same fabric. That’s totally cool. I think that’s awesome. Or use the exact fabric the designer used in their photo shoot for the pattern. That’s cool, too. I think it’s a good way to make sure that you’re getting a garment that’s going to work with that fabric.

Caroline: Absolutely. And with this information that you gathered during the research phase, you want to now make some decisions. So pin down the pattern you want and decide on any hacks you’d like to make. You can even sketch it out to get a better idea of what it will look like on you. If you have a croque, use that. This is great for visualizing your personal proportions.

Helen: Yes, and now comes the fun part: the fabric shopping, finally. So it’s a good idea to look at the fabric suggestions from your sewing pattern. We’ve talked about this many times on this show. If you’re newer to sewing clothes, it can be especially useful to stick to these suggestions, and you’ll know exactly the types of things that you’re looking for. So pattern makers have gone through sample making and testing, and they have tried lots of fabrics, so they know which fabrics are gonna work best with the pattern that they’ve designed.

But remember there are a lot of different fabric possibilities out there. Those blends that we talked about, and they might not all be mentioned, or the listing in the pattern description might be a little bit more vague. It’ll just say, like, denim, it’s not going to say specifically the weights of denim or, like, all the different variations on kinds of cotton that you can use, it might just say cotton. So it can be a little challenging, but there is a bit of reading between the lines that will come with time as you sew more and more.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah. So you’re looking at the pattern envelope and, kind of, figuring out what types of fabrics you want to, sort of, lean towards. And I think you also want to go in before you shop for fabric, having a general idea of what you want that fabric to look like.

So I’ll give some examples. Let’s say I want to make a swishy skirt. I’m looking for a dark, small-scale floral print in a lightweight drapey, breathable, woven fabric. So maybe I have an inspo image, and I see that that skirt is, like, really swishy and drapey, and so I’ve decided this is, kind of, what I’m looking for to recreate that look. If I’m going for, like, a slouchy, let’s say lived in shirt, I’m looking for a lightweight, laundered look, maybe soft linen fabric. And then another example would be, let’s say, I want to make a structured chore coat. In that case, I’m looking for a mid to heavyweight woven fabric with body and durability, probably a cotton.

So writing these things down before you go shopping is going to help, kind of, guide you and not get distracted by those, like, shiny, beautiful fabrics in the fabric store where you’re like, I could probably use this, right?

Helen: You go looking for just, like, navy cotton canvas, and you leave with sequins. I mean, been there, right?

Caroline: Exactly.

Helen: So once you pin down what you’re looking for, you can start shopping, and while a lot of the concepts we just discussed apply to shopping in person and online, when you are searching for a specific fabric, nothing beats shopping in person, especially if you’re a beginner, because you are going to be able to touch all those fabrics. Sorry, Caroline. You just need to open a brick and mortar store.

Caroline: No, that is a-OK. I can totally appreciate the value in shopping for fabric in person, especially as a beginner, because when you’re just starting out, you want to be able to feel the fabrics with your hands and see how they look in the light and test their drape. And this is really only possible when you have the fabric in front of you.

Once you’ve built that knowledge of fabrics, then you can make more reliable decisions when you’re shopping online. However, if you really need to shop online, you can maybe have a more experienced sewist help you select your fabric, or you can rely on the wisdom of shopkeepers and online sewists by checking out their recommendations or contacting them.

Helen: Yes, I’ve been doing this for some newbie sewists in my life. Like, if they want to make a project and then they’ll send me some links to fabrics on Blackbird and be like, is this appropriate? And then I can give them a yea or nay and just, sort of, validate their decisions more than anything else and make sure that, because they can’t feel the fabric and they don’t know, you know, what does 5% spandex even feel like, it’s really helpful to have somebody just be like, yes, you’re on the right track.

Caroline: Totally. And Helen mentioned Fabric Shopping Online, that’s actually episode 155, and in there, we have tons of our best online shopping tips. So definitely check that out if you’re, kind of, limited to shopping online for fabrics.

Helen: Yes. Okay. So what if you’re starting with your fabric and you need to match it up with a pattern? I mean, we all have some fabric in our collection, so it’s great to shop what you’ve got when it comes to starting a sewing project.

Caroline: Yeah. So working with fabric first makes sense when you’re, kind of, trying to use your fabric collection or stash or maybe gifted fabric scraps or thrifted fabric that you found. So the first thing you want to do is take note of the fiber content and weave. So does the fabric have stretch? What’s it made of? Is it light, medium, or heavy weight? How does it drape? How much of it do you have? All of these will affect what kinds of garments you can make.

Helen: Yes, and if you have a mystery fabric, you can do a burn test, be careful, please, to figure out if it’s natural or synthetic fibers. So synthetic fibers will kind of melt together while natural fibers turn to ash and dust. Sometimes you can even distinguish between different natural or synthetic fibers. Obviously, again, be careful when you’re burning anything, just burn a small, little piece. Don’t, like, just take your whole yardage and burn the edge of it. Cut a little piece. And By Hand London has a great post on burn testing with a flow chart to help you identify the fiber content.

Caroline: Yeah, always a good idea to do burn tests outside or on some kind of a plate. Uh, I’ve seen, like, pie, like, those metal pie plates that are, kind of, disposable almost. You can use something like that so that you’re not worrying about something catching on fire and then that can snowball and become a disaster. So just be careful.

Helen: When I was a teenager, I had a, like, a school project where we had to make, I don’t even remember, it was some, kind of, like, creative history report, and I wanted to put it on a piece of paper that had, like, singed edges so it looked old. So I took a lighter to my project in my bedroom. And thankfully, I mean, the project was fine, but, like, a chunk of…

Caroline: Was your bedroom fine?

