Garment Fabric 101

Ever felt overwhelmed standing in front of a wall of fabric, unsure of how it will actually look, feel, and behave once it’s sewn into a garment? Choosing the right fabric is one of the most personal—and critical—steps of any sewing project.  

In this 2-hour class, we explore the four essential pillars of textiles: weave, fiber composition, weight, and drape. You will learn how to understand the characteristics of different fabrics so you can confidently pick the perfect match for your next garment.  

We’ll spend the final portion of the class applying our new knowledge right here in the shop! You’ll practice selecting a fabric that suits a real pattern, testing its weight between your fingers, and evaluating how it moves against your body.

For this class, we recommend that you already know how to use a sewing machine and how to use a sewing pattern (see our How to Sew for Beginners class and How to Use a Sewing Pattern for a full list of recommended skills).

DATES/TIMES: Saturday October 17, 1 PM - 3 PM

Take your skills even further—make it a full day of sewing by pairing this class with How to Use a Sewing Pattern on from 10AM - 12PM the same day!

WHAT YOU WILL LEARN

• Woven fabric vs. knit fabric
• Weave and fiber breakdown
• Weight and drape
• Practical advice on which fabric is easiest to sew and which is not well-suited to garments
• How to pick fabric intentionally, considering your lifestyle, care routines, and design goals
  

WHAT TO BRING:

No materials are required for this class. However, if you have a specific garment sewing pattern you are interested in making, please bring it along as a reference.

WHAT'S INCLUDED:

In-class access to fabric and comparison samples

Store walkthrough and a guided project-matching activity using indie patterns sold in the studio

A friendly, supportive environment to ask all of your burning fabric questions!

If you need to cancel, please contact the studio as soon as possible. Cancellations more than 3 days before the class starts will receive credit towards a future class. 

Cancellations less than 3 days are non-refundable. Each class must have at least three participants in order to run. Marengo Studio reserves the right to cancel this class if we do not have enough participants (you will be notified of a cancellation at least 48 hours ahead of the class start and may choose a full refund or credit towards a future class). Thank you for your understanding!

Marengo Sewing Studio is committed to supporting indie sewing pattern designers. We ask permission from the designer before offering workshops that use their patterns, use photos for our shop listings only with their permission, and provide a copy of the pattern for each student in class in accordance with their use policies.