Fabric Know-How: Choosing & Using Your Favorite Fabrics
Sandra Betzina
Class Preview
0:53
- In-depth Instruction; over 215 mins
- On-demand video access anytime
- Bonus downloadable PDF resources
- Access to class Q&A
Fabric & Pattern Basics
11:31
Meet fashion designer Sandra Betzina and learn more about how to use this reference class for all your designing and sewing projects. Sandra discusses pattern and fabric choices and how to consider them together. She also discusses interfacing options that can make a difference in the drape, structure and stability of the fabrics you choose.
Cottons & Linens
28:53
Sandra shares her wealth of knowledge about the cottons and linens that we love, from lightweight to heavyweight, including the needles, presser feet and threads to use with each, as well as seam finish, hemming and pretreatment suggestions. Along the way, you'll also see inspirational examples of Sandra's designs that incorporate these fabrics.
Silks
31:30
While lovely and luxurious, silk can be challenging to work with. Sandra demystifies the properties of different silk types, shares suggestions for pretreatment, seaming and hemming, and shows how to cut out this slippery fabric accurately to make garments you'll love to wear.
Knits
23:32
Get a handle on handling knits with Sandra's guidance. You'll review the many types of knits and their suitability for different garments, as well as the best thread, needles and stitch types for secure seams. Learn to love your knits, from loose and drapey to structured and elegant.
Wools
21:49
Sandra shows you how to embrace the versatility of wool with this lesson on recognizing, pretreating and sewing. Sandra includes tips such as underlining tissue-weight wool or combining wool and faux fur on a jacket collar.
Rayons & Polyesters
13:57
Drapey, breathable rayon makes beautiful garments but requires some special treatment in laundering and sewing. Sandra discusses best practices for working with rayon, then shows how to handle balky polyesters when you find yourself seduced by an intriguing print. Sandra also has some suggestions for playing with specialty polyesters.
Seam Finishes
36:40
A perfectly executed seam can make all the difference in your garment sewing. Sandra shows how to get great-looking seams no matter what your fabric is, from plain or French seams on silk to flat-felled seams on heavier fabrics. You'll also learn about specialty feet that can aid in accuracy and stabilizers to keep your seams tidy.
Hem Finishes
46:36
Create hems that say "professional" not "homemade" with Sandra's guidance. Learn about hems large and small on a variety of fabrics, from baby hems on delicate chiffon to pounded hems on denim. Sandra's wealth of knowledge will inspire you to get going on your sewing!
Select, prepare and sew fabrics like a fashion designer with guidance from industry expert Sandra Betzina. Start with tips for pairing your patterns with fabrics that will yield the most refined results. Then, learn to enhance the drape, structure and stability of your fabrics with smart interfacing choices. Build your expertise around the characteristics and ideal applications for a vast variety of fabric types. Along the way, discover the ideal needles, thread, presser feet, stitch length, seam finishes and hemming techniques for each type of fabric. Plus, pretreat and handle these different fabrics for superior results. Learn how to choose fabric with confidence and sew it with finesse.
Sandra Betzina
As a child, Sandra learned to sew on a treadle sewing machine, and so her passion for the craft began! Highlights of Sandra's sewing career include writing a syndicated sewing column for 34 years and hosting her own sewing show on HGTV called Sew Perfect. She has also written 10 sewing books, including More Fabric Savvy, Fast Fit and Power Sewing Toolbox Volumes 1 & 2. Sandra has designed more than 200 patterns for Vogue and written numerous articles for Threads, Sew News and Vogue Patterns magazine.
Bonus materials available after purchase