If you've ever tried your hand at sewing, you've probably heard of the " right side " and " wrong side " of a fabric. In particular, the term "right side against right side" is very common. But what are the right side and wrong side of a fabric? How do you recognize them? Why is it important to define them correctly?
Why is it important to correctly determine the right side and wrong side of your fabric?
The right side and wrong side of a fabric actually correspond to its two faces (we have a "front " and a "back " , or a head side and a tail side, basically). In concrete terms, it's simply a question of aesthetics: we choose the side we like the most as the "front", and the one we like the least as the "back".
In fact, the "right side" is the part of the garment that will be visible from the outside, and the "wrong side" is the invisible part of our garment (against our skin or even invisible from the inside if hidden by a lining for example). Hence the importance of choosing it carefully.
For example, with jacquard, you simply choose the side you like best as the right side. The two sides are indeed exactly the same, but one is the negative of the other. So it's just a matter of taste!
That said, once the right side is determined, it is essential to stick to it throughout the entire process. That is, to cut all the pattern pieces on the same side of our fabric, so as not to end up with some pieces cut on the wrong side, and others on the right side.
Even on a plain fabric where it is difficult to differentiate the two with the naked eye, cutting some pieces of our work on the right side and others on the wrong side could be seen in the final appearance of the garment (because there will always be slight differences in the shine of the fabric or its color).
Although it's mostly a matter of taste and we encourage you to simply choose the side you like best as the "right side" , all fabrics originally have a distinct right side and wrong side when they are made. But how can you tell them apart?
How to determine the right side and wrong side of a fabric?
1. The obvious cases: observe the grain of the fabric
On many fabrics, it is easy to recognize the right side because the fabric has been woven / specially treated on one side only. This is the case for example with velvet (which will have the small "hairs" on the right side and not on the reverse), satin (shiny appearance), oilcloths (glossy appearance), plumetis (small embroidered polka dots - in relief on one side only), sequined fabrics etc.
2. Printed fabrics
For many printed fabrics, it's also easy to identify the right side of the fabric: it's simply the side with the print. The reverse side is not printed. The printed side is referred to as the "right side" since it's the prettiest side.
3. Plain fabrics: observe the edges of the fabric
When working with a plain fabric, it can be more difficult to determine the right and wrong sides of the fabric. You can look at which side is brighter, more colorful, etc., but this remains quite subjective and very subtle in some cases.
In this case we can refer to the edge of our fabric.
The selvedge refers to the sides of the fabric. Selvedge edges prevent the fabric from fraying along its edges. They sometimes contain small holes: these are formed by the hooks to which the fabric is attached during its manufacturing process. The hooks pierce the underside of the fabric and emerge on the right side, creating a slight relief on the right side of the fabric.
We get exactly the same thing when we pierce paper for example.
The edges of our fabric with holes in them will therefore be "smoother" on one side, and a little "rough" on the other. We therefore determine the right side of the fabric by observing and touching its edges: the right side of the fabric corresponds to the side where the edge is rougher. The wrong side of the fabric corresponds to the side where the edge is smoother.
4. The special case of mesh / jersey
By definition, knitwear is not a woven fabric, but a knitted one. On these fabrics, we recognize the right side by observing the stitches of our fabric: if we see small "V"s nested within each other to form "columns", this is our right side. On the wrong side, we don't have small Vs but rather small "waves" / small "bridges" arranged in a staggered pattern.
We're showing you some big stitches here so you can see clearly, but jersey is also part of the knit family (they're just tiny stitches). This material is often used to make t-shirts/hoodies, so you can also tell the right side from the wrong side by looking at the small "v"s and small "bridges" of your fabric if you get very close:
5. The special case of twill / gabardine
Twill fabrics are easily recognizable: long oblique lines are formed with this somewhat particular weaving method (this is, for example, the method used to make denim).
By observing the weave pattern, we can easily recognize the right and wrong sides of our fabric: Stand facing your fabric. If the diagonals point toward the bottom right corner of your fabric, you are on the right side. If the diagonals point toward the bottom left corner, you are on the wrong side.
Sewing symbols: right and wrong side of a fabric
When learning to sew, we can find these symbols to represent the right side and wrong side of a fabric:
Right side seam symbol:
Reverse stitch symbol:
These symbols are often used in fashion schools as well as in sewing books (explanations of study pieces): they help you understand the construction of your model.
Conclusion: the direction of the fabric in sewing - right side and wrong side
Now you know everything about the right and wrong sides of fabrics! This is all you need to start sewing with confidence.
If you are new to sewing, we recommend starting with small accessories to get to grips with these new concepts and get your hands dirty before tackling larger pieces.
Find our sewing kits right here : they include the sewing pattern, fabrics, and all the haberdashery (thread, buttons, zippers, etc.) needed to make your model. You can of course order our patterns alone if you wish to sew our models with your own fabrics. All our models come with ultra-detailed assembly instructions suitable for beginners, as well as a tutorial video explaining each step of the production process step by step.
If you have any questions, please let us know in the comments, we will be happy to answer you.
