Finding the right fabric for our creative projects is always one of the first tasks on our creative journey when planning a new embroidery project. And it should be well-chosen, as it must meet all material and design-specific requirements. It should also be carefully selected, because it is the foundation for beautiful workmanship and the best possible embroidery result.
If you have chosen to share our passion for embellishing your creative projects with embroidery, then you have chosen We opted for a very high-quality, durable, and sustainable technique, which can therefore be more labor-intensive and costly than some others. It's frustrating when creases or even holes appear during embroidery, or when you discover that the fabric doesn't match the embroidery design. That's why it makes sense to carefully consider fabric selection before purchasing. The good news is that once you've found your favorite fabric that meets your requirements for appearance, material properties, and quality, you usually don't have to search much further and can always return to your favorite.
Fabric or web-based?
Depending on the type of creative project you're working on, you'll be looking for either knitted fabric (e.g., jersey for shirts or other clothing) or woven fabric (e.g., cotton poplin or linen as decorative fabric for cushions, bags, tablecloths, etc.). I've already discussed knitted fabrics for T-shirts in my post " Embroidering T-shirts from Lightweight and Stretchy Fabrics." You can find all the important information there. In this post, I'd like to tell you about my favorite woven fabrics.
Appearance and texture
Your creative project and your ideas form the basis for selecting the quality, but are not the deciding factors for the fabric itself. You will know whether you prefer a lightweight cotton fabric for a cushion, bag, window curtain, or placemat, or perhaps a slightly heavier linen fabric for a more natural look. Generally speaking, I recommend using a heavier linen fabric for large embroideries in frame sizes of 16 x 26 cm and larger, as it provides greater stability within the frame and significantly contributes to optimal results. You will always find this recommendation in the accompanying PDF and in the product description.
color and pattern
To ensure your embroidery design stands out as the most valuable element of your project, I recommend choosing a calm fabric in a single color or with a subtle pattern. It would be a shame if the design got lost in the pattern after all the work. Patterns with simple, repeating elements and prints in muted colors or solid-colored jacquards with small details are ideal. Printed fabrics with their own striking designs can be beautifully combined within your sewing project, for example, for the back of a cushion. This works particularly well if the fabric is from the same collection as your embroidery base or has the same base color. Many fabric manufacturers offer attractive fabric combinations for this purpose. The fact that you can modify the design of your embroidery motif yourself, depending on your thread color choices, is a real advantage here. You'll also find helpful tips on this in my article " PDF".
The weight of the goods
This is particularly important to us, as it significantly contributes to the quality of our work. Fabrics that are too lightweight wrinkle easily, develop holes, and are simply not enjoyable to work with. A good weight also makes cutting considerably easier, because fabrics that are too light tend to distort during processing, become spongy, and the pieces won't align properly during sewing, which makes patchwork projects especially difficult. Therefore, my recommendation is:
- Cotton poplin or other lightweight woven fabrics with a weight of 140 g/m2 or more
- Linen with a weight of 160 g/m2 or more
These can only be rough guidelines, however, as the weight of fabrics naturally also depends on the ratio of yarn thickness to weave density. The coarser the yarn, the higher its weight, and the weave density plays a crucial role. Therefore, when considering weight, pay attention to the fabric's surface appearance.
In addition
You should choose the optimal materials for your chosen fabric, especially the stabilizer. You can find more detailed information in my blog post " Materials" and always in the accompanying PDF.
Conclusion
You're now well-equipped for the technical selection of your fabric, but choosing the perfect fabric is always a matter of the heart. I feel the same way. You'll find my absolute favorite fabrics linked in the images above 👆🏻. In the acufactum shop, you'll find many more fabric combinations and embellishments to complement your chosen fabric, as well as often-related and heartwarming embroidery designs, some of which I created based on drawings by various well-known illustrators.
I wish you much joy in choosing the fabric and embroidery design for your next creative project, which are also among my favorite parts in the journey of a creative project, and of course, much joy in the embroidery itself!
Sincerely,
Cora Sandra
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