examples of cotton fabrics

Cotton fabric types

This A-Z guide to cotton fabrics – from clothes-press – covers fabric properties, main uses in sewing and washing care instructions.

Cotton fabrics are a great choice for dressmaking. They are widely available and come in a huge range of textures – from lightweight lawn and voile to heavy-weight velvets and moleskin. They are generally easy to sew, durable and easy to wash. There is a quite a wide range in quality and price. Cotton has a tendency to shrink so you’ll need to pre-wash your fabric before you start sewing.

Main types of cotton fabrics

  • Broderie Anglaise – also called eyelet. Plain-weave material with shaped, embroidered holes (called eyelets) punched in it. Can be either cotton or a cotton-synthetic mix. Used mostly for dresses, tops, skirts and nightwear. Care: 60°C machine wash and warm iron on wrong side.
  • Brushed cotton – also sometimes called flannel or flannelette. This cotton fabric is generally medium-weight and has surface fibres that are brushed on one side giving a soft, warm feel. It can be either plain, striped, checked or printed and is mostly used for casual shirts, warm linings and children’s clothes. Wincyette is a lightweight flannelette which is sometimes used to make nightwear. Care: 60-95°C machine wash and hot iron on wrong side.
  • Calico – inexpensive, coarse, plain-weave light- to medium-weight cotton fabric. Often used to make slopers, toiles or test garments though, to be honest, any cheap fabric will do for this really. Care: 60-95°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Cambric – a plain-weave cotton fabric which is fine, smooth and firm-textured as it’s closely woven. Often used for blouses and children’s clothes. Care: 60°C machine wash and warm iron, pressing while damp.
  • Canvas – this is a medium- to heavy-weight, plain-weave cotton fabric that’s extremely strong, sturdy and durable. As well as its traditional use for sails, the lighter-weight versions can be used to make smocks, tunics, skirts and bags. Care: 40°C machine wash and hot iron, pressing while damp.
  • Chambray – a light- to medium-weight plain-weave cotton fabric which has a subtle variation in colour between the warp and weft threads. Generally comes in blues, greys and blacks but you do get other colours. It’s easy to sew and wears well. Often used for shirts and tops, dresses and children’s clothes. Care: 60°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Cheesecloth – soft, loosely-woven cotton fabric with a plain-weave, rough finish and crinkled texture. Used mainly for casual blouses, shirts and skirts. Care: hand wash and warm iron.
  • Chino – also called drill. Strong and durable medium-weight cotton fabric with a twill weave. The fabric has a slight sheen and is frequently dyed beige, navy or black. Often used to make trousers, uniforms and work clothes.  Care: 95°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Chintz – closely-woven, hardwearing, plain-weave cotton fabric with a glazed (so slightly shiny) finish. It’s often printed with bright floral patterns. It’s mainly used for soft furnishings but you could use it to make a dress. Care: dry clean and warm iron on wrong side.
  • Corduroy – also called cord, baby cord, and needlecord. This hardwearing, medium- to heavy-weight cotton fabric has lengthways ribs that brush smoothly one way giving one side of the material a textured, ribbed surface – like a kind of ridged velvet. The ribs are called cords and the number of cords per inch is the wale. Corduroy fabric commonly varies from 4-wale (wide wale) to 21-wale (fine needlecord). The standard wale is about 10-12 cords per inch. Corduroy and needlecord can be printed or plain, and are often used for making trousers, dresses, tunics, skirts, shirts and children’s clothes. Care: gentle 40°C machine wash and warm-hot iron on wrong side.
  • Cotton velvet – a medium-weight woven fabric with a silky pile or nap on the right side. The pile brushes smoothly one way and creates a soft, luxurious feel. Velvet tends to be expensive and is often used for evening wear. Care: dry clean. Warm iron on wrong side with a pressing cloth and using steam only to revive pile.
  • Crinkle cotton – also called crêpon. As the name suggests, this cotton has an intentionally creased texture. It’s sometimes pure cotton and sometimes a cotton-synthetic mix. It’s used mostly for casual shirts, blouses, skirts and dresses. Care: 60°C machine wash. Either twist then leave to dry without ironing, or press on wrong side using a cloth with a warm iron.
  • Damask – this is a double-sided, medium- to heavy-weight cotton fabric which uses a satin weave against a plain background to create patterns (often floral) woven into the fabric. The fabric is slightly shiny from the satin weave and is often used for posh jackets and waistcoats as well as tablecloths and home furnishings. Care: hand wash or dry clean. Iron with warm iron using a pressing cloth.
  • Denim – very strong, robust, heavy-weight cotton fabric that is densely woven using a twill weave. Colour-wise it tends to have white weft threads and blue or black warp threads, though you do get other colours. It’s used to make casual clothes such as jeans, skirts, jackets, shirts and work clothes. Care: 40°C machine wash and hot iron, pressing while damp.
  • Dotted Swiss – also called Swiss dot and dobby cotton. This is a lightweight, sheer (semi-transparent) cotton fabric with small textured dots woven in. Its uses include summer blouses, dresses, nightwear and children’s clothes. Care: 40°C machine wash and warm iron on wrong side.
