Choosing Fabric
Every pattern page lists a recommended fabric, a weight in gsm, the yardage you need and the colours used in the photos. Matching the weight matters more than matching the exact fibre. A 320 gsm cotton fleece and a 320 gsm poly blend will both hang the way the pattern was drafted to hang. A 180 gsm jersey will not, whatever it is made of.
What gsm actually tells you
Grams per square metre is the weight of the cloth. It is the closest thing to a universal spec, because fibre content and fabric names vary from shop to shop.
- 150 to 250 gsm: shirting, flannel, light woven. Used for the Woven Skully.
- 280 to 380 gsm: mid-weight fleece and French terry. This is the range for the hoodies and crewnecks.
- 300 to 400 gsm: polar fleece and sherpa, for the Fleece Zip-Up.
- Heavy canvas, cotton duck, leather and vinyl: the bags, where the material has to hold a shape when loaded.
If a shop does not list gsm, ask. Most will know, and a supplier who cannot tell you is usually not worth the risk on a first make.
Knit or woven
The sweatshirts, hoodies and zip-ups are drafted for knit fabric with moderate crosswise stretch. They will not fit if you cut them in a woven, because the pattern relies on the cloth giving slightly across the body.
The slip dress and the bags are drafted for woven fabric with no stretch. Cutting those in a knit will distort the seams and the bags will sag under weight.
Rib and trim
Waistbands and cuffs need 1x1 rib that recovers. Pull a piece across and let it go. If it stays stretched, the cuffs on a finished hoodie will do the same after a week of wear. Buy rib from the same shop as the main fabric where you can, so the colours sit together.
Bias cutting
The Midi Slip Dress is cut entirely on the bias, which means the pieces sit at 45 degrees to the grain. Bias needs a woven with real drape, such as silk charmeuse, satin, crepe or a fine rayon. It also needs about 40 per cent more yardage than a straight grain layout, which is why the pattern calls for 3 1/4 yards.
Cut bias pieces one at a time on a single layer, and let the garment hang overnight before you hem it. The hem will drop and it is easier to level it once than to fix it later.
Wash before you cut
Cotton fleece and French terry shrink. Wash and dry the fabric the way you plan to wash the finished garment, then cut. Skipping this is the most common reason a hoodie fits at the first wear and not the second.
Leather, vinyl and coated canvas are not washed. Silk and rayon for the slip dress should be handled the way you intend to care for the dress, which usually means a cool hand wash or dry cleaning only.
How much to buy
Yardage on each pattern page assumes 60 inch wide fabric unless it says otherwise, and it is calculated for the largest size in the range. Smaller sizes usually need less. Buy an extra quarter yard the first time you sew a pattern, because a cutting mistake is cheaper to fix than a second shipping charge.
Next: find your size before you cut, then print the pattern at the right scale. Seam allowances are covered in seam allowance and finishing.
Browse tops patterns and outerwear patterns to see the fabric called for on each one.