How to Choose Fabric for Children's Clothing

Begin with Comfort, Safety and Skin

Children's skin is thinner and more sensitive than an adult's, and a scratchy seam or a fabric that traps heat will be noticed long before a grown-up would complain. Before you fall for a print, ask three questions: will it feel kind against the skin, will it survive the way this child actually plays, and can it cope with the wash? For babies, and for any child with eczema, asthma or allergies, those questions matter even more. Look for smooth, breathable fabrics with as few chemical finishes as possible, and always wash new fabric before you cut into it.

Natural Fibres That Earn Their Place

Cotton is the workhorse of children's sewing, and for good reason. It is breathable, absorbs moisture, takes a hot wash and softens with age. Choose the weight to suit the job: single jersey and interlock for vests, leggings and T-shirts; poplin or lawn for shirts and summer dresses; brushed cotton for pyjamas and winter nighties; needlecord and twill for trousers that will be crawled in. A cotton-rich blend of 60% or more keeps most of those benefits while adding a little stretch or crease resistance.

Linen is cool, strong and beautifully breathable in a heatwave, though it creases and can feel crisp against the skin at first. A linen-cotton blend softens the handle and is far easier to live with. Wool has a poor reputation among parents, but fine merino — around 18 to 22 microns — is soft, temperature-regulating and often machine washable, making it excellent for base layers and cardigans. If wool prickles, try a merino and cotton blend. Bamboo viscose and lyocell are wonderfully drapey and cool for summer, but they are less abrasion-resistant when damp, so save them for loose styles rather than knee-patching trousers.

Where Synthetics and Blends Help

A small percentage of elastane, usually 2 to 5%, transforms a knit. It gives jersey the recovery that keeps necklines and waistbands in shape, and it helps garments survive growth spurts without sagging. Polyester comes into its own for outerwear: waterproof shells, fleece linings, and lightweight padded jackets that dry quickly after a puddle incident.

What you want to avoid is all-polyester right next to the skin for an active child, because it holds sweat and can feel clammy. Pilling is another consideration — cheaper polyester knits bobble under the arms and between the legs within a few wears, which does nothing for hand-me-down potential. If you are sewing sportswear, look for technical polyester knits designed to wick; for everyday clothes, keep synthetics to trims, linings and outer layers.

Match the Fabric to the Age and the Activity

• Newborn to 12 months: soft interlock, cotton jersey and brushed cotton. Avoid loose threads inside, long fur-like fibres and stiff trims. Envelope necklines and poppers make dressing far easier.
• Toddlers: French terry, sweatshirting, needlecord and mid-weight twill. These stand up to crawling, climbing and repeated washing, and they feel substantial without being stiff.
• School age: denim, ripstop cotton, poplin and ponte for tunics. Choose darker colours and prints that hide felt-tip incidents and mud.
• Nightwear: In the UK, children's nightwear sold as such must meet flammability requirements. Untreated cotton can burn readily, so keep nightwear close-fitting and avoid loose, flowing nightdresses in lightweight cotton. Snug pyjamas in brushed cotton or cotton jersey are a sensible choice.

The Tests You Can Do Before You Buy

• Hold it up to the light. If you can see your hand clearly through a trouser-weight fabric, knees will wear through in weeks.
• Stretch and release. Knits should spring back into shape. If the fabric stays baggy, so will the finished garment.
• Rub the surface briskly with your thumb. A bloom of fibres means it will pill.
• Scrunch it in your fist. A fabric that feels rough or plasticky now will not improve with wear.
• Check that it has been tested for harmful substances. Reputable suppliers state this clearly on the listing or bolt end.
• Buy enough. Allow an extra 10 to 15 centimetres for shrinkage, plus a growth allowance of 1 to 2 centimetres in seams so hems can be let down.

Washing, Wearing and Making It Last

Pre-wash everything at the temperature you intend to wash the finished garment — usually 30°C or 40°C for children's clothes, with a cool tumble dry or line dry. This shrinks the fabric before you sew, not after, and it removes any dressing that might irritate skin. Test dark colours for bleeding by soaking a scrap in warm water.

Skip fabric conditioner on jersey and anything absorbent, as it coats the fibres and reduces breathability. Wash inside out with similar colours, and treat stains promptly rather than reaching for the hottest setting. Mend small holes and worn knees straight away with a patch or a few rows of stitching; children's clothes often fail at the seams long before the fabric gives up.

Finally, keep the offcuts. A scrap drawer of cotton jersey, needlecord and poplin is invaluable for patching, pocket linings and contrast cuffs — and it means the garments you make can be worn, mended and passed on rather than replaced.