Fearless Sewing: Embrace the Magic of Cotton Lawn Fabric!
Cotton fabrics have always been, and always will be, an excellent choice for dressmaking projects as they are durable, natural fabrics. They are widely available across the market and come in a variety of styles and textures, including plains and printed cotton fabric. Here at Yandles Arts and Crafts, we stock a wide range of high-quality, affordable cotton fabrics for our customers. With so many different designs to choose from, we have decided to highlight one of our personal favourite styles of natural cotton - cotton lawn fabric.
What Is Cotton Lawn Fabric? A plain weave textile made from cotton, cotton lawn fabric has become very popular in recent years. It is usually a very sheer and opaque cloth with a smooth look, perfect in the warmer months.
Uses Of Cotton Lawn Fabric?
One of the great things about this material is the fact that you don't need to be an expert to make a nice piece of clothing with it, as this lighter weight shirting can be used for button-down shirts, blouses, and all kinds of lined dresses and skirts. Of course, the ease of use depends very much on the pattern you have chosen as some patterns can be trickier, but in general, cotton lawn fabric is incredibly versatile and easy to work with.
As we have already mentioned, cotton lawn fabric is a very lightweight and sheer fabric, so the result is a subtle drape that is a great match for warm weather garments and linings. From shirts and blouses to dresses, nightdresses, and even children's wear, there are so many different uses for this fabric. As well as dressmaking, cotton lawn can even be used for furnishing projects such as sheer curtains as an alternative to lace curtains.
When you're working with cotton lawn, there's no need to feel intimidated. It's a sturdy and reliable fabric, making it a great choice for beginners in sewing.
Like most cotton fabrics, it's advisable to pre-wash cotton lawn before cutting it. This step prevents any potential shrinkage after completing your design, which could affect the sizing of your garment. For pre-washing, machine wash the fabric in cold water and tumble dry it on the low setting.
If you find the lightweight nature of the fabric a bit challenging to handle, here's a helpful tip: use spray starch to give it a crisper feel and make it easier to work with. Additionally, make sure to use a fresh rotary blade when cutting to avoid any snags. Depending on the fineness of the cotton lawn, you can also opt for finer pins to keep everything in place as you work.
Just like with any fabric, choose the appropriate needle size for your project based on the weight and type of thread you'll be using. In the case of cotton lawn, which is a very lightweight fabric in the mid-range, it's recommended to use a smaller universal needle.-
Posted by Lucy Webb
24th May 2023
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