Helen: …it fell onto the carpet and burned a hole in the, like, wall-to-wall carpeting so…

Caroline: Oh no.

Helen: Not, not great.

Caroline: Yeah. So do this safely, and then you want to compare your fabric’s weight, drape, and fiber content with the recommendations given by pattern makers. So even if they don’t list your specific fabric, if it’s similar to a fabric they list, it will probably work well.

Helen: Yes. Okay. Now we’re going to go into the basic components of fabric, those characteristics that will determine whether your fabric will work for what you’re envisioning. When you’re fabric shopping, consider these components. So first is the content of the fabric. Basically, what is it made out of? There are lots of fibers out there, and they can all pretty much fit into one of two categories: natural and synthetic.

Caroline: Yeah. Natural fibers include linen, cotton, wool, silk, and hemp. Rayons like Tencel, viscose, cupro, EcoVero, those are usually heavily chemically processed, and the raw materials are natural wood, pulp and cotton, so they fit into the natural substrate category, but they are more processed, so they’re, kind of, like a semi-natural, semi-man-made fabric. Um, natural fabrics tend to be breathable, so they’re more comfortable to wear. They also look really gorgeous and are suited to nearly any garment, and most natural fabrics also have a lower environmental impact than synthetic fibers.

Helen: Yes, and synthetic fibers include things like polyester, nylon, acrylic, elastane or spandex, those are the same thing, and polyurethane. Synthetic fabrics tend to be more affordable than natural fabrics. An elastane spandex content is a must for knits with good recovery. That’s the amount that it bounces back after you stretch it out. So you want to look for, like, 5% elastane or spandex for things like leggings and sports bras, swim fabrics. Synthetics are also best for swimwear. Nylon or polyester combined with elastane will help keep that shape without taking on a ton of water.

Caroline: Yeah. I think synthetic substrates tend to get a bad rap which they are definitely, generally speaking, like, harder on the environment. But when you’re looking at selecting a fabric, I think it’s also important to consider longevity. So the reason why we would say, like, synthetics are best for swimwear or for athletic wear is because something like a swimsuit made out of cotton or linen is just not going to work. You’re not going to wear it. You’re not going to, um, like the way that it looks cause it’s not going to give you that effect that you’re going for.

So I think that there is a time and a place for synthetics when you’re, kind of, weighing it against how you want to use that garment and considering, you know, hopefully, that piece is going to be in your wardrobe for a really long time and, sort of, offset the fact that it might have a higher environmental impact.

Helen: Yes, and many fabrics are blends. We talked about earlier. Some are blends of natural substrates, like linen and cotton or linen and rayon, and others are synthetic like poly and spandex, but there’s also blends of both natural and synthetic substrates like poly cotton and rayon spandex. Um, so you can find all sorts of blends out there. And again, it just helps to be able to touch the fabrics when you’re learning what these kind of fabrics feel like and what something being blended with spandex means.

Caroline: Mhm, and you can check out our Fabric Deep Dive Episodes for more info about particular fabrics, and the fabric episodes we mentioned at the beginning of the episode also have a really good overview, so some of this information might be repetitive, but obviously, we want to include everything we can, all the info in this episode as well. So if you want more info, go back, but we’re trying to cover as much as we can today.

Helen: Well, fabric is at the core of sewing, so it never hurts to reiterate things.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. Okay. Let’s talk about construction next. So this is also called the fabric’s weave, and most fabrics fall into two categories, so either woven or knits, and these are usually kept in different sections in shops or on websites.

Helen: Yes, and remember wovens and knits require different patterns, different construction techniques, different fitting, so it’s best not to switch between them unless you are ready to alter the pattern or ready to accept the consequences if it doesn’t work out. Your pattern should say whether it’s intended for wovens or knits, and there are the occasional pattern you’ll come across that is suitable for both, usually things that are a little bit looser fitting.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. And woven fabrics typically have no stretch or very little stretch. You’ll see different weaves out there in the fabric world, like a plain weave, twill, corduroy, satin, velvet, jacquard. Those are just a few. Plain weave is what we usually think of when we think of weaving. There’s a vertical warp thread and horizontal weft thread that goes over and under the warp.

And twill is a weave with tiny diagonal ribs going across it. Denim is usually in a twill weave, and a satin weave floats long threads across the top of the fabric so that it looks soft and shiny. So two fabrics made of the same fiber could look very different with different weaves, so it’s important to consider both the fiber and the weave.

Helen: Yes, and we were talking about elastane and spandex earlier. So if you have a woven that’s blended with elastane or spandex, it might have some stretch to it in which case the pattern will probably recommend a stretch woven. And if it doesn’t, you’re probably best to avoid those as a beginner. But if you do want to use them, like, a question we get a lot is: can I make the Yanta Overalls in, like, a stretch denim or a stretch corduroy, and you can, but you might end up wanting to size that garment down or take it in at the sides because that stretch is just going to give you a little bit more of a roomy feeling, so you’ll want to take it in. So as a beginner, I think it’s best to avoid stretch wovens unless the pattern calls for them.

Caroline: Would you say that it’s easier to use a stretch woven for a pattern that recommends just, like, regular woven and not the other way around, like, I wouldn’t use a non-stretch woven for a pattern that recommends something with, like, a little bit of spandex in it, right?

