A magazine about fabric.

Why this site exists

A fabric listing that says "soft, medium weight" doesn't tell you whether it will make a good hoodie. A pattern that says "2 yards" doesn't say at which width or size. And store policies on shipping and returns are spread across fine print. We write the guide we would want before buying: one that shows where each number came from, so you can check it and decide for yourself.

What we cover

• Fabric Guides: What a fabric is, how it behaves, and what it is good for.
• Garment Projects: Hoodies, tees and jeans: yardage, pattern picks and planning.
• Store Reviews: Where to buy fabric online, with shipping and return policies checked.
• Techniques: Cutting, stitching and finishing, one skill at a time.

You can also browse by topic.

How we pick fabrics

We start from the garment. A fabric recommendation answers a specific question, like "what should I make a winter hoodie from?", not "what's popular".

We use published numbers. Weight (gsm), fiber content, width and stretch come from pattern envelopes, pattern makers' fabric guidance and store listings, and we link the source. Where sources disagree, we give a range and say why.

We say what's general and what isn't. Fabric from different mills behaves differently, so our advice describes typical behavior and tells you what to check in a listing or swatch. We don't claim to have tested every fabric we describe.

How we pick stores

Who it's for. Our store guide is written for people sewing clothes in the US. A store makes the list for being useful to that reader: its garment-fabric selection, how clearly its listings describe the fabric, and its shipping, returns and swatch policies.

Primary sources, dated. We read each store's own shipping and returns pages and write down what they say, with the date we checked. If a policy is unclear, we quote it rather than guess.

No paid placement. No store pays to be included or to rank higher. Order and verdicts are editorial.

Disclosure. If there's any connection between this site and a store we mention, we disclose it right next to that store, not just on this page.

How we work

We show our math. Yardage charts say which widths and sizes they assume. Fabric weights are given in gsm, with conversions worked out.

We date our facts. Every guide shows when it was published and last updated. Store details come from each store's own pages on the date we say we checked them. Policies change, and the store's page always wins.

We use real photography. Photos are licensed from photographers on Unsplash and credited on our photo credits page. Photos are illustrative: store-guide photos weren't taken at the stores, and technique photos show the general idea, not our own sewing.

No made-up voices. We don't publish invented reviews, testimonials or quotes. Pull quotes restate lines from the article itself.

Corrections and contact

If something is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it and update the date on the guide. See our contact page, or email [email protected].