Sewing with handwoven wool fabric can be tricky. The fabric may have a tendency to stretch, distort, and unravel as it is handled. I’ve got a few tricks to share that will help prevent this. The rewards for sewing with handwoven fabric are many! I recently had the pleasure of making a flat cap for my friend Anne of Leaf Livestock. Check out her gorgeous wool yarn and weaving patterns!
Introduction
Sewing with handwoven fabric is a great opportunity to expand your capabilities as a weaver. It opens up the possibility of making three dimensional, curved, finished objects, rather than just flat objects such as towels and scarves. Projects suitable for handwoven fabric are limitless! A good place to start is with small accessories, such as hats and bags. I’ve included a list of project ideas and patterns below.
Sewing with handwoven fabric makes the concept of “field to fashion” even easier to reach. By using sewing skills, you can expand the range of products produced by your local fiber farm. Whether it’s wool, mohair, cotton, or any other fiber, it can be woven, cut, and sewn into virtually whatever you can dream up.
Understanding Handwoven Fabric
What Makes Handwoven Fabric Special?
Handwoven fabric is made by hand. It has slight irregularities. It reminds us of human creativity. It has the power to express that human quality that so many of us crave in the daily items we use.
Think of the difference between a potter’s hand thrown, beautifully glazed mug, and a mass produced mug. Or the difference between a hand carved walnut spoon and a mass produced bamboo spoon. One has a strong vibe of humanity, warmth, expertise, uniqueness, and creativity, while the other has a strong vibe of sterility, coldness, capitalism, and sameness.
Handwoven fabric, and items made from it, can give us those same feelings and emotions as the hand carved spoon or the hand thrown mug. It doesn’t compare to mass produced fabric from the big box store, beautiful and useful as those fabrics may be.
Handwoven fabric often has unique fibers, colors, and weaving patterns that cannot be purchased anywhere. Like the glazed potter’s mug, sewing with handwoven fabric will result in incredibly unique finished items.
If you are a weaver using yarn from a local fiber farm, you have the opportunity to show off just how special that farm is. You can cut and sew many different fashion items that get regular use, such as bags, hats, and jackets, showing off your local fiber’s beauty and supporting the Field to Fashion movement.
Preparing Handwoven Fabric for Sewing
I have a few tips for sewing with handwoven fabrics. For a more visual demonstration, watch the video below.
Washing and Blocking
- Be sure to wash and block your woven fabric after taking it off the loom. Use whatever washing technique is appropriate for your fabric to avoid excessive shrinkage or damage.
- Before washing, serge or tie the ends of the fabric so it doesn’t unravel.
- For wool fabric, slightly fulling it will help make it sturdier and less likely to unravel.
- Delicate silk fabric may fare better with steaming instead of washing.
- Block your fabric by hanging or laying it out flat to dry.
- Iron your fabric at the appropriate heat setting for the fiber content.
Choosing the right project
- Don’t fight against the characteristics of your handwoven fabric. Use lightweight fabrics for drapey, lightweight garments, such as blouses and sundresses. Use heavy weight fabrics for projects that need structure: jackets, bags, hats, some skirts, etc.
- If you’re a beginner, choose a good pattern that has clear instructions. Video instructions are especially helpful.
Cutting out the pieces
- Lay out your pattern pieces carefully to avoid wasting fabric.
- Take your time! Keep in mind the grain line, matching stripes and plaids, etc.
- I like to use pattern weights. Easier and faster than pins.
- You can use a rotary cutter or scissors, but whatever you choose, make sure it’s sharp.
- When transferring pattern notches, I recommend using pins or chalk to mark the notches, instead of clipping the notches with scissors. This prevents fraying.
Stabilizing the Weave
- Use stay-stitching (sewing a baste stitch around curved edges) to prevent pattern pieces from stretching and distorting during handling. Be careful not to stretch fabric while stay stitching.
- Serge or zig zag around each piece to prevent fraying.
- In some cases, you can fuse interfacing to the back of the fabric to add stability. Fusible interfacing is not removable, and adds stiffness to the fabric, so be sure you want it on your finished object. Fusible interfacing is often used for collars, cuffs, waistbands, bags, and hats.
Sewing Techniques for Handwoven Fabrics
- Choose the right needle. There are a range of needles suitable for different fabrics. Lighter weight fabrics require finer needles, and heavyweight fabrics require thicker needles. For this project I used a size 14 needle, which is a “medium” needle good for most projects.
- Make sure your needle is sharp. Some people forget to replace their sewing machine needles regularly. If you can feel or see a scratchy barb at the tip of your needle (instead of just a smooth point) your needle needs to be replaced immediately! If you have never replaced your needle, now is the time. It should be replaced every few projects.
- Oil your sewing machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Most should be oiled after every 3-4 bobbin changes, or if it’s been sitting unused for years.
- Use pins or clips to hold your pattern pieces together, and remove them as you sew.
- While sewing, do not stretch or pull your fabric pieces, especially around curves. This will stretch out and distort the pieces. Use a light touch.
- Serge or zigzag raw edges to prevent fraying. Alternatively, use French seams, flat-felled seams, or welted seams.
- Press/iron each seam for a professional finish. When in doubt, press it! Steam is very helpful when pressing natural fibers. Use a tailor’s ham to press curved seams.
Project Ideas for Beginners
- Tote bag
- Yarn Project Bag
- Bucket hat
- Simple vest
- Pillow Cover
- Curtains
Project Ideas for Intermediates
Advanced Projects
Conclusion
Sewing with handwoven fabric is a wonderful way to expand your skills as a fiber artist and bring your weaving to life in new and exciting ways. It transforms flat textiles into three-dimensional, finished objects, unlocking endless creative possibilities. Starting with small projects, such as hats or bags, is a great way to ease into working with handwoven materials. Remember that mistakes are part of the learning process! Practicing sewing skills on machine woven fabric is a great first step. But if you want to learn how to sew with handwoven fabric, you just have to do it! You will learn in the process. Remember that, although precious and valuable, handwoven fabric is also renewable. You can always make more! Try to keep that in mind as you experiment and make mistakes.
Sewing with handwoven fabric also brings the concept of “field to fashion” within reach, allowing you to turn locally grown fibers—whether from sheep, goats, cotton, or other sources—into unique, handmade creations. By combining sewing and weaving, you can fully realize the potential of your local fiber farm, crafting beautiful, functional items that reflect the journey from raw material to finished product.
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