Choosing Fabrics for Women's Clothing

Choosing Fabrics for Women's Clothing - as part of the expert series by GeoBeats. Hi, I am Gina with Bolt Fabric Boutique in Portland, Oregon. So depending on the season, there are a number of different fabrics that you can use for women's clothing. One of the, I will start with some of the easier ones to work with for beginner sewers. One that we like a lot around here is the cotton voile. It is a very nice light weight. It is great. You can layer it in the winter or just use it by itself in the summer, it is very flowy, it is easy to sew with. It is all cotton, so it is not going to stretch or shift around a lot when you are sewing. It washes up beautifully. It is a great all around fabric. Another one for summer, it is a little more luxurious than the voile, it is a cotton silk blend. Again very flowy and light weight, just has a nicer, with the silk blended into it, it has got a nicer hand. Easier to work with and all silk. Cotton knit like a t-shirt sort of fabric. There are a couple of tricks that you would want to know before sewing on knits if you are new to sewing, but you can easily learn them and work with it. Very comfy, a lot of women like the knit because of the ease of movement with it. Linen is one of my favorites. It has got such a nice, fluid drape to it. It comes in a lot of different weights. It can be a heavier weight. You typically are not going to use it in the winter time, but in the summer time it can be a little bit warmer depending on what weight you end up getting. And then, wool is another option as well, obviously, for the cooler months. It comes in a lot of different weights and textures. This would be great for either a coat or a lined skirt.