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Selecting the correct fabric for any pattern is an important part in ending up with a garment you love to wear… and is flattering! This is certainly the case with the new Laundry Day Tee. The silhouette of this tee is a swing-y style that really needs a knit with good drape. If you were to choose a fabric that is more stiff and stable you run the chance to ending up with a top that people might mistake for maternity-wear.

The fabric recommendations for the Laundry Day Tee are light to medium weight knits with at least 40% stretch such as rayon/jersey, ITY knits, modal/jersey and sweater knits. I don’t recommend most cotton/lycras, interlock or 100% cotton jersey. Those are great fabrics for the right pattern because they are easier to work with, however they just don’t have enough drape for this silhouette. Here’s a little visual my lovely testers Kelly & Sarah allowed me to use. Keep in mind the photos on the left were just fit photos for testing purposes.

knit with drape vs. without drape sarah

What a difference, right?! I did have some testers that were successful with cotton/lycra but the key to their success was using a C/L that was of the lighter weight variety. If you’re shopping online some shops will list the ounces per yard. The optimal weight in my experience for this pattern is 7-9oz.

In addition to the weight some key words to look for are:
fluid drape, light and flowy, soft hand, 4-way stretch.

Here are a few online shops that have these types of fabrics. Many of them have newsletters and/or Facebook groups and pages where you might find a coupon code.

  • Stylish Fabric. This is my personal favorite for rayon/jersey spandex solids and sweater knits. Great prices and selection as well. They call this heavyweight but I would say it’s more medium weight. This is the coral in the shirt length LDT:

20150922_164906

Love Notions Laundry Day Tunic

  • Girl Charlee: Awesome prices and great selection. Love that they list the fabric weights. I personally stay away from anything under 7oz.

girlcharlee

  • Fabric Mart: These are closeout fabrics from designers such as Maggie London, J.Crew, etc. They have sales often, be sure to sign up for their newsletter.
  • Finch Fabric: This is a new shop. I ordered from them recently and got my package in record time. Great prints that I haven’t seen anywhere else.

I’m sure there are many, many more out there but those are a few I’ve personally had experience with. I know Joann Fabrics has really stepped up their game with knits lately so you probably can find something perfect there as well.

Have you gotten your FREE Laundry Day Tee yet? Don’t forget to join the Facebook group for the coupon code and to join in the fun! I know a lot of you have already sewn up a LDT, I’ve really enjoyed seeing all your creations in the group. It makes me so happy to know the Laundry Day Tee was some of your first sewing for yourself projects!

fabric for laundry day

Tami Meyer

Author Tami Meyer

More posts by Tami Meyer

Join the discussion 18 Comments

  • Thanks for the definitive word in weights for this pattern. I was amused to see that your favorite Stylish Fabric, lists fabric weights like Girl Charlee, but in metric!! So, I printed out a handy-dandy conversion chart and here is the scoop: 7-9 oz per square yard is equivalent to 238-305 GSM, or grams per square meter. The “heavyweight” rayon is 200GSM, or 5.9 oz. So, it’s lighter than 7 oz, but so nice and drapes beautifully. Thanks!

  • Emily says:

    Thank you for sharing the right fabrics to use!! I can’t wait to make one!!

  • Sarah says:

    How would DBP work for a LDT? I’m new to sewing clothes, and I cannot wait to try an LDT!

  • Cara says:

    I have an ITY that I won in an auction but I don’t know the wright. Would all ITY be ok or does that comein different weights?

  • hayhowjoyce says:

    Would an Art Gallery knit (95% cotton, 5% spandex) work for LDT dress?
    Thanks,
    Joyce

  • Kim Howard says:

    If I sized up do you think I could use a rayon gauze fabric for the V neck version? Thanks!

    • Tami Meyer says:

      No, you really need to use a knit fabric for the best results. If you want to sew up a top using a woven fabric, check out the Harmony Blouse.

  • Robin says:

    I have a fabric that has a nice stretch in one direction but dose not have much of a stretch in the other ( will this still work) its just a random fabric that was given to me so I don’t know much about it. thank you

    • Sneha Nirody says:

      I don’t think that will work, i have found vertical stretch is super important for it to fit nicely at the armpit!

  • Joetta Steinmetz says:

    Do you think a lightweight or mid-weight merino wool jersey would be suitable?

    • Keira Wood says:

      The Laundry Day Tee is a swing style tee. We recommend lightweight drapey fabrics. Otherwise, it will be more structured causing the hem to extend outward away from the body. ~K

  • mbo45471 says:

    would a French Terry be suitable for the LDT ?

    • Tessa says:

      I would only suggest a light baby french terry, some find that the heavier thicker fabric doesn’t allow the pattern to drape as nicely. As this is a swing top, drape is essential to the intended look. You would also need to double check the stretch percentages to make sure it has enough for the bust area and arms. Hope that helps!

  • mbo45471 says:

    would a French Terry be suitable for the LDT ?

  • Kilty says:

    Thanks for the info. I am lost when it comes to choosing knit fabrics online so will be using your information. You might want to remove Fabric.com from the list, as they recently sold out to Amazon ????.

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