Easy fabrics to sew are great for beginners AND experienced sewists alike. Forgiving fabric makes just about any sewing technique more pleasant, and sewing with “easy” fabric usually is faster and more accurate (vs. tricky material).
In short, you can build up your confidence with easy fabrics to sew, because your me-made garments turn out better!
If you want to better understand why forgiving fabrics are so great, what makes a fabric forgiving, and which fabrics fall into the “easy to sew” camp, this post is for you.
The Merits of Easy Fabrics to Sew
What’s the point of hitting the easy button when it comes to fabric selection? Well, let me tell you a thing or three about why you should reach for easy fabrics to sew.
1.) You’ll have a better sewing experience.
Sewing is hard, y’all. It’s not a practice for the easily discouraged. Why not make one factor (the fabric) predictable and a joy to employ? Easy-to-use fabric is important to beginner sewists, who need to build confidence with successes. Forgiving fabrics are step No. 1 to sewing success.
2.) You’ll spend less money.
Floaty, slippery silk is expensive and hard to work with. To compare, many easy-to-sew fabrics β cotton, linen β are budget friendly. Hey, if your sewing project made of (less expensive) forgiving fabric goes sideways, you’re not out a lot of cash.
3.) You’ll sew a better product.
Fabrics that are easier to work with go a long way toward a higher-quality finished garment. That’s because techniques are easier to execute and get right. Successful sewing techniques lead to successful sewing projects, which lead to a mega sewing confidence boost. π€πͺππ
What Makes a Fabric Easy to Work With?
Upon reflection, I ID’d the following as characteristics of fabrics that are easy to sew:
1.) Not too thin or thick
Thin fabrics are easy to overhandle, which can stretch them out. Thick fabrics call for more care while stitching, because you’re more likely to have skipped stitches and difficulty maneuvering pattern pieces under the presser foot and needle.
2.) Zero or minimal stretching
Take it from me. It’s SUPER easy to overstretch stretch fabrics during sewing. It takes time to build an instinct for how to handle stretch fabric while sewing, knowing when to pull and when to let the foot and feed dogs do their thing. Plus, if you botch a seam when sewing stretch fabric, there’s a greater risk of damaging (specifically misshaping) the fabric when you unpick stitches.
3.) No extraordinary presser feet necessary
If, as you research how to sew a fabric, you find suggestions for using a specialty presser foot β non-stick, walking, etc. β the fabric *might* be finicky to work with (or at least too finicky for an all-purpose foot). Pause and ask yourself, “Is buying a new presser foot or switching between presser feet going to be worth it?” It’s a personal question whose answer is based on your skill level and commitment to your project vision. (For me, dragging out all my fancy presser feet is kind of a drag.)
These Fabrics Play Nice: Top Picks for Easy Fabrics to Sew
Along with a little chat about each forgiving fabric, I’ve shared Sie Macht posts that feature the fabric as a garment. Enjoy!
Cotton Lawn
Clockwise from top left: 1 2Β 3 4
The hand of cotton lawn is crisp and smooth. In my mind, sewing with cotton lawn feels sort of like sewing with high-quality quilting cotton β except cotton lawn feels like it’s for apparel and quilting cotton feels like it’s for home dec. Cotton is a natural fiber and presses beautifully. Read:Β By Hand London Anna Dress: A Liberty-Feathered Frock
Shirting
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
Shirting (usually a cotton or cotton blend) is less smooth than lawn, which makes it ever-so-slightly easier to handle because of added friction. Shirting seams don’t get bulky under the needle and presser foot, and it’s a breeze to cut pattern pieces from shirting.
Chambray
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
I’d say chambray (think lightweight denim shirt fabric) provides even more friction than shirting (correct me in comments if you feel otherwise). Chambray usually is made from natural fibers and is easy to press. Plus, it’s one of those fabrics that gets softer with wear. And I fight anyone who doesn’t understand the awesome utility of a chambray/denim shirt.
