When I first began sewing, a trip to the fabric store would overwhelm me because I had no idea what kind of fabric to look for.  Particularly in the overstocked fabric stores in the garment district of New York, I would become lost in the endless rows of shelves of fabric, and I could have used a guide to help me identify the fabrics that I could successfully sew with as a beginner sewist. 

This post is a guide to buying fabric for beginners just learning to sew, and it includes a list of the 12 easiest fabrics to sew, along with some suggested online stores where you can purchase those fabrics.  The good news is, there are actually quite a lot of fabrics that are appropriate for beginners, and they run the gamut from casual cottons to dressy silks.  I’ve tried to pick fabrics that cover both ends of the spectrum, so that you can find a beginner fabric for just about any kind of garment that you might want to make.

When choosing these fabrics for beginners, I looked for the following characteristics:

• Fabrics that are stable and not slippery or stretchy

• Fabrics that are tightly woven (so they don’t fray)

• Fabrics with natural fibers, because it is easier to iron those fabrics than man-made fabrics

• Fabrics with texture or print, because those hide sewing mistakes

For each fabric, I’ve included a description of the fabric, why it is easy to sew, links to projects made out of the fabric, where to buy the fabric, and recommended beginner patterns to use with that fabric.  For more beginner patterns that you might want to pair with these fabrics, check out my post on free beginner sewing patterns.  If you want to learn more about the tools and equipment you’ll need to start sewing, check out my list of recommended equipment.

So without further ado, here is my list of the best fabrics for beginners to use to practice sewing.

Cotton

1.      Cotton lawn and poplin

What it is:  Cotton lawn and cotton poplin are both tightly woven, lightweight fabrics with a smooth texture and crisp hand.  They are similar to quilting cottons except they tend to be a bit more lightweight.  Cotton lawn and poplin are frequently used to make summer dresses and lightweight casual tops.

One great thing about cotton lawn and poplin is that they are frequently available in a large array of prints.  One of the most famous producers of printed cotton lawn fabric is Liberty, the department store based in London that is famous for its wildly wonderful floral prints.

Why it’s great for beginners: Cotton lawn and cotton poplin are some of the easiest fabrics to sew because they are very stable (i.e., they don’t fray and they aren’t slippery or stretchy).  They are also easy to press with an iron, widely available at fabric stores of all types, and relatively cheap.

In addition, printed lawn and poplin are particularly good for beginners as the print hides sewing imperfections.  Having said that, be careful when choosing your print – choose a small-scale print like polka dots or small floral prints to start with.  Stay away from striped or plaid fabrics, as it is difficult to match those stripes along seam lines, and you don’t want to choose a large-scale print where you have to worry about the placement of the print on the garment.

Projects made from this fabric: I made this summery dress with a yellow cherry-printed cotton poplin fabric, and this sweet Cynthia Rowley dress with some lightweight floral-printed cotton poplin.

Where to buy:

• Fashion Fabrics Club has a wide selection of cotton lawn

• Fabric.com has a very large selection of cotton poplin, including a lot of Telio fabrics featuring cute small-scale prints that would make an adorable top or dress.

• Fabric.com also has a large selection of Liberty printed fabrics.

 Suggested patterns:

• Make a loose pullover top with cute gathered sleeves using Fibre Mood’s free Frances Shirt pattern.

• Make a pullover dress with an elastic waist and flared skirt using McCall’s 8178.  This would be a great way to showcase a cute printed fabric.

• If you’re a confident beginner, try making Peppermint Mag’s free Bardon dress sewing pattern.  This project involves gathering, binding and sewing in-seam pockets, so it is not the best choice if this is your first sewing project.

2.      Cotton voile

What it is: Cotton voile is a lightweight, semi-sheer material with some drape.  It comes in a variety of solids and prints. It is often used to make summery tops and coverups.

Why it’s great for beginners:  Cotton voile is stable and easy to press, making it very easy to cut and sew.  It’s a great choice when you want something really lightweight and sheer that you can make into a flowing garment.  In fact, it is one of the few beginner fabrics that has some drape – most drapey fabrics are slippery and more difficult to cut and sew accurately, so they are not appropriate for beginners.

Projects made from this fabric: I love this sneak peak of a grey polka dotted cotton voile version of the Sorbetto top (see below).  I also like this grey cotton voile version of the Sorbetto that has been hacked to include a Peter Pan collar.

Where to buy:

• Emma One Sock has some semi-sheer cotton fabric that it calls lawn, but it is closer to a voile.  It comes in a few gorgeously saturated shades of red, blue and purple.

• Mood Fabrics has some really cute cotton voile fabrics, including some from prominent fashion designers.

