What is polyester fabric?

Polyester is a synthetic material. It is made out of plastic and can take the form of various other types of fabric; for example. polyester may look like viscose or even wool.

Basically, polyester consists of oil and natural gas, which is transformed into plastic through an advanced form of chemistry. The plastic is then further processed and converted into the synthetic fibres that make up the polyester fabric.

Polyester fibres are smooth, which creates the smooth and sometimes shiny surface of the polyester fabric.

Good properties of polyester fabric

One of the great advantages of polyester fabric is that it does not crease. This way you do not have to get out the iron every time you want to wear a piece of clothing made of polyester.

Also, polyester does not shrink in the wash or the dryer, which is naturally also a nice benefit, as you will not ruin your clothes if you should happen to forget it in the wash.

Since polyester is made from oil and natural gas, it is not the most eco-friendly choice of fabric. However, it is extremely durable and keeps colour really well. This means that clothes made of polyester have great longevity, which might make up for the production.

What to keep in mind when sewing with polyester fabric

Since polyester is just a smooth type of fabric, it can be a little difficult to manage when sewing. A good piece of advice would therefore be to use lots of pins when sewing polyester. That way, the fabric will not slip so easily.

It is also a good idea to arm yourself with plenty of time and patience when sewing polyester, as it is a very smooth and slippery fabric, so errors can occur. You should therefore always have a good seam ripper on hand.

Even though polyester is actually made of plastic, it can withstand fairly high temperatures. You can safely wash polyester fabric at 40, 60 and 95 degrees. You can also iron the fabric at 150 degrees, although it will probably not be necessary due to the smoothness of the fabric.

Polyester Fabric by the metre