  • Gingham – lightweight, plain-weave cotton fabric with woven checks, normally one colour and white. It’s hardwearing and often used for children’s clothes and table linen. Can be pure cotton or a cotton-polyester blend. Care: 60°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Jersey (or knit) – cotton jersey is the stretchy fabric widely used for t-shirts and tops, dresses and sportswear. It’s generally light- to medium-weight and the quality is quite variable. A good quality jersey has fine knit stitches, drapes well and is crease resistant. For sewing, you’ll need to use a ball-point needle on your sewing machine and a stretch or zig-zag stitch. Care: 40°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Lawn – lightweight, plain-weave cotton fabric that has a crisp, smooth feel. It can be quite sheer but is reasonably strong due to the fine weave. Often used for blouses, children’s clothes and sometimes underwear. Care: gentle 40°C machine wash and warm iron.
  • Linen-cotton mix – soft, light- to medium-weight fabric which is often a 50-50 mix of cotton and linen. It keeps the feel of linen but is a bit more robust and creases less. Watch out as you can sometimes get scratchy fabrics – get a sample first if possible if you’re ordering online. Often used for skirts, dresses, tunics, aprons, shirts and jackets. Care: gentle 40°C machine wash. Hot iron on wrong side while damp.
  • Madras cotton – lightweight, plain-weave fabric which is woven in different colours to form checks or patterns. Sometimes it’s woven on handlooms. It creases easily and is generally used for casual clothes. Care: hand wash and hot iron.
  • Moleskin – this is a medium- to heavy-weight, firm cotton fabric. One side of the material has a fine nap which creates a soft, brushed feel to the surface. It’s often used for skirts, trousers, shirts, coats and jackets. Care: 40°C machine wash and warm iron on wrong side.
  • Muslin – this unbleached plain-weave cotton fabric is quite soft and lightweight as it’s got quite a loose or open weave. As well as being used as an interlining in tailoring, it’s sometimes used for sewing test garments and is also what you use to strain fruit juices for jelly and wine-making. Care: 40°C machine wash and cool iron.
  • Polycotton – this is a blend of polyester and cotton, sometimes 50-50 and but often 65% cotton and 35% polyester. Generally it’s a lightweight plain-weave fabric which is very durable and crease-resistant. The downside is that it’s less breathable than cotton so can be sweaty if worn next to the skin. Uses include aprons, children’s clothes and non-iron shirts and skirts. Care: 40°C machine wash and warm iron.
  • Poplin – also called cotton broadcloth. Medium-weight, tightly-woven, plain-weave cotton fabric which is easy to sew. It’s very versatile and is often used for shirts, blouses and dresses. Can be pure cotton or blended with polyester. Care: 60°C machine wash and warm iron using a pressing cloth.
  • Quilting cottons – also called patchwork, printed or craft cottons. These are light- to medium-weight plain-weave cottons which have are reasonably closely woven – there’s a huge variety of printed fabrics available. They’re often used for tops, aprons, tunics, skirts and dresses. Care: 40°C machine wash and warm iron.
  • Sateen – also called satin. A medium-weight, satin-weave cotton fabric which has a soft, smooth texture and sheen. Mainly used for dresses and skirts. Care: 30°C machine wash and warm iron on wrong side.
  • Seersucker – this lightweight fabric is woven with alternating stripes of flat fabric and puckered fabric. It’s often checked or striped but you do get plain versions too. It’s sometimes used for tablecloths and for casual shirts, suits, trousers and children’s clothes. Care: 60°C machine wash and doesn’t usually need ironing.
  • Shirting cottons – these are lightweight, crisp cotton fabrics with woven-in stripes or checks. A variety of weaves are used and shirting fabrics include poplin, twill, herringbone, Oxford and broadcloth. Not surprisingly, they are mainly used for shirts but are also made into nightwear and boxer shorts. Care: 40°C machine wash and warm iron.
  • Silk-cotton mix – a soft, lightweight fabric which has a cotton weave combined with the lustre and drape of silk. It’s generally used to make blouses and dresses. Care: gentle 40°C machine wash, hand wash or dry clean, warm iron on wrong side.
  • Ticking – a medium-weight, strong, twill-weave cotton material which has woven-in stripes, usually dark blue or red on a cream background. Ticking can either be cotton or a cotton-synthetic blend. It’s not used all that much in dressmaking – its main uses are for mattress covers and in upholstery – but can be used for aprons and bags. Care: 95°C machine wash and hot iron, ironing on wrong side while damp using a pressing cloth.
  • Towelling – the uncut loops on the surface of this cotton fabric mean that it is very absorbent. It’s used mainly for towels, bathrobes and beach cover-ups. Care: 60-95°C machine wash and hot iron.
  • Voile – a very lightweight, plain-weave cotton fabric which is partly see-through. It’s soft so drapes and gathers well. Voile can be either plain or printed, and is generally used for blouses, dresses and children’s clothes. You’ll need to make any seams and darts as neat as possible as they generally show through to the right side. French seams are often used for sheer fabrics. Care: gentle 40°C machine wash and cool iron.