Flannel
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
You know what I love about flannel (besides wearing it)? Flannel pattern pieces stick together! Remember flannel storyboards at the library when you were a kid? Yep, same principle. The grippiness makes it easy to handle. Read:Β Timber! The Lumberjill Dress: Darling Ranges in Flannel
Linen
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
Ah, linen! You gorgeous natural fiber, you! Linen presses like a dream; get that iron nice ‘n’ steamy for it. Pattern pieces in linen often stick together, which means there’s often less pinning when you sew with linen (especially if there are a lot of straight seams). Read:Β A Modern Darling Ranges Shirt Dress: Megan Nielsen Pattern Review
Ponte Knit
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
Ponte knit is a stable double knit that usually beefier than your average T-shirt material. Its edges don’t roll like it’s cousin, jersey knit. Ponte is a great way to dip your toe into the world of sewing with knits. Read:Β Colette Mabel: Quality Time with My Seam Ripper
Lyocell (Tencel trademark)
Lyocell is a type of rayon. In my experience, it’s drapey like rayon but heavier and easier to maneuver under the needle. It’s got that rayon silkiness but it doesn’t wander all over the place. Read:Β Va-va-va-volume in Victory Patterns Esther Pants
Scuba Knit
Clockwise from top left: 1 2 3 4
Scuba knit is stretchy, but usually only when you really pull on it. It’s lighter than ponte knit, and it tends to be a bit more slippery. Like ponte, scuba tends to be heavier than your average T-shirt fabric, which makes it easier to handle. P.S. Scuba can look really cool with raw hems (which potentially means less work for you). Read:Β Victory Patterns Jackie dress: Diving into scuba knit
Over to you, dear readers: What is your fave easy fabric to sew? Are there any fabrics in this list to which you object? Please sound off in comments! Thanks!
P.S. If you need more fabric talk, I got you:
Go Fabric Shopping with Me! | Vogue Fabrics [VIDEO]
Cutting Slippery Fabric: How I Learned the Hard Way
Amazon Tricks for Fabric Shopping: The Ultimate Guide for Sewists
How to Choose Fabric: A Crash Course in Fashion Textiles
This post contains Amazon affiliate links chosen for you! If you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you. Thanks for your support!
Thank you for this! After very little sewing since sewing my kiddos costumes (who are now grow n) Iβm back in and this post hits the spot. I really appreciate the why behind the fabrics you included and the links to the pieces you made with the fabrics. I also wish more fabric sellers included pattern ideas for a particular fabric β like Blackbird Fabrics does, itβs very helpful.
Hi, Jerri! Thanks for reading! The fabric links are all to Amazon, but you can find most/a lot of these fabrics from any decent fabric store.
Yeah, having examples of which fabrics are great for specific patterns is invaluable! Seamwork mag also does a good job with this. When in doubt, I’ve messaged pattern designers for suggestions. And sewists on IG & in FB sewing groups at good, too!
I’m glad you’ve come back to sewing! Yay, have FUN!
I’m sure I’m not the only one who prefers wearing garments made from the fabrics that are the biggest pain in the ass to actually sew up! When I realized that, I was sooooo annoyed. But I think the way I’ve kept myself from getting too frustrated with the fiddly, slippery projects is to alternate them with projects that use the fabrics you’ve included – particularly bottom-weight cotton. That way I get a relatively easy success between every “gouge my eyes out with the seam ripper” struggle. =)
Good idea, Julia! Personally I need to take breaks between hard projects. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for simplifying what each material is like – it’s hard to really know when just looking at it online! I was wondering if I could ask for advice? I’m making new cushion covers for outdoor furniture for my mum. She isn’t bothered about it being waterproof as takes them inside every night anyway but I wasn’t sure what material would be best? I’ll be sewing it on my home domestic sewing machine so don’t want to get a material too thick for the machine. I’ll need to order a fair bit of material so want to make sure I get it right before I order loads.
Thanks again for this post!! π
Hi, Charlotte; thanks SO MUCH for commenting.
The first fabric that comes to mind is cotton duck. I think it should be easy enough to sew on a domestic machine – I recommend a beefier needle, though – maybe size 90/14 or 100/16. Here’s a link to canvas/duck: https://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-canvas-fabric-duck-fabric.aspx. Canvas/duck is an economical choice, yay. Ticking also tends to be heavyweight and lower cost – https://www.fabric.com/find?searchText=ticking. I’m suggesting cheaper options because fabrics in the upholstery realm can get expensive fast!
Do you think your mum will wash the cushions? If yes, then you definitely want to wash the fabric before sewing, especially if it has cotton content. You don’t want shrunken cushion covers! It might pay to wash and dry the fabric a few times before sewing to be sure.
Good luck and have fun! Thanks for reading.