Glossary of materials

When starting a sewing hobby, you often come across a huge number of terms that you've probably never heard of or at least don't know their meaning. Our sewing department is buzzing with all kinds of terms related to sewing and fabrics, which of course are self-evident to us. However, reviewing the basics is good for everyone, and that's why we've collected explanations for terms related to materials. Please note that we have tried to open up the terms so that they can be understood even without professional training in the field, and therefore some of the explanations can sound a bit funny, especially to professional seamstresses!

Cotton is a soft natural fiber that we prefer in our fabrics. Cotton is obtained from the seed pods of cotton plants that grow as bushes. First, yarn is made from it, which is woven or knitted into fabric. As a material, cotton is breathable and does not irritate the skin. Undyed cotton is usually off-white or slightly yellowish - so pure white cotton fabric is bleached and other colors are made by dyeing. Cotton absorbs moisture and feels wet on the skin quickly. Cotton also withstands heat well and can usually be washed without worry at up to 60 degrees. However, our washing instructions are often 40, which is due to the temperatures suitable for digital printing. You can find cotton from us in knitted tricot and elastic sweatshirts and woven cotton fabrics.

Leotard is a stretchy knit fabric. If you look closely at the tricot, you will see that it consists of very small loops - just like a hand-knitted sweater! Because of this, tricot always stretches and we often talk about stretchy fabrics even though it's actually knitwear. The material of the leotard can be 100% cotton or it can have elastane in it, for example 5%. In this case, the knit also recovers from stretching better and is suitable for tighter clothes. Our elastane jerseys can be used to sew, for example, tunics, t-shirts, dresses, leggings or, for example, thin hoodie-style shirts. Really, the only limit is your imagination!

Jostocollege looks exactly the same as leotards on the right side, but the difference is also visible on the wrong side. The elastic jacket is thicker (we often have a square weight of 240-260g) and has loops on the back. Also, the brushed stretch jeans have loops, but the brushing treatment makes the backside fluffy. The elastic sweatshirt is perfect for, for example, hoodies, sweatpants or even overalls. Our stretchy leggings also have elastane, and it can also be used to make tighter clothes, such as pant-like leggings. However, due to its thickness, stretchy jeans do not always stretch as well as leotards, so the looseness may have to be adjusted.

Merino wool knit is, as the name suggests, a fabric knitted from merino wool. Our knitwear is always 100% merino wool, which is made free of mulesing. In this case, the merino sheep have not been subjected to painful mulesing treatment. You can also see small loops in merino wool and, like all knitwear, it is flexible. Merino wool knitwear can "loose" in use and the garment becomes looser, but this can be saved by washing the wool. This should also be taken into account in the allowances.

Cotton knitting is a term that has actually been born over time in the mouths of customers. By this we mean a thick knit made of 100% cotton, where the stitches stand out as larger than, for example, in tricot. This is thicker than jeans, but on the wrong side there are no loops. We recommend using cotton knitwear to make, for example, cardigans, hoodies or dresses - as long as the looseness is taken into account! This knit doesn't recover from stretching, so for example tight leggings suddenly get knee bags and they don't disappear.

The elastic is a smart addition to many clothes. The elastic is also knitted (we use cotton-elastane) and it stretches and recovers extremely well. Resori is often sold in a tube (i.e. as a tube that has not been cut open flat) and its overall width is significantly narrower than other fabrics. The elastic is used, for example, on the neckline, cuff or hem to finish the edge. It is stretched while sewing, so it sits beautifully.

Our tracksuit fabric is the same fabric as the tracksuits of the 90s. It is smooth and dull shiny on the outside and softly brushed on the wrong side. Our tracksuit fabrics also have elastane, so it is also suitable for tighter clothes. However, it is particularly good in tracksuits and trousers, just like in the old days.

Softshell is a fabric for outerwear. It is smooth on the top side and softly brushed on the underside. Softshell keeps out wind and moisture and is thus suitable for shell clothes, for example. This can also be used to make nice coats and vests for dogs! However, softshell is not a particularly breathable material.

In our store, oil cloth is cotton and intended for outerwear. It breathes and keeps wind and repels water. As the name suggests, the surface has an oily feel and we recommend lining clothes made of this fabric. The surface can be waxed again later if it gets dry or no longer holds wind or repels water. Water or other washing is not recommended for the oil canvas, but re-waxing. When processed, the surface of the oil canvas becomes more alive. Folds and wrinkles remain visible in the fabric and this is a characteristic of oil canvas. Suitable, for example, for jackets, bags and backpacks.

You can use backing fabric in many different sewing projects. We have ironable support fabrics with glue on one side. It melts when ironed due to the heat and adheres to the fabric. Remember to always check that all the pieces are facing the right way! There are many different types of support fabrics and we have a small sample of them. The backing fabric is chosen according to the purpose of use: for light fabrics, a thinner backing fabric that provides light support is often used, while for thick fabrics, really sturdy backing fabrics can be used.

Waffle fabric is familiar to many from school craft lessons. It is exactly the fabric on which patterns according to the squares were embroidered by hand with thick thread. Gym bags or tabletops were then sewn from this fabric. However, waffle fabric is also suitable for modern sewing: you can use it to make, for example, towels or bathrobes. By taking care of the edges, our 100% cotton waffle fabric is also suitable, for example, for dish towels.

Viscose is a modified fiber that is made from cellulose. It can be made into a fabric on its own or it can be used with another fabric as a mixture. We have sold, for example, 100% viscose fabric, viscose tricot and viscose-linen mixed fabric. Inelastic viscose fabrics require looseness in the pattern and are suitable, for example, for shirt blouses or dresses. Viscose jersey, on the other hand, can be used most of the time just like cotton-elastane jersey. In terms of feel, viscose fabrics are mostly smooth and they fall beautifully, making them suitable, for example, for waterfall necklines.

We update the list when we add new materials to our online store.