We look for distinctive prints, unique colorways, and fabrics that are always 100 percent natural, except in rare cases where less than 6 percent recycled spandex is included for additional stretch.
Fiber content
Prefer exact percentages over category words. 100 percent linen, or 60 percent cotton and 40 percent linen, shows how the fabric will press, breathe, and pill. Poly blend does not.
- Cotton: takes a crisp press, washes hard, and dyes well.
- Linen: cool, strong, and wrinkles as part of the deal. Softens with every wash. Finish seams early. It frays.
- Hemp and bast blends: stiff off the bolt, excellent after a few launderings.
- Rayon and viscose: plant-derived and chemically processed. Fluid drape, weak when wet, high shrinkage.
- Polyester and nylon: stable and non-absorbent. Useful for bag linings and structure.
- Elastane, spandex, or Lycra: 2 to 5 percent is enough to change how a woven behaves and which needle you need. In this shop, stretch appears only as a rare exception under 6 percent recycled spandex.
GSM, ounces, and weight
GSM is grams per square meter. It is independent of bolt width. Some listings use ounces per square yard. Multiply ounces by about 33.9 to convert to GSM.
If a listing only says medium weight, ask for a number or order a swatch.
| Fabric | Weight | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Voile, lawn, gauze | 60 to 110 GSM | Blouses, gathered summer dresses, linings. |
| Quilting cotton, poplin | 110 to 150 GSM | Patchwork, shirts, structured skirts. |
| Mid-weight linen, chambray | 150 to 200 GSM | Everyday shirts, trousers, shirt dresses. |
| Bottomweight twill, sturdy linen | 200 to 280 GSM | Trousers, jackets, totes. |
| Canvas, duck, denim | 280 to 450 GSM | Bags, aprons, workwear. |
Finishing changes the hand. Treat GSM as the first filter, then read the hand description.
Width
Quilting cotton is generally 42 to 45 inches on the bolt, about 42 inches usable after the selvages. Apparel fabric is often 54 to 60 inches. A dress that takes 2 yards at 60 inches can take 3 or more at 45 inches. Beginner sewing patterns
Hand, drape, and opacity
Hand is how it feels. Drape is how it falls. Opacity shows whether you are also buying lining.
When a swatch arrives: drape it over the back of your hand, hold it up to a window with your hand behind it, then scrunch it for ten seconds and release.
Stretch and recovery
Wovens with elastane usually stretch across the width. Knits often stretch both ways. Fold 4 inches against a ruler and pull. If it reaches 6 inches, that is 50 percent stretch. Recovery matters as much as stretch. Use a ballpoint or stretch needle on stretchy fabric. Tools for sewing beginners, or browse needles by point type.
Shrinkage
- Cotton: expect 3 to 5 percent.
- Linen and linen blends: expect 5 to 10 percent.
- Wash and dry twice before cutting if the garment will go through a dryer.
- Hemp and bast blends: expect 4 to 8 percent.
- Rayon and viscose: expect up to 10 percent.
Prewash the way you will wash the finished garment, then press and cut. Buy about 10 percent more than the pattern calls for when you are working with linen or rayon, or when the listing does not state shrinkage.
Grain, selvage, and bias
The selvage runs the length of the bolt. Parallel to it is the lengthwise grain, the most stable direction. Across the bolt is the crosswise grain. At 45 degrees is the bias. Cutting off-grain makes a side seam twist. Square the fabric before you cut.
Garment cotton versus quilting cotton
Quilting cotton is stable and crisp: good for patchwork and some structured garments. Lawn, voile, gauze, and linen move more. If the pattern illustration shows soft vertical folds, you need drape. If it shows the garment holding a shape, you need body. Natural fiber clothing, and sewing dresses with natural fibers.
The spec block we look for
- Fiber content as exact percentages.
- Width in inches, and whether that includes the selvage.
- Weight in GSM or ounces, or the figure left off if we do not have it.
- Hand and drape in plain language.
- Opacity: sheer, semi-opaque, or opaque.
- Stretch percentage and direction, if there is any.
- Care that matches the fiber.
- How the cut is measured, and whether multiple yards ship continuous.
We do not invent a missing number. We only publish origin or certification when we can confirm it. The full version of that commitment lives on our Quality & Sourcing Promise.
Questions
- What does GSM mean?
- Grams per square meter. How heavy the fabric is by area.
- What weight for a dress?
- Most dresses land between 110 and 200 GSM. Lighter for gathers, ruffles, or bias. Heavier for collars, button bands, and A-line structure.
- What does 45 or 60 mean?
- Bolt widths in inches.
- Is quilting cotton good for clothing?
- Yes for crisp shapes: shirts, gathered skirts, pinafores, pyjamas. It will not drape like lawn or lightweight linen.
Shop with confidence
We publish what we know and leave a figure off rather than invent it. Browse colorful fabric by the yard or Fabric, and ask us for help when the brief is still fuzzy.
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