I’m personally quite fond of the Suede Fabric cotton/spandex or cotton/lycra blends. (Spandex and lycra are exactly the same thing, by the way. It’s the difference between tissue and Kleenex: spandex is the generic name, Lycra is the trademarked name.)

Cotton/spandex jersey looks and feels almost the same as a 100% cotton, but I actually find it softer, and it offers a really awesome amount of stretch and elastic recovery: meaning it returns to its normal size after being stretched. If you’ve ever worked with a 100% cotton rib knit, you may have noticed that once it stretches, it doesn’t always unstretch all the way. Next time try a cotton/spandex rib knit. You’ll thank me.

So one of the questions that is often asked is “Can I use a woven fabric for a pattern that calls for knit” or vice versa. If the pattern calls for knits, there is very little chance you’d be able to substitute a woven, even a woven with some stretch. The reason is that most knit patterns won’t have a closure like a zipper or buttons, relying on their stretch so that you can just pull them on. Think about the difference between a pair of leggings and a pair of jeans: there’s a reason the jeans have a fly. You probably wouldn’t be able to get them on otherwise.

Aside from the closure issue, there’s the issue of fit. Woven patterns often rely on darts and fitted seams to make a garment fit the curves of the body. Knit fabrics tend to forgo darts and extra seams, instead relying on their natural stretch to fit the body. At best, using a woven fabric with a pattern meant for knits will result in something that fits like a paper bag. At worst, you won’t even be able to get it on.

Sometimes you may be able to use a knit fabric with a pattern that calls for wovens. It really depends on the pattern and the particular fabric. Some patterns might be relying on the structure of the woven fabric to look right, and a knit fabric would sag in all the wrong places. But if you’re dying to use a pattern you’ve got for woven fabrics, but the Hot Selling Fabric you’re set on is a knit, give it a shot. You never know until you try it.