Identify & Understand Fabrics
Identify & Understand Fabrics
Identify & Understand Fabrics
AU$69.00
Next: Mon, 28 Sep 6:30PM (AEST)

Identify & Understand Fabrics

4.9 across all classes Β· 2,417 reviews

what students are saying

πŸ‘©β€πŸ« Expert Instructors 🎨 Creative Confidence πŸ“š Comprehensive Knowledge 🧡 Fabric Mastery

Ever grabbed a fabric you loved, only to realise it's completely wrong for your project? Do the names and blends confuse you? 

This hands-on 2-hour workshop takes the guesswork out of fabric selection, and gives you the knowledge to shop and sew with confidence.

Perfect for anyone interested in textiles, beginners... to advanced sewers, you'll walk away knowing exactly what you're working with and why it matters.

SESSION PLAN:

  • Fabric background, production methods and environmental impacts
  • Man-made vs natural textile fibres                       
  • Fabric characteristics
  • Identifying wovens, knits and non-wovens
  • Knit types and weave structures
  • Conducting burn tests and characteristics to look for
  • Choosing the right fabric for your sewing project
  • Care for your fabrics and avoid laundry tragedies
  • Inspiration to start your own fabric swatch journal

πŸ’‘ Bring along a pattern and fabric from your next project and we'll discuss whether they're a good match.


Details

2 hours

You will learn

  • Get forensic! Understand the difference between fabrics and fibres
  • Avoid wasting money on the wrong fabric choice
  • Knowledge of fabric history, production and environmental impacts

You will get

  • Learn about the burn test characteristics and to assess fabric in other ways

Appropriate for

This session is appropriate for all skill levels, you just need an interest in textiles.


Preparation

What to bring

  • Optional - bring swatches of fabric to try to identify
  • Optional - bring patterns you want to discuss choosing fabric for

What to wear

Casual

Planning a Private Event?

From corporate team building to birthdays and hen's parties, Thread Den can tailor a private sewing classes experience for your group.


Your Teacher

Thread Den

Thread Den

2417 reviews

Learn to sew, craft and create with Thread Den, located on Melbourne's vibrant Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. Since 2007, we've spent almost 20 years helping students start from the very beginning, level up their skills, and find their own unique style.

Coming to Thread Den feels like learning from a friend, a super nice, clever one, alongside a small group of fellow sewists. Everything you need is right there waiting for you: lovely big cutting tables, smooth-running Janomes with plenty of feet and accessories, inspiring resources, and friendly people to chat to along the way.

Your teachers bring years of experience, their own labels and businesses, and a genuine love of sharing their skills and craftsmanship with you.

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4.7 (27 reviews)
Elle
Jul 2026
Absolutely loved this class about identifying and understanding fabrics. The intimate class was presented on a a roundtable and we had documents to take home. The information I learnt helped me to understand different types of fibres and weaves but also that I like a particular type of silk which I never knew the name of. Invaluable.
Thread Den β€’ Jul 2026

Thank you for your detailed review. Arlie loves getting forensic with fabrics!

Caroline
Feb 2026
Learned so much, and the resources to take home have so much more content that I can go over. Very informative 2 hours.
Caitlin
Feb 2026
I had such a fantastic experience at the Identify & Understand Fabrics workshop! It was incredibly rich with detail and knowledge, and I learned so much more than I expected. Arlie (the teacher) was deeply knowledgeable and genuinely enthusiastic, which made the whole session engaging and enjoyable. The resources and handouts were comprehensive, informative and thoughtfully put together. I’d absolutely recommend this workshop to anyone interested in sewing or textiles!

Terms

Cancellations & Refunds

If the organiser cancels the class:

You are entitled to a full refund.

If you can't attend the class:

You’re welcome to send someone in your place.

OR

  • A refund can be requested 1 day before class starts. An admin fee of AU$35.00 applies.
  • A transfer can be requested 4 days before the class starts. An admin fee of AU$10.00 applies.
  • A credit note can be requested 4 days before the class starts. An admin fee of AU$10.00 applies.

No changes will be allowed after these times.

Terms & Conditions

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Attendance & Preparation

Taking part in a workshop at Thread Den is fun, and we love teaching people our craft, but it''s your responsibility to clear your diary for the session(s) you''ve booked, especially if your course runs across multiple weeks. To finish your project, you''ll need to attend every session and arrive on time. Unfortunately, we can''t go back over material already covered, as it wouldn''t be fair to your fellow participants.

Please bear with us on this next point: our workshops and courses are usually booked out weeks in advance, so it isn''t always possible to simply move you into another session. If a suitable class is running and has space, we''ll try to offer you a discounted spot to help you catch up. If that''s not an option, you may need to book a private lesson to stay on track.

We also won''t chase you up to confirm you''re coming to class or that you have the right supplies. Most workshops require you to bring your own materials; we only  offer a supplies kit at an additional cost for the Sewing Basics 3 Week Course. If you''re ever unsure what to bring, just email us at info@threadden.com and we''ll point you in the right direction.

We want you to love what you make just as much as we do, so please take our fabric recommendations seriously. Choosing a fabric suited to a more advanced skill level can make the experience frustrating rather than fun.

We do our best to answer common questions in each workshop description, but please don''t hesitate to email us with anything else. And we''d genuinely love to see the fabric you''re considering, we''re always happy to point you toward our favourite fabric and haberdashery suppliers.

Thanks for reading through the finer details, we appreciate it.

Our cancellation and refund policy is presented during the booking process.

Medical Events

Your safety and wellbeing are important to us. We reserve the right to make decisions necessary to protect the safety of all participants, this may include calling an ambulance on your behalf and at your expense.

Course Cancellations

  • Classes are subject to sufficient enrolment (usually a minimum of 2 participants).
  • We reserve the right to cancel any scheduled course.

This policy is also available on our website: threadden.com/about/bookings-and-cancellations-policy

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