Hi everyone! I’ve got a bit of a new feature for you all today! I’ve gotten a lot of amazing people participating in my Monthly Crafting Challenge and sending me emails to say that they’ve learned to sew through my patterns. I’m so humbled and flattered to have so many amazing fans out there! But I was also a little nervous because my patterns assume you have basic sewing knowledge – so I thought I should elaborate more on some fundamental sewing information to make sure all you newbies out there were covered. There are other tutorials out there that have this kind of information, but some of you were interested in exactly how I do things. So here we go!
I’ve always wanted to try doing infographics, and I think there could stand to be more sewing infographics out there so I thought I’d give it a try! This is my first ever, so please be kind, haha! This one is how to choose the plush fabric that’s right for you. Just for you newbies out there that are cutting your teeth on my patterns ❤ Hopefully in this infographic format the info will be easier to digest, share, and save.
So what fabrics do I use?
I personally prefer knits like minky and fleece for my plushies, and I design most of my patterns to accommodate the stretch that they give. I like that fleece and minky are thicker and more huggable. I like cotton, flannel, and felt for accents and other detail work. The bright colors and patterns from cotton and flannel make them great for details, and their thin nature makes them easy to sew tiny pieces. With this guide hopefully you’ll see why I suggest fleece and minky in the fabric requirements for my patterns!
It’s of course not the end-all-be-all on plush fabric information, but I wanted to give you all something to work off of. Plus there’ll be more infographics in the future to elaborate on these topics! As for where I get these fabrics, I’ve written up a new FAQ that covers all of my major suppliers 😀
March 11, 2016 at 7:41 PM
This is very informative.
I am familiar in using soft felt, hard felt, faux and fleece.
And I think I’ve used minky already, though I thought it’s just another type of fleece. lol
Thank you for sharing this Choly!
March 12, 2016 at 8:54 AM
Thank you so much!
The naming can definitely get confusing — I think because minky is still a relatively new fabric and lots of different manufacturers are trying to make their own versions 🙂
I have another infographic in the works where I try to break down all the different types of fleece and minky that I know of and hopefully clear up some of the naming!
March 12, 2016 at 6:10 PM
Yay! Thank you for uploading this! This is so helpful! I “Liked” it and am going to add it to my “Sewing Tips” Pinterest board! ❤ ❤ ❤
March 12, 2016 at 6:14 PM
Oh! I didn’t know you had a Pinterest as well! I “Followed” your on there! Awesome! And “Liked” your Facebook page! WEEEE (: ❤ You're my favorite seamstress!
March 13, 2016 at 10:06 AM
Thanks so much! 😀 You’re too kind! ♥
March 13, 2016 at 9:19 AM
Thank you for posting this! I am familiar with using felt because it’s found at dollar stores as a cheap start to making plushies. I have used old clothing (mostly sweaters) to make them repurposed. They smell like clean linen and can be shaped easiy making for good practice with hand sewing (so cuddly). Fleece is my favorite fabric though and I love using felt and this short minky velvety fabric to make details. One day I will get enough money to make great high quality plushies like you ❤
March 13, 2016 at 10:08 AM
You’re very welcome! I’m so glad it could help!
I definitely used old clothes myself when I started out 🙂 It’s not a bad way to get started and then you can work up to the good stuff ❤
March 23, 2016 at 10:43 AM
Unfortunately both fleece and minky are so expensive! My only alternative is probably felt or cotton.
Still, awesome information! Thanks ^^
March 24, 2016 at 7:20 AM
Aw yeah, I understand! Luckily at my local JoAnn fabrics the fleece is often on discount for as much or less than the cost of felt — $3-5 a yard — which makes a bunch of plushies 🙂
Craft felt is inexpensive everywhere and nearly all the time though ♥
February 27, 2017 at 1:20 PM
As a sewing newbie, your blog is super helpful! I love the tutorials and patterns because they’re very clear and they’ve helped me a lot with my first plush sewing projects 🙂 I’m wondering though, do you buy your minky and fleece fabrics online or in local stores? It’s quite hard to find those fabrics where I live (for a decent price, that is) and I was wondering if you have any suggestions for websites where I can get those fabrics ^^
February 28, 2017 at 12:48 PM
I’m so glad it’s helped! That really means a lot 😀 The short answer to your question is I buy from Joann Fabrics for fleece and minky when I need something right away, and I order from Fabric.com when I’m okay with waiting 🙂
Here’s the long answer: https://cholyknight.com/faq-fabric-suppliers-tools/ With a lot more examples and specifics. I hope that helps!
August 16, 2018 at 10:56 PM
This is amazing stuff! Thanks so much for taking the time to make this infographic. I’m still new to sewing and visual learner, so this is nice being able to see how the different fabric materials will lay when they’re sewn up and stuffed. I’ve saved it on Pinterest so I can always come back to reference it. 🙂
October 11, 2018 at 2:06 PM
Where can I get this fleece fabric in karachi
October 12, 2018 at 8:21 AM
Unfortunately I’m not familiar with fabric suppliers in that area. But many people find it cheaper and easier to use old clothing or blankets instead of buying brand new fabric 🙂