Fabrics for sewing: Cotton

Hello dressmakers!

Since the start of Wear Lemonade patterns, many of you have been writing to me, expressing your doubts, asking for tips... And one question comes up quite often: what fabric should I choose for my pattern? I think it's time to start a new section in our sewing category, dedicated solely to fabrics. And to start with, a staple: cotton!

What is cotton? It's a vegetable fiber derived from a plant (the cotton plant), so we won't tell you too much here. The advantage of this fiber is that it's easy to work with, withstands friction and boiling water, and is hypoallergenic. Which makes it ideal for everyone, from babies to adults. 

How do you recognize it? It burns "smokelessly", leaving a grayish border and an unpleasant odor. 

How do you use it? Cotton can be used for everything, and that's its advantage! From small children's garments to men's shirts and evening gowns. Because it's a natural fiber, it can be dyed over and over again. What's more, cotton is sometimes blended with other fibers, broadening its range of uses: cotton/silk, cotton/linen, cotton/wool, cotton/elastane, etc... 

Which weave to choose? Here too, it's multifunctional and can take on many different aspects. However, for summer dresses and blouses, we recommend poplin and voile, which are fine weaves, while voile is more transparent. For a more structured look, don't hesitate to turn to canvas, which has a slightly thicker weight and often more hold. For mid-season pants or jackets, choose twill (recognizable by its fine diagonal lines). And for those who love softness in winter, velvet (make sure it's of good quality, otherwise the "hairs" come off easily), or flannel (fabric scraped on the reverse side). And if ever you have garments that need to be very supple or a little stretchy, you can use jersey, which is not woven but knitted!

I hope these answers help, and see you soon with our next pattern, the Malia dress!

Laure

To read this post in English, click here!