Helen: Definitely, like, for example, uh, Closet Core has the Ginger Jeans Pattern, very popular jeans pattern. That is a stretch denim jeans pattern. So it’s drafted to be tighter on the body, and so you need that stretch in the fabric in order to put that on. So I wouldn’t recommend trying a non-stretch fabric in that case. I do think you’re right. It’s, like, it’s easier to use a stretch woven for a pattern that doesn’t call for it then vice versa.

Caroline: Mhm. Yeah, and we’ll talk a little bit more about stretch percentage in a second and, kind of, how to figure out what type of stretch fabric to pick out for the pattern.

Helen: Yes. Okay. Knit fabrics have natural stretch. They’re not woven. They are knit on machines. It’s like a tiny version of what knitters do when they’re knitting. If you look closely at the right side of a jersey knit fabric, you’ll see lots of tiny little v’s made by the threads. Knit fabrics can include jersey, interlock knit, rib knit, French Terry, and fleece. Some fabrics have more open knit and a thicker yarn, and those are called sweater knits. They’re also sometimes called hacci. That’s spelled H-A-C-C-I, um, so you’ll see those, and those typically refer to sweater knits. And then swimsuit fabrics are also knits.

Caroline: Mhm and there are some fabrics that are not wovens or knits, like leather or faux leather and a lot of interfacings. Sometimes, like, Melton or felt are also non-woven and they’re just, kind of, all the fibers are, like, bonded together.

Helen: Smushed.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Okay. You mentioned stretch percentage, and this is really important, uh, patterns that require stretch will often name the smallest amount of stretch that is needed. For example, it will say at least 25% stretch or at least 50% stretch. And it will often say in one direction or in both directions and specify which direction is needed.

I think for our Blackwood cardigan, it’s, like, at least 40% horizontally and at least 20% vertically. And that’s because I tested it on a lot of different knits, and without that vertical stretch, it’s just not as comfortable. So there’s a reason why those stretch percentages are in there, and it’s best to adhere to them. Um, it does say “at least,” so you can definitely go beyond that and use a stretchier knit for those projects.

Caroline: Mhm, and how do you test the stretch percentage of your fabric, Helen?

Helen: Okay. So to test the stretch percentage, you first need to find the direction of greatest stretch, and that’s the DOGS. Um, it’s pretty easy to find. You stretch the fabric parallel to the cut edge, then perpendicular to a cut edge, and whichever direction is stretchier is the direction of greatest stretch.

Now you want to measure 10 inches along the DOGS, with your hands at either end of the 10 inches, you stretch it out. So if it stretches to 12 inches, it has 20% stretch, stretches to 15, that’s 50% stretch. And you can also calculate this with less than 10 inches of fabric. I think in our patterns, we recommend five inches, and Megan Nielsen has a good article going over this formula on her blog, so we’ll link it in the show notes.

So you don’t have to use a certain size of fabric. You can cut a square or you can just cut a piece of the fabric. There’s lots of different ways to go about it, but you’re essentially stretching it against a ruler to calculate the amount of stretch that it has.

Caroline: Yeah. Some pattern designers even include in their pattern instruction booklet, like, a little ruler, and then you can, sort of, line up your piece of fabric on the DOGS along that ruler and stretch it, and they’ll, like, indicate, it needs to stretch at least to this point for it to work for the pattern, so that can be a helpful thing to look for as well.

And if you choose a fabric with less than the required stretch, it’s going to fit too tightly. That’s just a simple fact. Knit fabrics are designed for the ease that comes with the stretch of the fabric that they’re are designed for. So you’re also going to want to check your woven patterns to see if they require stretch as well. So, like Helen said, some jeans patterns are designed for stretch like the Ginger Jeans while others aren’t. So if you use a stretch fabric for a non-stretch pattern, it’s going to come out baggy, and if you use a non-stretch fabric for a stretch pattern, you won’t be able to get it on.

Helen: Yes, and with knit fabrics, if you find that you’re not, if you’re coming up short on that stretch percentage, you can size up in order to, like, make that difference up, but it doesn’t always work. So again, you’re into, like, trial and error territory where you’re like, I really want, you know, Avery Leggings out of this fabric, but it doesn’t meet the requirement. Maybe I’ll just size up a couple sizes and hope for the best, and it might really work out, but it also might not. There’s no guarantee in that scenario, so just keep that in mind as you go forth. Go forth and experiment.

Caroline: It’s also worth mentioning that. I think it’s not possible to size up for some people. Like, personally, a lot of the time I’m like at the top of a size range so being able to size up is, like, not really an option. So it’s always good to just, like, especially with your first go at a pattern, pick a fabric that is suitable and that, you know, kind of, follows the designer’s instructions and what they’ve drafted for. It’s just going to create way less frustration and tears later on.

Helen: That’s true. Okay, drape is another huge factor that’s going to affect your fabric choice. It means how a fabric lays on the body, how it actually drapes from, like, your shoulders and your upper body or how it drapes from your knees if you’re seated. So thinking about how that’s going to look with the garment that you’ve chosen.

Really drapey fabrics will flow over the body and form shapes that are closer to your natural form. Think, like, Tencel, twill, or silk charmeuse, things that are a little bit more, not necessarily clingy, but because they do drape so much, they end up sitting closer to the body.

Caroline: Mhm. And fabrics with a stiffer drape stand out from the body and create more volume. So think, like, mid-weight linens or poly organza here. And you can test drape by holding a square fabric at the middle so that it drapes on the bias. A really drapey fabric is going to make a thinner shape while a different fabric is going to stand out at the sides. And this is going to give you an idea of how the fabric will fall over your body and affect the look of the pattern you choose.

