As the fabric addicts we are, we love trying and experimenting with new materials. These special fabrics often have an unusual appearance and distinctive characteristics, while still being very easy to work with under the sewing machine. But what we love most is that they allow us to create eye-catching, truly original sewing projects. We can make things we’ve never made before.
A few months ago, we published another post about Special Fabrics for Sewing and Crafts where we told you about Kraft-Tex, Decovil (which we currently don’t carry in the shop), and sewing plastics. But since then, we’ve brought in a few new options you may not have tried yet.
Curious to find out what they are? Let’s get to it!
Special Fabrics for Sewing and Crafts (II)Cork Fabric
Our latest and most fabulous addition to the pantheon of special, original fabrics. Cork fabric is simply a very thin sheet of cork bonded to a textile backing. It’s a structured fabric, but very easy to work with (you’ll be surprised when you hold it in your hands). Soft, with a very natural look and plenty of durability. It doesn’t fray and can also be machine-washed.
You can use it for bags, coin purses, covers, cases, and all kinds of accessories. You can also add a very original and fun touch to your clothes. Imagine sewing a cork pocket onto a white T-shirt, or adding a cork-fabric hem to your jeans.
You can see us working with it in the cork-fabric clutch tutorial, and if you want to see the product page, here it is. We should warn you that we only have a few units left: three, to be exact.

Here’s our gorgeous cork-fabric clutch
Gold Metallic Fabric
Although it’s not as surprising as cork fabric, we also include gold metallic fabric among our special fabrics. Because of its texture, appearance, and the fact that it’s not something we usually use. It’s fabulous paired with other fabrics or even on its own. We’ve used it for all kinds of things, from birthday crowns to cases, and the result is always even better than we expect.
It’s very easy to work with, but requires special care. It must be hand-washed, bleach should not be used, and ironing should be avoided. If you need to iron it a little, always place a cloth over it and set the temperature to the lowest setting.
Keep in mind that we don’t have many gold metallic fabric units left either: only four for the quickest!

This case is unbelievably pretty
More Special Fabrics We’ve Already Told You About
In case you missed any of these posts or had forgotten about them, you can also create amazing projects with:
- Chalkboard fabric: here’s a post with 10 ideas for making things with chalkboard fabric.
- Insulating fabric
- Burlap fabric: we have it available in natural or burgundy. We also have a post with 12 ideas for making things with burlap.
Have you tried them all yet?