Woven fabric is made by interlacing lengthwise warp yarns with crosswise weft yarns. This grid usually makes a woven more stable along its grain than a knit fabric, although fibre, weave, weight, and finishing can produce very different behaviour.
Warp, weft, and selvage
The warp normally runs parallel to the selvages, in the manufacturing direction; the weft crosses it. At approximately 45 degrees lies the bias, where even a non-stretch woven can drape and yield substantially. Dressmakers use this property for bias tape and bias-cut garments.
Weave is not fibre
Plain, twill, and satin describe interlacing structures. Cotton, linen, wool, viscose, and polyester identify fibres. Cotton jersey is therefore a knit, while viscose crepe may be woven. Fibre, weave, weight, and finish must be considered together when predicting drape, durability, and sewing behaviour.
Cutting and construction
During cutting, align a pattern’s grainline with the selvage and check whether the cloth has been distorted off grain. Many wovens fray at cut edges and require a seam finish appropriate to the fabric and use.
Needle point and size should suit density and weight. A fine, tightly woven fabric behaves differently from loose linen or heavy denim. Seam allowance, stitch length, and pressing temperature should therefore be chosen for the actual cloth, not for the broad category “woven” alone.