Helen: Yes, and I love when fabric stores will showcase that kind of thing on social media, or even, like, in videos in the product listings where you can actually see the drape, and that can be really helpful if you’re not able to shop in person, following some fabric accounts to just get an idea of what the fabric looks like when someone’s holding it up or draping it over a stool or something like that.Not that we’re like stools, but…

Caroline: No, it’s helpful because it just shows how the fabric hangs and that’s so important.

Helen: Exactly. Another thing that’s going to affect the way that your finished piece looks is the weight of the fabric. Weight is how much your fabric actually weighs per square meter or yard. In shops that list the weight, it will either be in grams per square meter or ounces per square yard. I think at Blackbird, you guys do ounces, right?

Caroline: Uh, we do both in the product listing, but in the actual title of the product, it’s usually ounces.

Helen: Oh, okay, cool. This can be confusing as a beginner sewist because you’ve never encountered weighing fabric. It’s really hard to know if something’s nine ounces. Well, what does that, that has, like, zero meaning to you, right? So again, it does come with time, um, and there’s lots of information online, like charts and things that you can find that will tell you, like, these fabrics fall into this category.

So lightweight fabrics that are best for things like shirts, tops, dresses. However, there are also some lightweight wools that could be great for, like, suits and dress pants. And some typical lightweight fabrics would be, like, cotton lawn, poplin, uh, rayon challis, uh, charmeuse. These are all nice lightweight fabrics, and a lightweight fabric would be anything from, like, what, six ounces or less, Caroline?

Caroline: Yeah, like, around 200 GSM is what we would consider, um, the top of a lightweight category which is about 5.9 ounces. So anything under that I would consider lightweight. Obviously, there’s, like, a lot of variation in there. It depends on how the fabric feels, too. So, um, some lighter weight fabrics might, kind of, read a little bit more mid-weight so you might say light to mid-weight.

Helen: It is tricky because I think drapier fabrics tend to feel lighter as well. Like, you could have a five ounce Tencel twill that feels quite different from a five ounce denim. The denim is going to feel heavier than the Tencel just because it doesn’t have as much drape.

Caroline: Yeah, and it’s quite nuanced and arbitrary. Like, I think different fabric stores might say differently. That’s just, kind of, how we categorize them at Blackbird.

Helen: Okay. So what about mid-weight fabrics? What’s in that category?

Caroline: Yeah, these are probably the most versatile because you can make a lot of different garments, tops, pants, dresses. A Blackbird seven ounce linen is a good example of a mid-weight fabric. And there are also mid-weight rayon twills, denims, flannels, and cotton shirtings. Uh, so definitely the most versatile, but you want to consider that a mid-weight is going to just have a little bit more structure generally and just be heavier on your body, so it might not work for all garments.

Helen: Mhm. Great for bottom weights. If you’re looking to make a pair of pants, you want to stay away from lightweight fabrics and go more into the medium weight fabric category. Most of the fabrics that garment sewists are going to work with are going to fall in the lightweight to medium weight fabrics, unless you’re making more specialty garments out of heavyweight fabrics which usually have a much stiffer drape and are suitable for things like outerwear, that’s coats or jackets, or hard-wearing work pants, classic heavyweight jeans, like, we’re talking, like, 12 ounce plus in this category.

Caroline: Yeah, and I want to come back to something you just said for a second. Cause you said, like, mid-weight fabrics will be more suitable for pants, and I totally agree with that. And it’s not to say that you can’t use, like, a lightweight drapey rayon to make a pair of pants, but when we’re also considering longevity of a garment, just because something works and looks good and you, you know, like the way that it drapes and maybe even it sews up beautifully, when you’re talking about a pair of pants that you’re going to be sitting and crouching and squatting and maybe throwing rocks at the beach in, you want to think about, like, how much stress those seams are going to get.

And in a pair of pants, those seams get a lot of stretch from our hips and our bums and our legs bending all the time. So those seams are not going to last as long as something that’s a mid-weight. So even if it, like, works, quote-unquote works, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to be a garment that’s going to last a long time. And I would say that’s an important thing to consider.

Helen: Yeah. It all comes back to how you envision wearing and using the garment. Like, you could make a pair of rayon Arden Pants for lounging around the house in, or, you know, a pair of Tencel Ninni Culouttes for wearing to the office, and it’s not going to be the rocks on the beach situation. So it really depends on what you’re going for. But fabric weight is super important, and it is, unfortunately, one of the harder things to wrap your head around when you get into sewing.

So ordering swatches, keeping track of how heavy things were, if you keep a sewing notebook, we’ve mentioned that a few times on the show, just to, like, jot down your project, make a note of how heavy the fabric was that you used so you can come back to that and be, like, oh, that shirt was five ounces. I thought it was less. I thought it was more. And it just lets you check in with the weights that you’ve been using and the weights that you like.

Caroline: Mhm, yeah, absolutely. And for any garment that’s going to be next to your skin and that’s most of them, hand-feel is going to be a really important thing to think about. So hand-feel is going to tell you whether a fabric is going to feel wonderful or awful, and there’s, kind of, everywhere in between as well. And the only way to really tell is to feel it with your hands. So imagine what it would feel like to wear that fabric for an extended time, rub the fabric together.

Some fabrics have a lovely, soft rustle, while others will almost squeak when you rub them together. And rub it against your skin and see how it feels against your skin. I think different people have a different tolerance for scratchiness of fabric, and sometimes you’re going to wanna weigh, you know, how much do I love the weight and drape and, um, fiber content of this fabric versus how does it feel against my skin? And can I make a compromise somewhere to be able to use this fabric.

