Title: Why and How Should One Create a Fabric Samples Catalogue (AKA A Fabric Swatch Book)

A fabric swatch book is a diary or a journal where fashion professionals log different types of fabrics they have used, bought, or are researching for a project. They can write the details and make notes about these fabrics for future needs. In this article, everything about the fabric swatch book or fabric sample books and how & why they should be maintained is explained in detail. A swatch of fabric is a small piece of fabric from online fabric shops, wholesalers, or pieces of fabric that designers have at home. Fashion professionals can create a swatch book by pasting or pinning the swatch fabrics in the book for future purposes. 

Need of a Fabric Swatch Book: 

The first question that comes to mind is why people need a fabric swatch book? Not many people feel the need to have a fabric swatch book, but it comes in handy at times when they need to revisit the patterns and material of the fabric. A fabric swatch book is especially essential for those new to sewing because there are so many different types of fabrics, different styles and patterns can be confusing for them. 

What’s more, even a small change can create a different look altogether because the purpose of every fabric is different. Not every fabric works for the same cut, design, and occasion, and it can also vary based on their sewing style. So, having a fabric swatch book can help new designers compare the fabrics and choose the right fabric for them to design or work. It can also help them find fabrics that complement each other in designs, textures, and colors. They can also use the fabric swatch book to compare different fabrics. 

How to obtain fabric swatches from the stores?

There are many wholesales and online shops to source fabric samples for designs and projects. Fashinza is one such online destination. When ordering free samples online, the buyer is only required to pay a minimal fee for shipping. At Fashinza, professionals can order free fabric samples in their city. If they are planning to purchase the material from a local shop or wholesalers, visit their shot at off timings when no one is around so they can show them the different swatch pieces for their project or design.  

Why create a fabric swatch book?

Fashion designers and professionals can create a swatch book for various reasons. The benefits of creating a swatch book are as follows: 

It is easy to go through all their collections at once.

It is also easy to choose the best fabric for the design or project they are working on. 

It helps them shop faster when they are shopping for new fabrics online. 

Designers can use the swatch book to compare the different fabrics on the spot. 

It can also help them identify how many yards or meters are left of a specified fabric. 

They can also log if they have pre-washed any fabrics. 

If they have multiple boxes or locations where they put their fabric, it is easy to track them down if they have a swatch book. 

Professionals can include some key details while creating a swatch book to make it look more aesthetic and informative. The details that they should include are as follows:

• Write down the name of the fabric. 
• Fabric breakdown and content are also essential. Write down how much cotton and polyester is in the fabric, like 100% cotton, etc. They can also ask the distributor to give more details about the fabric that they write down in their swatch book. 
• They can also write about the place where they purchased the fabric from. It is not an essential point but might be helpful in case they need a similar fabric in the future. 
• Also, write the care instructions, like how to wash the fabric, dry clean, or temperature, etc. It will help to make the fabric last for a longer time. 
• They can also add a piece of fabric or the result of the design to make the book look more aesthetic and helpful. Again, it is not essential but fun to include. 
• They can also write more about the fabric in detail, like if the fabric stretches, if yes, how much? How big is the pattern? Is it a non-directional or directional pattern? 
• Other things include the price of the fabric, weight of the fabric, how much fabric they have or how much is left, the name of the designer, etc. 

How to organize the fabric swatches? 

Fashion industry professionals can organize the fabric swatches as per their style and preference. Some good ways to organize a fabric swatch book are by:

• Color 
• Pattern 
• Fiber content 
• Shop 
• Type of the fabric 

How to create a Fabric Swatch Book? 

It is very easy to create a fabric swatch book. Pins, paperclips, double-sided tape, and staples can be used to attach the swatches on the paper, and the fabric descriptions can be right next to them. Making a page layout will make the page look more organized. 

The steps to create a fabric swatch book are as follows:

1. First, create a base. Moleskin diaries are usually used for fabric sample books, but the base can be chosen per their requirements and preferences. Alternatively, keep a diary or a folder to keep track of all fabrics used and the type of fabric. Some people also create small pieces of cards and create a notebook to attach the fabrics. 
2. Once designers decide the type of swatch book they want to create, make a note of all the information they want to include on the page about the fabric. They can write whatever they want about the fabric as per their needs and interests. Also, write the things that they want to remember in the future. 
3. They can make designs, pin the swatches, create some art on the page to make it look more aesthetic. They can also hold the swatches using a stapler as it is easier to use and will hold for longer. It can make the book a little thicker, but it will work better in the long term as the swatches will not come off.  
4. They can also decorate their book as they like, with the colors they prefer, and write the instructions or information in colorful pens if they like. If they want to highlight some important information, they can highlight it in red or other colors as per their preferences and taste. 

A fabric swatch book is a good way to keep track of all the fabric that they are using or would want to use in the future. It helps them with the details of the different fabrics that they are using. Creating a fabric sample book is one of the best ways for beginners to identify the various fabrics, patterns, and care. Fabric swatch book also helps them compare different types of fabrics and designs. It further helps them match the palette of the different shades and designs that go well together. They can order the free sample fabrics using Fashinza.  Fashinza is the one-stop destination where fashion professionals and students can find a plethora of fabric samples for free where they can try and place orders. It has more than 700 manufacturers that supply fabrics and more than 400 brands. They can find the type of fabrics that they are required to design or work, as per their preferences and requirements. They can order the samples and create a swatch book. It has a wide variety for all their different types of fabric needs. For more details, they can check the website of Fashinza here.