Fabric Guides
Ethical and natural fabric material like handloom cotton fabric and Handloom Linen fabric is great for summers. Cotton material is a stable and one of the easiest fabrics to stitch Handloom Khadi fabric is a great example of sustainable fabrics in India. Being handwoven and handspun, they are more breathable, comfortable and aesthetically appealing. It keeps warm in winters and cool in summers. The handwoven cotton fabric is also the simplest to work with so are preferred as Shirting fabric, Kurti fabric, or fabric for Summer dresses. Mulberry silk, being fine and breathable can be used for a warmer climate.
On the other hand, wild silk is more suited for cooler weather. However, both types of Silk along with sustainable silk fabric like Matka and Ketya are appropriate as special occasion or premium garments. Blended fabrics like khadi cotton, khadi cotton silk fabric or any cotton blend fabric for dresses and clothing offer the best of both.
The weight of a fabric is measured in GSM (grams per square meter) and it defines how heavy or light fabric is. The higher the gsm for fabric, the higher is the weight for a fixed amount of the fabric. Measuring the fabric weight is a way of measuring the thickness of the material, and differentiating between light-weight, medium-weight, or heavy-weight fabric. It is very important to consider the right weight of fabric once the material has been decided.
These fabrics are light. They tend to be good for year-round wear, and may wrinkle a bit. These fabrics drape well and are great for business wear. Light cotton with a close weave is a great place to begin, as it’s usually easy to sew and often has a light fall.
This category includes year-round fabrics, including many more casual weaves. They tend to hold up against wrinkling fairly well on their own. They do not have any issue with opacity in these fabrics, although whites will still show through somewhat.
These are some of the heaviest fabrics and tend to fall on the more casual side. They tend to hold in heat well and are very durable. Heavy handloom cotton fabric or heavy handloom khadi fabric is perfect for items that you want to have more shape, but it’s still really easy to sew. When choosing your heavy cotton, know that it is usually quite stiff and make sure this has been accounted for in the project you choose.
• Pants: Linen (for warmer weather) (160-300gsm), find here.
• Shirts and blouses: Cotton, silk, chambray, sustainable cotton fabric, linen (120-180gsm), find here.
• Skirts: Cotton and linen (100-150gsm), find here.
• Dresses/Kurti: Cotton, silk, or blended silk cotton fabric and linen. (80-160), find here.
• Upholstery: Cotton, Linen, Silk, and Canvas. (250-650gsm), find here.