The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 4 letter word LAWN
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
L
A
W
N
More clues leading to the result LAWN
- Grass in Cornwall bending backwards
- Fine fabric that one may cut in strips?
- Regulation applied to new part of garden
- Fabric which is green and needs cutting
- Rule applied to new part of garden
- Legislation has finally taken what should be green
- Grass as a rule needing nitrogen
- Fabric lining small awnings?
- Green area, red and green ultimately
- Flaw noticed somewhat in garden feature
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "Fabric" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case fabric = lawn.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does LAWN mean?
LAWN noun- An open space between woods.
- Ground (generally in front of or around a house) covered with grass kept closely mown.
- An overgrown agar culture, such that no separation between single colonies exists.
- A type of thin linen or cotton.
- (in the plural) Pieces of this fabric, especially as used for the sleeves of a bishop.
- A piece of clothing made from lawn.