Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: With Double-brushed Knit, Comfort Meets Style

Image
By

Apologies: I don’t have a finished project to share this time. I was so excited to use the fabric I had ordered, and I intend to do so as soon as possible. I plan to sew another version of this romper for a low-key baptism. I want a light and comfortable outfit yet keep it a little delicate, and I believe I can achieve that with this floral double-brushed knit. 

Unfortunately, other things got in the way, so I could not complete my project. We even postponed the baptism, so I may still sew and wear my outfit for that occasion in the near future. I will still share some ideas about this fabric because it is a wonderful material.

I love double-brushed knit for so many reasons. First and foremost, it is one of the softest fabrics there is. When you hear the expression “buttery soft,” you can picture exactly this type of fabric! Please note: I know now that “buttery soft” is a common expression, but English is not my first language, so I am still surprised from time to time by new idioms, and I need to find ways to use them correctly.

Indeed, a few years ago, when I didn’t know yet what that fabric was called, I used to Google some keywords (super soft stretchy knit) and the composition of my favorite pajamas (95% polyester, 5% spandex) and that’s what pointed me towards double-brushed knits. 

Double-brushed fabric – not to confuse with double-knit fabric! - It takes its name from the fact it is brushed on the top and bottom sides, giving the fabric an extremely soft hand. It is very comfortable to wear and ideal for pajamas, dresses, cardigans, and ANY cozy piece of clothing. It is stretchy, so it is only suitable for knit projects. 

In my experience, this type of fabric also has great durability. I have several pieces made of this, and they all withstand dozens of washings without fading or losing shape. The floral cardigan I made in 2021 is still as vibrant, and I use it almost weekly! Something I have done any time I am sewing with this material is using stay-tape, especially in the shoulders, pockets, or on any curved or biased side. Stay-tape stay allows flexibility while avoiding stretching and distorting the fabric. 

On the downside, though, it is a polyester fabric that is not very breathable. That is the one and only “con” Some bamboo fabrics may be comparable in terms of softness. So, if you’d rather avoid synthetic fabrics, bamboo may be a good contender. What do you think? And what’s your favorite fabric? 

INES  | @bynunis

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories: Double Brushed Knits.

Comments

  1. ROctober 26, 2024 at 6:22 AM

    Thank you for discussing the qualities of DB knits. Sometimes we plough ahead with projects without understanding what they are like, which is especially difficult to figure out over the internet! In addition to bamboo, rayon/lycra jersey is also very soft, retains the intensity of colors, and it too has a long life.

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousOctober 28, 2024 at 12:23 PM

    I love double brushed knits too! I'm looking forward to seeing what you create.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Made by a Fabricista: What to Make with Silk Taffeta

By
You may have noticed that Fabric Mart has a *HUGE* selection of silk taffeta right now.  A lot of it is either large plaid or large stripes.   I was curious about it, and not really sure what I could make with it, but I just knew it would be gorgeous fabric and had to play around with it.  Turns out, it's actually great for quite a range of projects!  The dress above is my third project. Let me show you the first two. My first was to make some queen size pillow shams.  They are the plaid ones in the back of the photo.  I also made the two printed ones in the center from another Fabric Mart home dec fabric special!  I wanted to make the covers removable with a zipper, and include a braided trim.  As luck would have it, I found a whole card of braided trim at an estate sale that worked with my taffeta for just $2! To start, I used a zipper foot to stitch down the braided trim all around one side of the pillow. Then I serged ...
8 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Mechanic Chic!

By
When it comes to buying ready-to-wear garments as a sewist, I only ever spend in three categories: heavy duty winter jackets (life in Maine!), bras… and jumpsuits! I love a good jumpsuit, but unfortunately the ones I used to buy have been impacted by the tariff situation and I can’t get them affordably anymore. This can only mean one thing, folks: it’s time to roll up my sleeves and sew my very first jumpsuit!  When I started planning for this project, I knew I wanted to use a heavyweight linen for cozy comfort in the fall and breathability in the summer. I wanted something that would wear beautifully and soften with age, and something with neutral tones that could go with everything. Naturally, when I came across this 100% linen canvas on Fabric Mart, my heart skipped a beat! I love the ikat-inspired geometry and something about it reminds me of leopard spots too. Bold yet wearable! I am pretty sure this fabric was intended for home decor which I don’t mind at all and in fact of...
7 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Tried and true summer basics that fit.

By
Happy Summer Friends! As I am writing this, we are headed into a nasty heat wave…so the timing could not be better to share two of my favorite summer patterns and fabrics.  But first, let me tell you about the fail I had heading into this month’s blog… As Fabricista’s, we get to pick out fabric for each of our blog submissions. I fell in love with this gorgeous lilac jacquard knit that I thought would be perfect for a pop of color in my summer wardrobe. But I made a fatal error - I grabbed a pattern I haven’t made for years, quickly went up one size to account for a few new pounds, and sewed them up. And they don’t fit, will NEVER fit, and will never be worn. Sigh…when will I learn?? Here’s a flat lay pic so we can at least look at the lovely fabric: The lesson I learned (relearned!) is that just like with off the rack clothes, the things that worked well for me years ago don’t work well for me today.  And that’s the case with both tops and bottoms. So I went back to two patt...
1 comment
Continue Reading »

A Yard And Change

By
Do you have a fabric that you love and has been hanging around but is too small to use? Maybe you found a wonderful fabric with a super cute print but there's only a yard left.  I've got a few projects I worked on all with roughly a yard of fabric. And I have a few tips for making that yard and change go further! Cutting Layout: You can get a lot more mileage out of a yard of fabric if you can get creative with how you lay out your fabric. Cutting things single layer will give you the most control. My favorite thing to do is unfold the fabric and fold the selvages in to meet in the middle. That gives me two folded edges to work with. I had to overlap these to get enough width for the tank top. Just make sure that your pattern pieces don't also overlap!  This one was especially fun for me because I really loved the print on this swimwear knit but am not yet up to sewing swimwear. But a nice flowy hiking tank is perfect for this! In the future I'd love to experiment with...
1 comment
Continue Reading »