Helen: Mhm, and, like, whether or not you’re going to be comfortable heat-wise, I think is a big consideration, too. Cause you could be like, I love this fabric, but if I wear a polyester shirt, I, like, I’m only going to last, like, 30 minutes before I need to take that off of my body.

Caroline: Totally. That’s why it’s so important to think, like, consider all these different components and not just one because, like, a poly sweater knit might feel amazing against your skin. Like, I’ve seen some really beautiful, soft, poly or poly blend sweater knits. And if you’re a person that runs hot, that might not be the right fabric choice for you. It might be for someone else, but it might not be for you because polyester doesn’t breathe as well, and you’re just going to end up, like, a sweaty mess when you’re wearing it, so you got to consider all of the different things.

Helen: All the things. Okay, and on top of all those considerations, we also want to think about our skill level when we’re choosing fabric. Some fabrics are just trickier to work with than others. So consider whether you’re ready to take on a more difficult fabric or a new fabric that you haven’t worked with before. For example, slippy, shifty, or shiny fabrics like satin and organdy will take a lot of maneuvering to, kind of, pin them together and get them through your machine.

Caroline: Yeah, and fabrics that fray a lot can be difficult because they get worse with handling which is something you do a lot of when you’re starting out so loose weave fabrics like some wool coatings or hace knits and fabrics with smooth fibers like silk or silk poly tend to do a lot of fraying.

Helen: Another thing to consider is print. So large scale prints could require more pattern matching, if pattern matching is the way you want to go with your garment. And we have an episode on this to help you out, it’s episode 150. That’s something to think about if you’re working with a big print or thinking about, like, the style lines in the garment, too, and whether they’re going to disrupt that print or highlight that print.

Caroline: Mhm, and thick fabrics like denim, canvas, and wool coatings can be tough to get through your machine, especially when you’re sewing several layers. So you want to consider what your machine can handle when you’re choosing a fabric, as well. And what you can handle in terms of, like, how many layers and thickness of fabrics, um, you’re used to working with.

Helen: Totally, and this is not to dissuade you from making your dream garment from that really cool fabric you’ve always wanted to try. Adventurous beginners are welcome to tackle whatever they want to. If you fall into that category, it just means that you’ve sewn a few things. You’re not a beginner anymore. It’s not your first time sitting down at the machine. So you’re ready for the adventure. You’re ready to try new things and up your sewing game.

And that means taking on fabrics that you may not have worked with before, and you might discover you love them, or you might discover, mm, not quite for me just yet. I’m going to stick with the more stable things like cotton for a little bit.

Caroline: Yeah, definitely. It’s all up to you and what you want to do. And finally, we, you want to be considering the durability of the fabric? So ask yourself where you’re going to be wearing this garment, what kinds of things are you going to be doing in it, and how long you want it to last? This, kind of, ties back to what I said earlier. If you have an active lifestyle and you’re making an everyday garment that you’re going to be wearing and being active in, you probably want a durable fabric.

Medium and heavyweight fabrics are more durable than lightweight fabric, so look for tightly woven fabrics because they’re going to resist snag and tears. And if you’re making a going out dress or a special occasion outfit, that’s the best time to go for those less durable, but prettier fabrics, like those silky, slinky things, and maybe the sequins that you bought when you were really looking for canvas.

Helen: I mean, there’s something very beautiful about a nice, solid, durable cotton canvas.

Caroline: Oh yeah. I’m all for it.

Helen: Okay. Here’s another fun part of fabric shopping and that is picking the right color. So do you have a palette that you’re trying to stick with for your wardrobe? Some of us like to have our wardrobes in a similar palette, so it’s a bit easier to mix and match on the day-to-day when you’re getting dressed. It’s also great for picking out the colors that you like best and that make you feel really good. So if that sounds good to you, maybe you could make a mood board and figure out what colors keep popping up when you’re pinning things on Pinterest or saving things on Instagram or fabric shopping online. It can be so much fun.

Um, but it’s also okay to not be into this kind of thing. If you like to mix it up and you love all colors and you just want to dress sort of intuitively on the day-to-day and not worry about sticking to a palette, that’s wonderful also. So one way to figure out if you are swaying one way or the other would be to look at your wardrobe and see if there’s colors that are jumping out at you, that you tend to wear a lot, or maybe there’s a color that you’d like to try that just isn’t in there yet.

Caroline: Mhm. Absolutely. And if you’re shopping in person, you want to check the fabric against your skin or your face to see if you like how it looks. I think this is such a personal thing and not something that, like, other people should say, like, a fabric color looks great on you or not great on you. I think this is, like, such a personal decision, but you can, kind of, drape it against yourself and look in the mirror and see how it looks.

You could also use, like, a photo editing program or maybe art materials to draw different colors on your croque or a sketch of yourself, or even, like, super impose different colors on a picture of yourself in Photoshop. I feel like there’s a few different ways that you can figure out what your favorite colors are.

Helen: Yes, and just like we said, that you’re allowed to touch the fabric in the store, you’re also allowed to pick up the bolt, unroll it, walk over to the mirror, and hold it up in front of you. I remember my first few times going to a fabric store, I was so nervous to, like, move anything or touch anything or, like, be seen holding fabric up against my face. I’d, like, sneakily try and do it in, like, the mirror in the corner. Cause you’re like, I don’t want anyone to see me looking. But it’s okay, you’re supposed to look. You need to be able to just see it, drape it over your shoulders, see how it falls on your body, like, really make sure that you’re making the right choice because this is your money.

