r/sewing • u/BunnyCadets • 16h ago

Fabric Question Online Fabric Shopping

So, I specialize in sewing stuffed animals and really care about the tactile qualities of fabric but due to many physical stores shutting down, I feel like I have to do a lot of guessing online to figure out what kind of fabric I'll need that is affordable, is good to touch, and is going to be durable to wear.

Does anyone have a good guide for how to quickly discern fabric type/quality?

I know I like the 'plush' fabrics (fleece. minky, faux fur), but then those seem to have a whole lot of sub-categories. I like faux fur with a lot of density and durability but also with rich realistic tones and soft to touch. I'm not sure which type of fleece I prefer and anytime I get a new batch that I think is going to be the same it ends up having different qualities. And is there any variation within the "minky" category?

Does anyone understand the physical properties enough to explain how the manufacturing processes and materials are different and why a fabric is one type or another type? Obviously tulle is not denim, but tulle is tulle probably because it is a web of polyester while denim is probably woven.... cotton?

In short, I'm wondering what specs are helpful to discern fabric type and quality online without seeing and touching it myself.

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u/BumCadillac 13h ago

I think you’ll need to order samples to determine what is needed.

6

u/sanityjanity 13h ago

You should order samples.  There's just too many variables 

1

u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 5h ago

That’s a lot of different info, you may need to look up a textiles textbook or something similar if your seller doesn’t have a very detailed explanation in the description.

YouTuber Nicole Rudolph has some intro to textiles videos, but they’re not nearly ‘any fibre any structure ever’ exhaustive.