Suggested patterns:

• Make a cute summery tank top with Colette’s free Sorbetto top. There are several examples of Sorbettos made out of cotton voile here. 

• Or make this cute dress with elastic waist and neckline pleats using the free Tunic Dress pattern from Peppermint Mag.

• Heading to the beach?  Make this sheer coverup with Hot Pattern’s free pattern. 

3.      Cotton twill

What it is: Cotton twill is medium- to heavy-weight fabric with a tight weave that is characterized by its diagonal lines.  It is often used in pants/trousers and jackets.

Why it’s great for beginners:  Cotton twill is a stable, tightly-woven fabric that doesn’t fray and is easy to cut and sew.  The diagonal texture also helps hide sewing imperfections.

Where to buy:  Fashion Fabrics Club has a large selection of cotton twill in lots of colors.

Projects made from this fabric:  I made this classic trench coat using some beige cotton twill a few years ago, and I still wear it to this day.

Suggested patterns:

• Make up a classic trench coat using Mood Fabrics’ Caladium Trench pattern.  This pattern has the silhouette of a trench coat, but it is a bit easier and appropriate for beginners because it doesn’t have the button-down front (which is more difficult to sew because it involves making buttonholes) and it doesn’t have all of the details of a classic trench (which are time-consuming to sew).

4.      Flannel

What it is: Flannel is a soft, medium-weight cotton fabric that has a napped (i.e. fuzzy) finish.  It is frequently used to make shirts, pajamas and baby clothes.

Why it’s great for beginners: Flannel is a stable yet soft fabric that can be easily cut and sewn.  Flannel also often comes in cute prints or plaids that are great for disguising sewing imperfections.  When choosing a print, stick with small-scale prints and avoid any large-scale prints and all plaids, as these prints require pattern matching which increases the difficulty of the project.

Projects made from this fabric: I don’t have any pics of flannel clothing that I have made for myself, but I did make these cute baby clothes using some super-soft Robert Kaufman Shetland flannel for a friend.

Where to buy:

• Fabric.com has a collection of the Robert Kaufman Shetland Flannel I used to make the baby clothes linked above.  I highly recommend this fabric for kid’s clothes, as it is super, super soft and will be comfy even for kids with the most sensitive skin.

• Fashion Fabrics Club has a large selection of affordable flannel fabrics in a variety of solid colors and prints.

Suggested patterns:

• Make some cozy flannel drawstring pajama pants with this free pattern from Martha Stewart.

• Make a set of baby clothes using this adorable Baby Layette pattern from Purl Soho.  This is the pattern I used to make the baby clothes linked above.

• If you’re a confident beginner, try making a flannel button-down shirt using McCall’s 6436.  The pattern comes with different pattern pieces for different cup sizes, making it easier to make a shirt that fits.  You can also simplify the pattern by using snaps instead of buttons, and omitting the pockets and epaulettes.  If it’s your first time making a button-down shirt, stick to making this out of a solid flannel – don’t try to make it out of a plaid flannel as the print will be quite tricky to match up.  (By the way, McCall’s 6436 is one of my tried-and-true patterns for a classic button-down shirt.  Read more about my views on this pattern here.)

5.      Chambray

What it is: Chambray is a lightweight woven cotton fabric that is usually light blue in color. It is often used in shirts and dresses.

Why it’s great for beginners: Chambray is a stable, tightly-woven fabric that cuts and sews very easily.  It’s a great (lighter-weight) beginner alternative to denim, which is more difficult to work with because denim is heavier-weight and more difficult to maneuver through the sewing machine.

Projects made from this fabric: I love this gathered chambray skirt from Sew DIY.  On the more polished end, I also adore this chambray wrap top from blogger Goodbye Valentino. 

Where to buy: Fabric.com has a nice selection of chambray fabrics in lots of different shades of blue. 

Suggested patterns:

• Make a loose tunic (perfect for the beach!) with Mood Fabric’s Vallea Tunic sewing pattern. 

• Jump on the ‘shacket’ trend by making a work shirt using fabrics-store.com’s free Paola workwear jacket pattern.  https://fabrics-store.com/sewing-patterns/paola-paola-workwear-jacket-pattern  This one is a little bit trickier, so this is best for a confident beginner.  You can make the pattern even simpler to sew if you use snaps instead of buttons.

Linen

6.      Medium-weight Linen

What it is: Linen fabric is made from the fibers of the flax plant.  Linen is a natural fiber that feels great against the skin and helps keep the wearer cool.  On the other hand, it wrinkles very easily so it is best used in casual clothing.

