Sewing Cotton Fabric

Learn all about sewing cotton fabric. Visions of Summer with cool dresses, short shorts and one of the easiest fabrics to sew! Sewing cotton fabric is so perfect for beginners as it is stable under your sewing machine and needs just simple techniques and tools.

Although cotton may seem like a poor relative compared with silk and satin, it is known in America as "King Cotton". It is America’s leading cash crop. That little cotton ball made up into a bale can produce 215 pairs of jeans or 249-bed sheets or 313,600 $1 bills. And that is just one bale! King Cotton, a simple sewing pattern, and some basic sewing cotton steps will give you a royal experience!

Step 1 - Preparation for sewing cotton Fabric

THE BASIC SUPPLIES - You will need scissors, cotton thread, a tape measure, pins and a basic sewing pattern. Look for simple patterns to start with if you are a beginner.
FABRIC CHOICE - Choose a fabric to fit your pattern. Start with plain colors or all-over print if you are a beginner. Choose more difficult designs and stripes as you become more experienced.
WASHING - Always pre-wash your fabric. Wash and dry as you plan to launder the fabric in the future. Make a note of any color running or bleeding. Iron with a steam iron to get all wrinkles out. Some kinds of cotton have ‘sizing’, a form of starch that will come out in the first couple of washes.

Further Reading:

Step 2 - Identifying the cotton

Before sewing cotton fabric, it is important to identify what weight and type of cotton you have purchased. There are subtle changes you will need to make for different types of cotton.

DIRECTION - Cotton is a woven fabric with a warp and a weft. The direction of the fabric and the pattern go with the direction of the threads.
THREAD COUNT - Try the scrape test on the fabric with your fingernail. If the threads separate then the fabric thread count is low and the fabric will not be very strong. The higher the thread count the softer and more durable the cotton fabric.
WEIGHTS - There are different weights of cotton from lightweight to medium and heavyweight and each weight is suitable for different articles.
COMPOSITION - Always check each label for the 100% cotton mark and look at the pattern you have chosen as most patterns recommend a fabric type. If you are not sure if your fabric is cotton, you can do a burning test to identify it correctly. Organic cotton is sewn in a similar way but is produced without the presence of harmful chemicals.
NAMING - There are different names of cotton fabrics too and they refer to different textures, prints, or even colors. Damask, gingham and ticking have specific prints Flannelette, shirting, seersucker and corduroy have different textures. Khaki is a specific color and strong cotton.

Step 3 - Cutting Cotton Fabric

LAYOUT - Always lay out your pieces to check the grain of the fabric, pattern lines, fold lines and so on to be sure that every piece you need is cut correctly. Cotton can be cut folded so each piece unless otherwise stated, is double or on the fold line.
PINNING - Pin, cut and mark according to the pattern and baste if necessary. There are different types of pins that you can purchase but cotton uses an all-purpose pin most of the time. If your fabric is marked by the pins, pin outside the seam allowance or use pattern weights or heavy tins from your pantry.
MARKING - Marking can be done using a tailor's chalk or tracing wheel.

Further Reading:

Step 4 - Sewing Cotton Fabric

SEAM TYPES - cotton lends itself to most seam types depending again on the weight of the cotton and the style of the garment. Use the French seam for the lightweight cotton and avoid bulky seams by grading.
NEEDLES - Needle sizes and stitches will vary according to the weight of your cotton so adjust your machine accordingly and always test settings on a scrap of fabric before you start. The best needle to use for the majority of cotton fabrics is a universal needle. Heavier cotton such as denim can be sewn with a denim needle or upholstery needle.
MACHINE SETTINGS -

For extra heavyweight cotton, try stitch width 3-4 and needle size 100/16 or 120/20
For heavyweight cotton, use needle size 90/14 -100/16 or denim type needles with a stitch width of 2-2.5 (Sewing denim).
Medium weight fits into the average category needle size 70/10 – 80/12 and a stitch width of 2 – 2.5.
Lightweight needs a finer needle 60/80 – 70/10 and stitch width 1.5 – 2.

Step 5 - Finishing

The easiest way to finish a seam when sewing cotton fabric is to use a serger or a zig-zag stitch. Read more about seam finishes you can do if you don't have a serger. Bias bound seams can be a good finish for really thick cotton.

Cotton hems can be finished off with a simple double-fold hem. Machine stitched or hand-stitched, it will depend on your preference and attachments on your machine. A blind hem is a great professional finish to the garment.

Sewing Cotton Fabric with Decorations

Cotton fabric is ideal for embellishing with embroidery, pintucks and ruching.

Further Reading:

Caring for Cotton Fabric

Cotton fabric is easy to wash and maintain in good condition.

Washing

All cotton fabrics should be washed prior to sewing as they are prone to shrinkage. Some darker colors may also bleed and you don't want that transferring to lighter colors once you have sewn up your item.

Cotton can be hand washed or machine washed but either way, you should use cold or warm water. Hot water will increase any shrinkage or color bleed. Use a gentle detergent designed for cotton fabric.

Drying

It is best to air dry cotton fabric either flat or on a line. To avoid color fading, hang in the shade. Tumble drying will lead to further shrinking of the fabric so is best avoided. If you must tumble dry, use low heat and take the item out while still damp.

Ironing

Cotton creases easily so usually need pressing after washing. Use medium to high heat and a water spray for stubborn creases. Take note whether your cotton fabric includes Lycra, silk or other delicate fibers as this may affect the heat you can apply.

Ironing can be minimized if you gently smooth items flat with your hands after they come out of the washer. Hang the cotton fabric up immediately to prevent the creases from reforming.

Sewing Cotton Fabric- In Conclusion

King Cotton, from dollar bills to fancy frills is an inspiration. Definitely not the poor relation! With the right preparation, identification, cutting, sewing and finishing you will be well prepared for sewing cotton fabric.

LEARN HOW TO SEW WITH MORE FABRICS

Now you know all about sewing cotton fabric, check out these other fabrics listed alphabetically.

CHIFFON - Sewing Chiffon
BATIK - What is Batik
CANVAS - Sewing Canvas
COTTON - Sewing Cotton
DENIM - Sewing Denim
FELT - Sewing Felt
FUR - Sewing Fur
KNITS - How to Sew Stretch Fabric
INTERFACING - Types of Interfacing
LACE - How to Sew Lace
LEATHER - Sewing Leather
RAYON - Sewing Rayon
SHEER - Sewing Sheer Fabrics
SILK - How to Sew Silk
THICK - Sewing Thick Fabrics
VELVET Sewing Velvet
WOOL - Sewing Wool

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Comments

Tyler Johnson

April 16, 2020 at 3:14 pm

That's good to know that the thread count would be a good way to know the quality of the fabric. I could see how if the thread count is higher, that would be a good way to choose fabrics to work with. I'll have to look for that so I can choose the best fabric possible.

Sewing Cotton Fabric - In 5 Easy Steps

Sewing Cotton Fabric