Note on washing instructions

I’ve included general care instructions for each fabric but please check any information that comes with the fabric you’re buying. Alternatively, test a sample to check that the general recommendations given here are right for your specific fabric. The temperatures given are the maximum suggested for each fabric – obviously you can do lower temperature washes if you prefer. Fabrics made from natural fibres can shrink quite a bit (sometimes 10%) when you first wash them, so do make sure you buy enough fabric to allow for this and pre-wash it before sewing.

Where to find more detailed information on fabric types

Online resources

  • Google images – I find this is the best place to get a quick idea of what any of the fabrics look like

Books for more in-depth information

  • The Sewing Book – of all the general sewing books I’ve read, I think this one has the best guide to fabric with excellent photos

Read more on clothes-press

{ 23 comments… read them below or add one }

David January 7, 2019 at 7:09 pm

This is an excellent article. I have never known More than 30 types of cotton fabric available. Also, It will help me to pick the best cotton fabric for my next project.

Reply

Diane March 27, 2019 at 9:54 pm

Hi. What is the most lightweight cotton available, that is also easy to sew? I am sewing produce bags, but don’t want to have to pay more for my produce because of the weight of the fabric. I am presently using organza and tulle but find the tulle hard to sew. Thankyou.

Reply

Stephanie June 28, 2019 at 5:14 pm

I’d suggest either cotton lawn or poplin – they’re both very lightweight but easy to sew as they’re not too slippery. Voile is another alternative but probably not hardwearing enough for produce bags.

Reply

CE April 9, 2020 at 5:40 pm

Hi- what is the tightest weave cotton? I’m making masks and it says to get the toughest weave cotton. Thank you

Reply

Stephanie June 7, 2020 at 10:51 am

Poplin is very tightly woven so I’d probably go for that.

Reply

Sushama Khulape June 14, 2020 at 5:34 pm

Hi,

What is the best suitable soft cotton light weight cotton material for kids and ladies night suit front open collar style mostly China and Japanese people have these kind of soft cotton fabric

Can you please help with the name of that cotton fabric

Thanks in advance

Reply

Stephanie July 19, 2020 at 3:49 pm

Hi Sushama,

I think that it’s maybe just a plain-weave cotton fabric that you’re looking for – they are just called lightweight cottons. There’s lots of similar fabrics that could be used for nightwear, but cotton poplin and lightweight shirting fabrics are crisp rather than soft, lawn and voile are very, very lightweight and quilting/craft cottons are probably a bit heavy. Sorry… I know the kind of fabric you mean but if it’s got a specific name, I don’t know what it is!

Steph

Reply

Bishra August 20, 2020 at 10:33 am

Hi, thanks for your great post. Would you please tell the most frequently used cotton fabrics in the Indian Subcontinent?
Thanks again for your informative post.

