SEWING FABRICS: COTTON

Hello the sewing girls (and boys)!

Since we started the Wear Lemonade patterns, many of you are writing me everyday to share with me their doubts and ask for tips… One question is recurrent: which fabric do I have to choose for my pattern? I think it is time now to open a new section here, only dedicated to fabrics. Let’s start with an unconditional one: cotton!

What is it? It is a vegetal fiber that comes from a plant. Right now I am not teaching you anything. This fiber is easy to work with, not affected by friction or hot water and is hypoallergenic. It is the perfect fabric for everyone, from babies to adults.

How do we recognize it? It burns “free of smoke”, leaves a grey edge and has a no unpleasant smell.

What can we do with cotton? We can do everything we want with cotton: from children clothes to men shirts or even evening dresses. It is a real advantage! As the fiber is natural, it can be dyed all over again. Cotton can sometimes be mixed with other fibers in order to extend its use: cotton/silk, cotton/linen, cotton/wool, cotton/elastane, and so on…

What weaving to choose? The cotton is multifunctional and can take different aspects. For the summer season, if you want to realize dresses and blouses, we advise you poplin and voile that are thin weaving. The voile (net curtains) is a bit more transparent. If you want to have a more structured fabric, do not hesitate to find thicker voile. For pants or mid-season jackets, take twill (thin diagonal lines). For those who prefer soft fabrics for winter, you can take velvet (be careful with the quality because cheap velvet looses its hairs easily) or flannel (brushed fabric on the reverse side). If you want to obtain stretch or soft clothes, you can use jersey that is not a woven fabric but a knitted one!

I hope these answers will help you and I see you very soon for our next pattern launch, the Malia dress!

Laure

Translated by Coralie Clair
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