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!