site with a glossary of textile names

Glossary of textile terms in Sixteenth Century Italian.

Rule One: Always buy natural fibers. No matter how beautiful that rayon-polyester-tencel upholstery brocade fabric is, walk right past it. You will later regret it if you don't.

These leaves you with 4 primary fibers: Cotton, Linen, Wool, and Silk. There are few minor fibers, like hemp, but for the most part, if you choose from these four, you will be safe.

A word about cotton: as a general rule, cotton was not used in period, at least in apparel textiles. If you want to stay cool, linen is a much better choice. Cotton is attractive because it is generally cheap. If that's what you can afford, then you can use it. But consider spending the extra $10-15 and buying linen for your next project. Here is a great source for linen. Join up with a couple friends and get a bolt of fabric to get the best price. If you MUST get cotton, avoid poly/cotton blends like the Plague! Take this opportunity to turn up your nose and be a fabric snob. You will thank yourself come the hot summer months. Trust me, been there, sweated through that!

Rule Two: Always wash the fabric when you get home. If you wash it right away, then it will be ready for you when you do finally get around to sewing it. Test a 4" x 4" swatch to see how the fabric reacts.

Exception to Rule Two: Those fancy schmancy silks and woolen, anything metallic. Don't wash those.