Understanding stretch fabrics

• The terms jersey, knitted and stretchy fabric can get used interchangeably, not just here but generally as you look around online you’ll see these terms being used to refer to similar things.
• This fabric can be made from a variety of fibres such as cotton, viscose, modal, polyester, wool and bamboo. Usually they will also have a percentage of a stretchy fibre such as elastane or spandex.
• The thickness or weight of them can be described in grams per square meter but as this number is hard to put into context and isn’t always available more subjective terms can be used to describe them such as light weight, medium weight etc
• They can also be referred to with special more technical names such as ponte roma, double knit, single knit, sweatshirting and loop back. I’ll cover the most common ones below in more detail
• I've tried to keep things are relevant as possible for the home dressmaker. These is lots of other more detailed and technical information out there but I hope this summery helps you understand more about this great fabric and how to sew it into your handmade wardrobe.

They stretch in different ways by different amounts. Some fabrics have a two way stretch and will stretch between the selvedges. Some have a 4 way stretch and will stretch lengthwise as well as between the selvedges. Use a swimsuit as a way to remember - it’s a 4 way stretch as it must stretch the length of your body as well as the width of your body.

The percentage of stretch refers to how much the fabric physically stretches, NOT the percentage of stretchy fibre (spandex or elastase) that is in them. Sewing patterns will typically as for a minimum percentage of stretch the fabric must have.

Why is percentage stretch important?

Sewing patterns designed for this type of fabric are typically designed with negative ease. This means that the garment you make will be smaller than your actual body measurement so that it stretches and fits around you. That’s why it's really important to use the right amount of stretch, otherwise you won’t be able to get the garment on/off or move in it!