Basic Fabrics for Sale

We offer a wide range of basic fabrics for sale at the lowest prices guaranteed.

You might also like our range of fashion fabrics and satin fabrics for sale.

What Is Classified as Basic Fabrics

Fabric is made by weaving together, knitting, and felting, etc. threads of cotton, nylon, wool, silk, or other materials. Fabrics are used to make clothes, curtains, and sheets, among other things.

Different types of fabrics have different properties that can strongly influence how you treat them. For instance, the fibre content of one fabric will affect how to clean it very differently from the fibre content of another fabric.

Let's look at some popular kinds of fabric to get a better idea of what it is.

Different Types of Basic Fabrics

Usually, a fabric is named after the fibre that was used to make it but often, especially when made with a mix of fibres, the fabric is given a name based on its pattern, texture, or how they are made.

There is another way to divide fabrics: by the fibres, they are made of - natural or synthetic.

Plants and animals are the sources of natural fibres. On the other hand, synthetic fibres are made entirely of man-made materials.

The second thing that makes them different is how they are made: knitted or woven.

Fabrics Classified by Its Production Process

Fabrics that are woven are made of two pieces of yarn that are woven together on a loom. The fabric doesn't stretch and is usually tighter and stronger than knit fabrics.

Plain weave, satin weave, and twill weave are the three types of woven fabric. Weaved fabrics like chiffon, crepe, denim, linen, satin, and silk are popular.

There are two ways to knit fabric: the warped way and the weft way. Lace, Lycra, and mesh are all examples of knit fabrics that are often used.

Weft knitting is looser, so it’s stretchy and warm but can unravel if you cut it. It’s usually used for clothes that are traditionally knitted, such as jumpers, scarves and socks.

Warp knitting doesn’t have so much stretch; therefore, it holds its shape better and is often used for making lace and lingerie.

Popular Fabrics by Fibre Type

Chiffon is a sheer, light, flowy, plain-woven fabric made from twisted silk, nylon, polyester, or rayon yarn, which gives it a slightly rough feel.

Chiffon is easy to dye and often used for scarves, blouses, and dresses, like wedding gowns and evening dresses.

Cotton is a light and soft natural material and probably the most popular material in the world. Ginning is the process of taking the fluffy fibre from the cotton plant's seeds. The fibre is then turned into cloth, which can be knitted or woven.

Cotton is comfortable, can be used in many ways, and lasts a long time but it can get wrinkled and shrink.

Denim is a cotton twill fabric that is woven from white cotton stuffing yarn and cotton wrap yarn. It is known for its vivid texture, sturdiness, durability and comfortableness. Blue jeans are made from denim that has been dyed with indigo.

Lace is a beautiful, delicate, soft, see-through fabric made from yarn or thread that has been looped, twisted, or knitted. It was originally made from silk and linen, but lace is now made with cotton thread, wool or synthetic fibres. It is a luxury fabric because it takes time and skill to make. The fabric is often used to accent or decorate clothes, especially wedding dresses and veils.

Linen is a strong, lightweight fabric made from the flax plant and is stronger than cotton. The flax strands are turned into yarn, which is then mixed with fibres from other plants.

Linen is strong, absorbent, cool, and smooth. It can be washed in a washing machine, but it needs to be ironed often because it wrinkles easily. Linen can be made into suits, jackets, dresses, blouses, and trousers, but it is mostly used to make curtains, tablecloths, bedsheets, napkins, and towels.

Silk is the most expensive natural fabric because the cocoon of the silkworm is used to make it. It is a soft, elegant fabric with a smooth feel and a shimmering look.  It is hypoallergenic, durable, and strong, but hard to clean and delicate to handle.

Silk is mostly used to make wedding and evening dresses, shirts, suits, skirts, lingerie, ties, and scarves. Shantung silk and Kashmir silk are the two most popular kinds.

Wool is a natural fibre that comes from sheep, goat, llama or alpaca fleece. It can be knitted or woven.

Wool is often hairy and itchy, though it keeps the body warm and is durable and long-lasting. It is also wrinkle-free and resistant to dust. This fabric is expensive, as it needs to be hand-washed or dry-cleaned. Types of wool include tweed, Cheviot fabric, from Cheviot sheep, cashmere, from cashmere and pashmina goats and Merino wool, from Merino sheep.

Soft, luxurious velvet has mostly been associated with royalty due to its rich, opulent finishing and complex production process. This heavy, shiny woven warp pile fabric has a smooth pile effect on one side. Velvet can be made from cotton, linen, cool, silk, nylon or polyester, making it a versatile material that is either inelastic or stretchy. It is used in evening wear and outerwear.

Synthetics cover nylon, polyester and spandex. Synthetics don’t shrink, unlike delicate fabrics, and are usually resistant to water-based stains.

Nylon is known for its strength, flexibility and resilience. Nylon is also long-lasting and handles wear and tear, which is why it is often seen ins outerwear, including jackets and parkas.

Polyester is strong, durable and wrinkle and stain-resistant, but not breathable and doesn’t absorb liquids well. Instead, it is designed to move moisture away from the body.

Spandex, also known as Lycra or elastane, is known for its lightweight, elasticity and strength after being blended with several fibre types. This is often used in jeans, hosiery, dresses, sportswear and swimwear.

How to Care for Basic Fabrics

Some fabrics don't need much care, while others are so fragile that even a small mistake can ruin them.

Here are some useful tips for caring for different kinds of fabrics.

Acetate is very delicate, so use lukewarm water to wash an item made of acetate, and don't wring out the water after rinsing it.

The best way to clean cotton is with hot water. Use a mild soap and treat any spots or stains as soon as you see them. Use warm air in the dryer and take them out as soon as it stops running to prevent wrinkling.

Linens can be washed with cool water and dried on a clothesline or in a dryer, but on the lowest heat setting. You can iron linens with a low heat setting if they get wrinkled.

Polyester can be washed in a mild setting with cool water. If you need to, use a mild detergent and a stain remover. Polyester fabrics can be dried by air or in a dryer set to low or medium heat.

Silk is best washed by hand in cool water, or in a machine on a very gentle setting. Silk can be air-dried or dried in a dryer on a cool setting.

Wool should be washed by hand in cool to lukewarm water. Wool needs to be hung up outside or laid flat on a towel to dry.

Velvet should only be dry-cleaned and never spot clean or ironed, because it's likely to flatten or crush the natural pile. You can get rid of wrinkles with a hand-held steamer.

How to Choose Basic Fabrics

When choosing a fabric, you should take your time because it will affect your home in many ways.

Think about the following to make the best choice:

Think about how long the fabric will last. If the fabric will be sewn onto something that will be used every day, it needs to be able to stand up to the wear and tear that comes from being used often.

How easy it is to clean the fabric - stains and spills can happen at any time.

How likely it is that the fabric will fade or wear out - If the fabric is going to be out in the sun a lot, it is more likely to fade. To stop this from happening, you might want to choose a fabric that is already light in colour.

We invite you to visit our website at www.mhcworld.co.za and explore all that we have to offer. Thank you for considering MHC World for your shopping needs, and we hope to see you soon!