Caroline: Make friends with the fabric before you decide to take it home.

Helen: Yes, and then think also about whether you want a print or a solid. What are you going to wear this piece with? Do you like to mix prints? Or do you like to only have one print in your outfit? Or do you just love solids and no matter how much you appreciate prints, you never seem to want to wear them? That’s fine, too. Maybe you’re just a solid person.

Caroline: Yeah, I think that’s totally valid if you just like solid fabrics. And if you’re choosing a print, think about how it’s going to affect the details of the garment. So some patterns look great in prints, like a gingham button up with the plackets, cuffs, and yolk cut on the bias can look amazing, but some other patterns might end up losing their details in a print, especially if it’s, like, a medium or small scale.

You also want to be checking if a print is directional. So that means if you turn it over, is the print upside down, then it’s directional. And if not, it’s not directional, and you can cut pieces out either way. If it’s directional or if the fabric has a nap, like a corduroy or a velvet, you want to make sure to buy extra so that you can lay all your pattern pieces out in the same direction. And then you’re going to end up with a garment that you love even more cause there’s no weird changes in print direction.

Helen: Yeah, and if you’re looking at a more pricey fabric, like a velvet, something like that, and you want to make sure that you’re not buying too much extra. I would say consult the cutting layouts that are in the pattern. Those are those diagrams where it shows you how all the pattern pieces get laid out in order to cut it out the best way. And then you can actually see visually, are all the main pattern pieces, like, facing up? Um, how much extra fabric do I think I’m going to need in order to turn the back of this dress around?

Caroline: Mhm.

Helen: Alright, let’s talk a moment about care instructions. So even though the care instructions for certain fabrics don’t seem like an immediate concern. It’s something to consider when you’re choosing a fabric. Our best advice is to be realistic about how you’re going to care for your clothes. Don’t buy a dry clean only fabric, if you are just not a dry clean person. If you don’t have the space to hang dry, buy fabrics that you can throw in the dryer with confidence. Or maybe hand washing relaxes you, then you can go for those kinds of fabrics, and you don’t need to shy away.

Caroline: And care instructions can be found, usually listed on the end of the bolt or on the website where you buy the fabric. And if you can’t find them, just use instructions for the fiber that makes up the fabric. And this is where Google comes super in handy.

Helen: Yes. I love that Blackbird includes those little tags with the. It’s so helpful, and I, like, read them and then sometimes I follow them and sometimes I don’t. I’m, kind of, like, a throw it all in the washer and dryer person and, like, what will be, will be.

Caroline: Yeah, I’m kinda the same way. Like, I think pre-washing is so important, so I usually throw everything in the washing machine and hope for the best. But it’s also comes with experience, like, I think you would probably recognize that a wax canvas, for example, doesn’t get thrown into the washing machine…

Helen: Wait, what?

Caroline: …before you sew with it. So with that experience, you’ll learn, like, what is okay to wash and what isn’t. And if you’re not sure, we always recommend cutting a piece of the fabric and test washing it before you wash your full yardage, just to avoid any sadness if you ruin a fabric by washing it.

Helen: Mhm, I did this recently with some silk that I got. I just cut a little swatch, and I threw it in the wash and the dryer, and it came out totally fine. And I was like, I’m happy with this. I want to be able to make a shirt that I’m gonna wear and be able to wash, so I am choosing to just wash this silk, and I think that that’s fine.

Caroline: And once you’ve selected the perfect fabric, you need to decide how much to buy. Pay attention to the fabric width. This is really important. Fabrics usually come in widths anywhere from 43 to 60 inches, but there are definitely outliers, and you can really get any width in between 43 and 60 as well, so…

Helen: I’ve seen beyond 60, like…

Caroline: Oh yeah. I mean, I’ve seen, like, 70 inch wide denim before plus even more. So there are all, all different widths available. And your pattern is going to tell you how much fabric they recommend you buy based on your size and the fabrics width. Keep in mind that these recommendations can tend towards the generous side. So you can probably buy a little bit less if you feel confident about squeezing it out. Also, keep in mind, these recommendations are based on set widths, so a lot of pattern designers will do… What do you do, Helen? What are your two widths?

Helen: Um, we do 45 and 60.

Caroline: Yeah. So that’s, I think that’s pretty standard. Um, but if you have, like, a 65 inch fabric, then you might be able to get away with a little bit less, or if you have a 50 inch fabric, you might, you know, go with a fabric length somewhere in between the 45 and 60 inch recommendation. So there’s definitely some wiggle room there, and you kinda have to use your best judgment, and worst case scenario: if you have the pattern pieces already ready to go, you can, kind of, tape out the width of that fabric and lay it out yourself and figure out exactly how much you need. It’s more involved, but it’s more accurate.

Helen: Yes, much more accurate. You’ll probably save some money in the long run, and you won’t have that extra bit of fabric lying around in the end. Um, and there’s a few other things to consider when you’re deciding how much to buy. We mentioned the directional nap or a print, um, that you might want to match things like large-scale plaids and stripes, you might want to order a bit extra in order to be able to match across the side seams or the shoulders. Some patterns will tell you how much extra to buy if you have a napped fabric, but most probably won’t, so it’s something you’re going to have to work out.

