Fabric guides

Last updated: October 14, 2026 · Who writes these guides

How to tell what a fabric is made of when there’s no label: with your eyes and hands, with a careful burn test, or with a photo.

• How to identify fabric: 7 ways to tell what it’s made of

  The label, the weave, the stretch, the feel, a water drop, a burn test and a photo, from quickest to most reliable.

• Fabric burn test: how to tell cotton, polyester, wool and silk apart

  How to do it safely, and a chart of how each fiber burns, smells and what it leaves behind.

• Cotton or polyester? 7 ways to tell without a label

  The water drop, the crush test, sheen, static, heat and the burn test, and why the difference matters.

• Knit vs. woven fabric: how to tell the difference

  Four quick tests, and what changes in your pattern, needle, stitch and stabilizer.

• What fabric works for sublimation? Polyester content explained

  Why it has to be polyester, how much is enough, and how to check a blank before you press.