Favorite Fabrics for costumes/clothing?
 

I'm sixteen, and a huge nerd for the local Renaissance Faire, so last
summer I taught myself how to sew on my grandmother's ancient Bernina so I
could make my own costumes. I've since then bought a machine and now I
costume just about all the time, but I still know next to nothing about
fabrics. I'm awful at picking out fabrics-- even when I'm in the store,
feeling it between my fingers, the fabrics I choose tend to act the exact
opposite of what I thought they would while I was in the store. Cotton's
about the only fabric I feel works for everything! (Oh Cotton, you're my
BFF)

The only fabrics I know by name/touch/appearance are brocade, jacquard,
and cotton (along with the general "knit" category). I'd love to know
better how different fibers behave so that I might be able to order
fabrics online instead of having to go down to the local Joann's or Hobby
Lobby to find what I'm looking for.

Does anyone have some wisdom to share? Things like what different fabrics
or fibers feel like and how they breathe, wrinkle, wick, stretch, all
that; or any favorite types of fabric that you especially like to use in
garments.


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Favorite Fabrics for costumes/clothing?
 

pinkraygun had written this in response to
http://www.sewgirls.com/textiles/Fav...hing-4212-.htm
:

SlimmerCat wrote:


I'm sixteen, and a huge nerd for the local Renaissance Faire, so last
summer I taught myself how to sew on my grandmother's ancient Bernina
so I
could make my own costumes. I've since then bought a machine and now I
costume just about all the time, but I still know next to nothing about
fabrics. I'm awful at picking out fabrics-- even when I'm in the store,
feeling it between my fingers, the fabrics I choose tend to act the
exact
opposite of what I thought they would while I was in the store.
Cotton's
about the only fabric I feel works for everything! (Oh Cotton, you're
my
BFF)

The only fabrics I know by name/touch/appearance are brocade, jacquard,
and cotton (along with the general "knit" category). I'd love
to know
better how different fibers behave so that I might be able to order
fabrics online instead of having to go down to the local Joann's or
Hobby
Lobby to find what I'm looking for.

Does anyone have some wisdom to share? Things like what different
fabrics
or fibers feel like and how they breathe, wrinkle, wick, stretch, all
that; or any favorite types of fabric that you especially like to use
in
garments.


##-----------------------------------------------##
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http://www.sewgirls.com/
Sewing Community of the Net
Web and RSS access to your
favorite newsgroup -
rec.crafts.textiles.sewing - 3873 messages and counting!
##-----------------------------------------------##



-------------------------------------
It depends on the type of garment that you're making. There are a lot of
options for Renn wear, if you're not hung up on being historically
accurate. For dressier things, I like working with poly shantung - it
looks like silk shantung, but is much less expensive and easier to clean.
It's a sturdier fabric - not as flimsy as satin and not as heavy as
brocade. Good for structured looks. I stay away from satins because I'm a
klutz - it always ends up with pulls and looking really cheap.

But, if you're comfortable with cotton and want to try something
different, I've got a couple suggestions. Joann's has a line of
linen-looks that might work for you. Linen-look is as manageable as
cotton, but it can have a bit more weight and has an interesting texture.
For lighters things with more drape, try a crepe. Crepe is pretty flimsy,
but not as flimsy as silk or chiffon, and doesn't go sliding all over the
place.

Hope this helps!



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Favorite Fabrics for costumes/clothing?
 

SlimmerCat wrote:
I'm sixteen, and a huge nerd for the local Renaissance Faire, so last
summer I taught myself how to sew on my grandmother's ancient Bernina so I
could make my own costumes. I've since then bought a machine and now I
costume just about all the time, but I still know next to nothing about
fabrics. I'm awful at picking out fabrics-- even when I'm in the store,
feeling it between my fingers, the fabrics I choose tend to act the exact
opposite of what I thought they would while I was in the store. Cotton's
about the only fabric I feel works for everything! (Oh Cotton, you're my
BFF)

The only fabrics I know by name/touch/appearance are brocade, jacquard,
and cotton (along with the general "knit" category). I'd love to know
better how different fibers behave so that I might be able to order
fabrics online instead of having to go down to the local Joann's or Hobby
Lobby to find what I'm looking for.

Does anyone have some wisdom to share? Things like what different fabrics
or fibers feel like and how they breathe, wrinkle, wick, stretch, all
that; or any favorite types of fabric that you especially like to use in
garments.

There are several things to remember:

Cotton, wool, silk, linen, viscose from various sources (bamboo, wood,
cotton waste, etc.), polyesyer and nylon are all FIBRES, not fabrics.

Satin, brocade, jacquard, velvet, drill, houndstooth and others are all
WEAVES and can be woven of may different fibres. You can get silk pile
velvet woven on a rayon/viscose backgroound, cotton velvet, cotton
satin, silk satin, polyester satin... All sorts. One of the best books
available covering this area is Claire Shaeffer's Sew Any Fabric.
Another good one is Sandra Betzina's Fabric Savvy and the follow-up,
More Fabric Savvy. While these are aimed mostly at sewing mundane
women's clothing, there is good information about the fabrics, their
composition and uses, and how they behave.

If you want to get into technical fabrics and how to handle them, you
need a book called Sewing Outdoor Gear: Easy Techniques for Outdoor Wear
That Works by Rochelle Harper.
--
Kate XXXXXX R.C.T.Q Madame Chef des Trolls
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.katedicey.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!