Another thing to consider that if you have a print with a long repeat, so the repeat is, like, the print has been designed a meter at a time. And then that same print is being repeated down the bolt of the fabric. So if it has a really long repeat that you’re going to want to match up, you might want to buy extra in that case. Um, you can do less if the print is smaller or the repeat is smaller or maybe it’s just designed well so that you can’t tell where the repeat is. That’s something to think about and something, another reason to, like, unroll the bolt in the fabric store, so you can really get a sense for how that print.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. In some prints that are, like, huge scale might not be worth trying to match, just because you’ll need so much fabric to get all those matches to work out depending on your size and what the pattern is and how many seam lines there are. So you might just want to consider no pattern matching sometimes.

Helen: Yeah, saves you some trouble that’s for sure.

Caroline: Well, choosing the perfect fabric is one of the best parts of sewing your own wardrobe. And I wonder if you could talk a little bit, Helen, about what your favorite fabrics are and how you, kind of, make your fabric choices personally?

Helen: Oh! I love all fabrics. No, I really do have a broad range of fabrics that I sew with. And since we develop patterns, I’m often looking for what other alternatives might be available for the style that we’re designing. Like, for designing a button up shirt, of course, it’s going to look great in cotton and flannel and things like that. But how would it look in a drapey fabric? How would it look in a see-through fabric? It’s exciting to experiment with things.

For my personal sewing and wearing, I like linen. I also love denim because I think it’s so satisfying to sew with, so satisfying to press, so satisfying to topstitch. It’s just, like, feels good. Same for cotton. It’s just really fun to work with cotton because it’s so stable, but I also love rayon, Tencel, EcoVero, those prints that you’ve been coming out with at Blackbird. I just really enjoy a good print. I have a fairly bold, especially my dress section of my wardrobe, is very print heavy, and I really enjoy just, like, a nice, bright, bold print, so I gravitate to those a lot.

And I’m enjoying mixing the structured fabrics with the more flowy fabrics. Um, and I also like to choose based on the colors I love to wear. I buy a lot of orange-y, pink, rusty colors, which is great because you always have one in everything you launch, there’s always, like, a clay or rosewood. Like, that one’s for me.

Caroline: Absolutely. Yeah. You definitely have, like, a very clear aesthetic with your colors and the prints that you gravitate towards, so it totally makes sense that you would choose those colors. And we love bringing in those colors at Blackbird.

Helen: Yeah. How about you? What’s your favorite fabs these days?

Caroline: Yeah, I mean, I personally love a staple woven, like you mentioned, linen and cotton. Love that. I specifically really like solids, textured or stripe linens, um, yarn dyed cottons or cottons with, like, patterns woven in, like, ikats. Love those. I have a lot of those in my stash. Also, like, soft knits, like bamboo jerseys or modal jerseys and drapey prints, like a rayon viscose, EcoVero, so, kind of, similar. I think we have fairly similar tastes in fabric. We like wearing similar garments, so totally makes sense.

I do think I’m a bit of a unique case because I see dozens, literally dozens, of new fabrics pass across my desk each week. So at this point in my sewing journey, it’s really the unique ones that excite me the most, that are the ones that come home with me.

Helen: Mhm, like, I’ve never seen this before. It’s so cool. Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Fair enough.

Caroline: That’s usually what I’ll gravitate towards or, you know, I definitely have some, like, TnT fabrics that we’ve carried at Blackbird for a long time that I know I’ll always like default to if I’m making a certain type of garment, but when I’m just picking a fabric because I love it, and I don’t necessarily have a project in mind or have a plan to sew it up right away, I usually go for those ones that are, like, really cool and exciting to me.

Helen: Neither of us are silk people though.

Caroline: No, it’s interesting. Hey, I think silk just doesn’t have the durability that I need for my lifestyle.

Helen: That is totally fair. I have definitely bought several silks. I was just talking about pre-washing that silk. I still haven’t sewn it up. So I have a few in my collection, but I do not sew with it very regularly, but I’d like to do more. Maybe that’s something I can push myself for. We’re actually doing an episode all about silks, so that should be…

Caroline: We are. Maybe we’ll be inspired. Try some more silk sewing.

Helen: We should sew something with silk before that episode.

Caroline: We’ll see. We’ll see. Helen, have you had any fabric match fails?

Helen: Oh, so many. I mean, I can’t think of a specific one, but I know that, especially in the early days of sewing, I was constantly making things out of the wrong fabric, and at the time, I was fairly confident that it was the right fabric which is, kind of, hard to impart upon a beginner because you don’t want to discourage people, but, like, you’re going to make pattern and fabric matching fails. It’s just going to happen. That’s how you learn what’s going to work. It does take a lot of experience to get good at choosing the right ones.

And I made a lot of stuff out of quilting cotton when I started sewing which is totally normal, and a lot of people have that experience, and those garments just didn’t get a ton of wear because it’s just a little bit too stiff, a little bit too thick for me personally, for wearing on the day-to-day. So, um, that was a lesson that I learned early, and now I’m a little better at choosing.

But I think that’s a lot in part because of stores like yours that cater to garment sewists. So I feel pretty confident knowing that if I’m buying something from Blackbird, that it’s going to be suitable for a garment. It might not be exactly the one I had in mind when it arrives in my postbox, but I could take it out and be like, oh, this drape would be perfect for this other thing. So it’s always just good to shop somewhere where you know that the fabrics you’re getting are going to be suitable for garments if you’re interested in garment sewing.

Caroline: Yeah. It’s so true. Like, I think it can be really hard to see a fabric in person for the first time and have it not be exactly what you envisioned for the project, but I love this idea of, like, pivoting and being like, it’ll work for something else cause I know it’s perfect for garments.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. How about you? Do you have any fabric match fails?

