Woven Fabrics Guide

Woven fabrics are made by making a grid-shaped pattern of warp (vertical) and weft (horizontal) threads. Woven fabrics are generally non-stretch, although some may have some stretch included by elastane or other fibers. They won't be as stretchy as knitted fabrics. Woven fabrics are great for tailored or draped projects like shirts, trousers, skirts, jackets & coats. 

Woven fabrics (especially mid-weight fabrics) are great beginner-level fabrics for your first sewing project, as they're easy to handle and sew together. They will usually fray when cut, so you need finish your seams in some fashion. Some seam types suitable for woven fabrics include:

1. Overlocking / Serging
2. Zig-zag finishing
3. French Seams
4. Felled Seams
5. Bias Bound or Hong Kong finish

Each comes with their own technical challenges, and certain finishes may be better suited to different weights of fabrics. For example French Seams are perfect for very lightweight and/or sheer fabrics for their clean look, but would be very difficult to construct and uncomfortable to wear on heavy denim.

Check out our suggestions for patterns below, return to the fabric guide to learn about other fabric types, or start browsing all our sewing patterns.