Double cloth fabrics are double-faced.
Double face fabrics are really single, not double.
Huh?
The terms double cloth and double face cause a lot of confusion for home sewers. Here’s the story: Double cloth and double face both indicate a fabric that’s reversible or having two right sides. But the way each is woven is quite different.
Double-cloth fabrics are made of two fabrics threaded or fused together to form a thicker and more substantial fabric. You can actually take the fabric edge and peel apart the two fabrics. This allows you to create beautiful garments that are completely reversible, with no lining necessary. Many types of wools and cottons can be made into double cloth, and in all sorts of combinations—like contrasting solids, or a smooth surface with a napped surface. Double-cloth cashmere is one of the most luxurious fabrics around and deserves careful planning and slow, thoughtful sewing.
Here you can see the threads that join two pieces of fabric into one double-cloth fabric.
A designer well-known for his double-cloth coats and jackets is Ralph Rucci, whose double-cloth garments look as elegant on the inside as they do on the outside. Fall 2103 collection.
Double-faced fabrics are also fabrics where either side can be used, but unlike double cloth, these fabrics have only one layer of fabric and cannot be separated. The types of double-faced fabrics are endless and are found in the wool, silk, cotton and knit departments, and at all price points. (Quality double-cloth fabrics tend to be on the more expensive side.) At Mood we love an attractive double-faced fabric, because it offers our customers so many design options when they have two sides of fabric to work from: Satin or matte side? Print or solid side? Jacquard or reverse jacquard? Think about incorporating a little or a lot of the contrasting side into your garment for a designer touch.
A beautiful double-faced satin in Chinese red and mint green.
Double-faced, wool-blend polka dots, from Mood NYC.
A polyester print double-faced fabric, with a large floral on one side and a smaller floral on the other.
What fabrics confuse you? We plan on posting more Fabric 101s here, so leave a comment and let us know!
6 comments
Can you share tips on how to work with knits that unravel easily?
Thanks!
Anna Kyle
Ack! Run?! But good suggestion for a future Fabric 101 post. Thanks!
Thank you so much. I now am smarter then I was before. I take a sewing class at Cypress College on sewing and the teacher talked about a skirt she wore from double sided fabric but I would have liked it had she shared the different fabric types and stated which was hers. I reserve the right to post again when I can think of a 101 I would like to see, lol. Thanks again.
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Thanks for this information
I had no idea – very informative! I am looking at a reversible coat on eBay, by a high-end Italian designer. Based on your information and a description of their process on a different reversible coat, I am guessing it’s double cloth; it is way too big, but I love it and it’s on sale – do you think it is feasible for me to alter it myself ? thank you!