Caroline: I feel like this is very relatable, like, hasn’t everybody had a fabric match fail in their sewing journey? I used to be really terrible at looking at, uh, the, like, recommended knit stretch percentage, uh, for different patterns. So I definitely have made my fair share of, like, t-shirts and leggings that didn’t fit around my legs or were, like, really tight around my legs or arms. Um, but I’ve learned my lesson there, and I definitely try to check that now cause it’s always such a bummer.

Helen: Um, yeah.

Caroline: What about fabric match successes? Can we, like, think back to any garments that we feel like we really nailed it?

Helen: Oh yes. I have a dress from this past summer I made as a Reynolds Dress in this batik rayon print, and it’s black and white and it’s just, I just wish I could wear it every day. And I wear it a lot around the house, and now that the weather’s cooled down, not so much outside, but there’s something about this, like, the perfect amount of drape, it’s not like a challis, it’s, like, a medium weight rayon drape. And I just love, love, love, love, love this dress.

Um, and then the other article of clothing that came to mind is this Ilford Jacket that I made in mid-weight linen. It’s, like, a deep green color, and I wear this jacket constantly. It’s a perfect dog-walking jacket. Just, like, throwing on, go-to-the-grocery-store jacket. I love a mid-weight linen, like, six or seven ounces. I think that fabric can work for pretty much all things. I don’t think I’ve ever had a pattern fail using the mid-weight linen.

Caroline: Yeah. I love that Ilford Jacket so much. I have a mid-weight linen Pona Jacket that you actually gave me that, it’s, like, the perfect weight for, sort of, like, a layering jacket, which is, you know, really nice for, like you said, walking the dog or just throwing on if you need just an extra layer, so those are great. I want to say, cause you mentioned that you don’t wear the Reynolds as much in the fall, I feel like it would be so cute with, like, a little white t-shirt layered underneath…

Helen: Oh, that’s true.

Caroline: …for fall.

Helen: I don’t own a white t-shirt.

Caroline: Do you not?

Helen: I’ve never been a white tee wearer.

Caroline: Or even a black tee, I think would be cute…

Helen: That’s true.

Caroline: …because it’s a black base print.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Or gray. I dunno. I just like layering my, like, tank dresses over t-shirts to take them into fall.

Helen: I do think that Reynolds is definitely a great layering piece with a turtleneck or a t-shirt underneath. And I’ve seen a few people doing that on Instagram, so I need to get on board.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Get with the program. Okay. What about you? Do you have some successes to share?

Caroline: Yeah, I mean, I have had, like, a, quite a few successes. I feel like I have really learned a lot about fabric and pattern matches over the years. So I feel pretty good about my decisions often, but I would say, I made a pair of black Ninni Culottes in washed linen, um, that I absolutely love. I’ve had them for, like, probably three years now, still in regular rotation. It’s just the perfect fabric and pattern match to me, um, and really integrates well into my wardrobe.

I also wanted to highlight a skirt that I made and wear to Frocktails because, at the time, I wasn’t sure if it was going to be something that I’d wear often cause it’s quite a bold print and a really, like, kind of, swishy, midi skirt. Um, it’s a rayon crepe, like, deadstock print. And the skirt that I used is the Style Arc Sorrento Skirt. So it has this, like, flounce at the bottom and honestly, I love that skirt so much. I would wear it weekly if it wasn’t so bold because I think people would know, would notice how often I wear it.

Helen: They would know that you wore your clothes more than once.

Caroline: Oh my gosh. I have, like, a complex about that, I think. But no, I, I definitely pull it out, like, at least once a month and I think not only is it a great skirt to pair with, like, a dressier top for, like, an occasion, I’ve worn it to, like, my family Christmas, I wore it to Frocktails, but I also just pair it with, like, a t-shirt or a little crop tank and wear it to work. And I just think it’s, like, such a good match. It has such a nice weight to it, such a great drape. And the print is just, like, perfect for that pattern. So I’m really proud of that one.

Helen: This is a perfect example of, like, going out of your comfort zone with something and having it turn into something that you wear all the time. So you experimented, and it paid off.

Caroline: Totally. But we would love to hear about your fabric match successes and fails, too. Let us know on Instagram, over email, or leave us a message, a voicemail message. And now if you’ll excuse us, we’re going to spend the rest of the day dreaming about perfect fabrics.

Helen: Yeah. I have a Blackbird order I got to unpack.

Caroline: Oh my gosh, go do it.

Helen: That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me Helen at helensclosetpatterns.com and Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com. And we’re recording in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Caroline: You can go to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. If you’d like to get in touch with us, send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Helen: If you love Love to Sew and you want more, you can sign up for our Patreon. For $5 a month, you get a full length bonus episode and weekly behind the scenes pics. For $10 a month, you get all that plus a mini episode focused on sewing techniques and 15% off codes for Helen’s Closet and Blackbird Fabrics. Patreon is the best way to support us so that we can keep making this quality sewing content. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew for more info.

Caroline: And did you know that we have Loved to Sew swag? You can visit our shop to get tees, pins, and tote bags with art by Josie Adams of Hey Miss Designs. Tell the world you’re a stitch witch, that you can make anything, or that you’re a Love to Sew listener. Go to lovetosewshop.com to get yours.

Helen: Thank you to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant. Jordan Moore is our editor. And Margaret Wakelee is our transcriber. And thank you so much for listening. See you next week.

Caroline: Bye.

Helen: Buh-bye.

Caroline: You can find me Caroline at blackbirdfabrics.com. Nope.

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