Why it’s great for beginners:  Medium-weight, plain-weave linen is a stable fabric that is easy to cut and sew.  Stay away from lightweight linens (as those are sheer and will require a lining) and loosely-woven linens that fray easily.

Projects made from this fabric: I used a burnt orange Italian medium-weight linen to make my own DIY version of a Rachel Comey jumpsuit. 

Where to buy: 

• I highly recommend this medium-weight Italian linen that comes in dozens of colors from Fabric.com.  This is the linen fabric used in the jumpsuit linked below.

•  Fabrics-store.com also has a really wide selection of linen fabrics.  They have a really helpful page categorizing their basic linen fabrics by weight – I would recommend sticking to the medium-weight 5.3 oz/yd linen.

Suggested patterns:

• Pretty much every pattern in fabrics-store.com’s sewing pattern collection looks good when made up in linen (not surprising for a fabric store that specializes in linen!).  Click here to see all of their free patterns that are rated “quick and easy” and appropriate for beginners.

• If you’re in the mood for a jumpsuit, try this free jumpsuit pattern from Peppermint Mag.  This jumpsuit has only a few seams, a roomy fit, and no closures, making it a very quick and easy sew.

Wool

7.      Wool coating

What it is:  Wool coating is a broad term for heavy-weight wool fabrics that are appropriate for use in coats.  Wool coating can encompass fabrics like boiled wool, brushed wool and double-face wool.

Why it’s great for beginners: Wool coating fabric is really easy to cut and sew, and it takes pressing and steaming really well.  The only difficulty (and it’s really not that difficult) is you have to make sure you trim and grade seam allowances to reduce bulk in your coat.

Projects made from this fabric: I made this oversized coat using a light blue wool coating.  I also made this fit-and-flare coat with a dramatic oversized collar using a dark grey wool coating fabric.

Where to buy: 

• I’ve had really great experiences buying coating fabrics from Emma One Sock.  They’re a little more pricey, but I’ve always found their wool coating fabrics to be really high-quality.

• The wool coating selection at Mood Fabrics is also quite good.

Suggested patterns:

• Make an oversized cocoon coat using the Cardoon Coat free sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics.  The oversized shape makes it an easy sew because there are no tricky fit issues.  This pattern also allows you to showcase a few different fabrics, all in one coat, if you prefer.

• Make a long duster coat using Mood’s free Calla Coat pattern.  This coat is surprisingly easy to make because it has no collar, no closures and no set-in sleeves (instead, this coat features raglan sleeves).

8.      Tweed

What it is: Tweed is a woven wool fabric with a rough, bumpy texture.

Why it’s great for beginners: Tweed is a stable fabric that is easy to cut and sew, and it presses and steams beautifully.  The bumpy texture also helps hide any sewing imperfections, as the stitches literally ‘sink’ and disappear into the texture of the fabric.

Projects made from this fabric: One of my first projects as a sewing beginner was this Chanel-style jacket made out of a dark blue and white tweed fabric.  The tweed fabric really helped hide the multitude of mistakes I made as an inexperienced beginner!

Suggested patterns:

• Try making a pair of wide-legged pants using the pants from the free Ursi Ensemble sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics.

• Try making a Chanel-style jacket like the one linked above using Vogue 7975, one of my tried-and-true patterns (you can read more about the pattern here).  Note that if you don’t do any tailoring inside the jacket (which is probably not something a true beginner should take on in their first few projects), your jacket won’t look as crisp, but don’t let that stop you from taking this on.

Silk

9.      Dupioni and Shantung

What it is: Silk dupioni and shantung are both plain-weave silk fabrics with a crisp hand and slight sheen.  Dupioni is characterized by slight bumps (or ‘slubs’) in the surface of the fabric, while shantung is smoother (though it still has some striation) and drapier.

Why it’s great for beginners: Both dupioni and shantung are stable fabrics that are relatively easy to cut and sew, but they both unravel easily so you need to try not to move the fabric around a lot after the pieces are cut.  Dupioni is also great because its rough texture helps hide sewing imperfections.

Projects made from this fabric: I made this bridesmaid’s dress for a client using some light and dark blue silk shantung.

Where to buy:

• Fashion Fabrics Club has some nice silk dupioni and silk shantung in a wide range of colors. (Note: they also sell much cheaper polyester or “silk-look” dupioni and shantung, but don’t buy it!  The polyester stuff just isn’t very nice; my view is if you’re going to make a silk garment, you’ve gotta splurge for the good stuff.)

Suggested patterns:

• Make a classic prom dress using shantung and McCall’s 7719.  The pattern gives you lots of different design options, including a scoop neck bodice, bra bodice, off the shoulder bodice, pleated skirt, and straight skirt.  The simplest version to sew is probably the scoop neck bodice (view 2) combined with the pleated skirt (view 4).