Reply

Stephanie September 20, 2020 at 11:20 am

Sorry, I live in the UK and don’t know enough about the Indian Subcontinent to answer your question. Hope you can manage to find the information you’re looking for somewhere else.

Reply

Pat August 26, 2020 at 1:53 pm

What would be a good fabric to make a lining for a laundry bin/basket?

Reply

Stephanie September 20, 2020 at 11:10 am

Hi Pat,

I’d probably go for a medium-weight, plain-weave cotton fabric like a quilting or craft cotton. You could perhaps also use a polycotton or a calico as well.

Steph

Reply

Karim September 4, 2020 at 11:38 pm

Hi There, thank you for the great content !

As a team, we are planning to launch a T-shirt line and we are in the process of choosing the fabric. Would you mind sharing your expertise on the type of Fabric to go for if we are looking to provide a high end product being Comfortable,Breathable, Stretchy, and strong enough to withstand the heat and detergent?

Thanks again :)
Karim

Reply

Stephanie September 20, 2020 at 11:34 am

Hi Karim,

It sounds like a good quality cotton jersey/knit fabric is what you’re looking for. Most t-shirts are made from a light- to medium-weight single-knit jersey, often pure cotton put sometimes a cotton-synthetic mix. If you wanted a heavier fabric, you could look at double knit (or interlock) jersey fabrics. In the UK, Vend Fabrics manufacture single and interlock cotton jersey… I’d suggest ordering some swatches from them.

Steph

Reply

el October 5, 2020 at 2:07 pm

hello Karin – I’ve been asked to make some costumes, mostly tunics in a simple medieval style. I need to be able to use fabric paint for fairly intricate designs on sleeves, hems etc. Linen is too expensive. Any suggestions, please? El

Reply

Stephanie October 10, 2020 at 6:06 pm

Hi El, I think a cotton with a fairly tight weave would be suitable for painting the designs on and would be a good, cheaper substitute for linen. Maybe something like poplin or cotton sheeting fabric? Quilting or craft cottons might also be suitable if you’re looking for something that is slightly heavier in weight though they are possibly a bit coarsely woven if you need to paint intricate designs. All the best, Steph

Reply

Jackie November 20, 2020 at 3:32 pm

Hi – I am glad to have stumbled on this great page through Google. I am trying to identify the type of cotton on a vintage blouse that was my mom’s, probably from the ’50s or ’60s. It is textured with parallel lines very closely and evenly spaced. Many thanks, Jackie.

Reply

Andrew December 8, 2020 at 6:28 pm

Good afternoon, Stephanie!

Thank you for this wonderful article.
You have already been asked to comment on the high quality fabric for the T-shirts. We know what we want it’s – 100% airlume combed and ring-spun organic heavyweight cotton.

But we don’t know what this fabric is called and where you can find it.

If you share your thoughts on this – it will be great!

Thank you, and have a nice day!

Reply

Robert Jameson February 15, 2021 at 9:38 pm

So many cotton types? I learn something new from you, Thank you!

Reply

Mandeep Kapoor February 28, 2021 at 7:38 pm

What is the best luxury cotton for pyjamas? Durable and long life

Reply

Frances March 26, 2021 at 7:29 pm

Hello, I have been looking for a very light weight cotton to make miniture doll clothes ,
what would be the best one ?thank you fran

Reply

Gelsomina April 20, 2021 at 3:10 am

There is also a famous, rare form of Egyptian cotton called Giza 45 that is specially used for some of the world s finest shirting fabrics notably Thomas Mason Goldline fabrics. This is a highly acclaimed form of cotton found in a particular portion of the Nile Delta, that can be woven to produce incredibly fine yet strong yarns. Fabric made from Giza 45 cotton tends not to degrade over time as much as other Egyptian or American Pima cottons.

Reply

Hazel Cooper August 18, 2021 at 4:49 pm

Hi,

I am elderly and not able to go out and buy, so I get my sewing needs on the internet. I am limited to funds, and living in France postage is expensive. I like to sew bags and search endlessly for firm thickish cotton material. I go by GSM in choosing, I would be so grateful to find an outlet which stocks this, at reasonable cost and postage. Many thanks,

Hazel

Reply

Dorothy September 25, 2021 at 2:30 am

Hi I am not over familiar with fabrics but what soft cotton is best for a summer skirt as the skirt needs to fall into place

Reply

Leave a Comment