• Try making a little bolero out of dupioni using the free Layton Bolero sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics.

10. Brocade

What it is: Brocade is a rich, lustrous fabric where the patterns are woven directly into the fabric. 

Why it’s great for beginners:  You might think it is difficult to work with such a rich fabric, but brocade is actually very stable and easy to work with.  The only downsides are (1) it unravels easily so keep fabric manipulation to minimum, and (2) it can be difficult to press if the fabric is really thick.  Stick to medium-weight brocades when you’re first starting out.

Projects made from this fabric:  I made a boxy jacket using two brocades, one with a traditional Japanese print and the other with a modern, geometric pattern.

Where to buy:

• B&J Fabrics has a gorgeous selection of silk brocades, but they are very expensive.

• Mood Fabrics has a selection of brocade fabrics that are more affordably priced, but note that many of them are not silk brocades.

Suggested patterns:

• Make this simple long-line coat using the free Begonia Jacket pattern from Mood Fabrics.

• If you’re a confident beginner, try making up this bomber jacket using Simplicity 8418 and a softer brocade.

Stretch Fabrics

In general, stretch fabrics are not great fabrics for beginners because the stretch makes the fabric difficult to handle.  Having said that, there are two knit fabrics that are less stretchy — double knit (also known as ponte knit) and neoprene — and these are the easiest stretch fabrics to sew.

When sewing knit fabrics, don’t forget to use a stretch stitch and change your machine settings.  Check out my post on sewing machine settings for stretchy fabrics.

11. Double knit (ponte knit)

What it is:  Double knit fabric (also known as ponte or ponte di Roma fabric) is a type of knit fabric made with two sets of needles producing a double thickness of fabric joined together by interlocking stitches.  It is heavier than most knit fabrics and very stable.

Why it’s great for beginners:  Double knit/ponte knit is great for beginners because it is a stable fabric with only about 20% stretch.  (Note that most online fabric stores will indicate in the product description the percentage stretch in the fabric.  If you’re in a physical fabric store, you can determine the amount of stretch by measuring the length of the fabric in its resting state, then measuring it again with the fabric stretched out.  Divide the second measurement by the first, then subtract by 100 to determine the percentage stretch.)  Even better, double knit fabric does not curl at the edges like most knits, nor does it fray like woven fabrics.  This means that the edges of double knit fabric can be left unfinished, if you want to cut down on sewing time.

Projects made from this fabric: I made these two sheath dresses back when I first started sewing with knits.  (See them here and here.)  The double knit fabric I used (the Sophia double knit) was very easy to handle, even for a beginner who had never sewn with knits before. I also made a white sheath dress made out of ponte fabric for a friend back in the day. (See pics here and here.)

Where to buy:

• Vogue Fabrics Store has a great, affordable double knit fabric that comes in a wide range of colors.

Suggested patterns:

• Try making a classic fit-and-flare dress made from the free Brassia dress sewing pattern from Mood Fabrics.

• Make that double knit fabric hug your curves with a fitted sheath dress made from Butterick 5559.  Don’t let the pintucks put you off – they’re actually quite easy to create and the rest of the dress is as basic as can be.

12. Neoprene

What it is:  Neoprene (or scuba knit) is a synthetic rubber material sandwiched between two pieces of fabric.  It is traditionally used in wet suits, though in recent years it has become trendy to use it in garment sewing.

Why it’s great for beginners: Like double knit, neoprene is stable and doesn’t curl, so it is fairly easy to cut and sew, so long as you stick with thinner, garment-weight neoprene.  Avoid the super-thick neoprene that is used for wetsuits – those will be difficult to sew in a regular sewing machine, and it will be difficult to control bulk at the seams.

Projects made from this fabric: One of my favorite sewing bloggers, Erica Bunker, has made some amazing sheath dresses out of printed neoprene.  (See here and here.)  Another awesome sewing blogger, Nikki at Beaute J’adore, has made some amazing ruffled neoprene dresses. (See here and here.)

Where to buy:

• Mood Fabrics has a lot of neoprene fabrics, including several with eye-catching modern prints and laser cut patterns.

• Fabric.com has a decent selection of solid neoprene basics.

Suggested patterns:

• Butterick 6729, a fit-and-flare dress with flounces at the hem and sleeves, would look great made up in neoprene, because the neoprene would give body to the flounces.

• Neoprene fabric would also beautifully accentuate the inverse pleats in the skirt of Butterick 6625.

 Are there any beginner fabrics that I have missed? Let me know in the comments!