It’s not always easy to navigate all the categories of fabric types, or even within a single family (knits, woolens, cotton fabrics...).

In this article, I suggest we talk about cotton fabrics and more specifically a type of cotton fabric I particularly like, which is cotton lawn. Indeed, cotton lawns are beautiful fabrics made from 100% high-quality cotton. They are excellent choices for many sewing projects, especially clothing. They are durable, made from natural fibers, and available on the market in a wide variety of styles and colors. The most famous are the well-known Liberty fabric. 

How to define a type of fabric?

To understand the differences between all fabrics, we need to focus on two major criteria: the weave and the composition. A third criterion is added, which is the feel; it’s essentially how the fabric behaves when we work with it and wear it.

The weave is the method of interlacing warp and weft threads. There are three main weaves: plain, twill, and satin.

In the case of cotton lawn, the weave is a plain weave; meaning the warp and weft threads cross each other in a tight grid at every thread.

The composition : while many cotton fabrics can include blends with linen, polyester, polyamide threads... to create cotton lawn, only cotton is used. 

The feel: cotton lawn, due to its tight weave, is a fluid, silky, and extremely soft-to-the-touch cotton fabric. 

Let's take a closer look...

What is a cotton lawn fabric? 

The cotton lawn is therefore a plain weave fabric made from 100% cotton

Cotton lawn is woven very tightly, with many threads which gives it a smooth, silky, and very soft feel. It is very pleasant to wear against the skin and, due to its composition, it is perfect during the hottest months.

It was first produced in the French city of Laon, from which its current name is derived. The term "lawn" in English means lawn; so if translated back it’s "lawn cotton" 😊. Cotton lawn was introduced to the UK in the 16th century, originally traditionally made from linen before switching to 100% cotton in the 20th century.

The most famous were created by Liberty of London, who made their "Tana Lawn" fabrics famous in the 1920s by using fine long-staple cotton from Africa. Their name "Tana Lawn" was given after Lake Tana located in Ethiopia.

Today, more and more brands offer cotton lawn fabrics, at c'est du joly we have decided to offer you those from the English brand Dashwood Studio, which offer original patterns in a beautiful width of 140 to 150cm and at a price slightly lower than Liberty for a quality that is quite comparable. It is also an opportunity to find fabrics that stand out and that you won’t see sold everywhere. 

Characteristics of cotton lawn

One of the features of cotton lawn is its availability in beautiful and shimmering prints that offer sewists many possibilities for creative and original designs.  

Being made of 100% cotton also gives it interesting characteristics:

• it is breathable
• it is absorbent
• it is not insulating
• it is easy to care for
• it can be sterilized
• easy to sew (not slippery) and therefore accessible to beginners

Due to its tight weave, 

• it is silky, fluid, and pleasant on the skin
• may be suitable for light drapes
• it is soft
• it wrinkles little
• it has a bit more natural elasticity than a classic poplin

Many people confuse cotton lawn with cotton voile; although they look similar, they are quite different in the thread count used. This is much higher in cotton lawn fabric. The tight weave, the number of high-quality cotton threads used, and the printing of the patterns explain the prices charged for this high-quality product. 

Uses of cotton lawn fabric?

One of the great advantages of this type of fabric is that it is accessible even for beginner sewing levels. 

Many garments can be made with cotton lawn:

• dresses,
• skirts,
• button-down shirts,
• blouses 
• ...

Of course, ease of use depends a lot on the pattern you choose, as some patterns can be more delicate (especially for large matching patterns), but in general, cotton lawn is incredibly versatile and easy to work with. 

I really like using my cotton lawn scraps to make original facings on my blouses and even on pants. It’s the chic detail that makes all the difference!

Working with cotton lawn 

As we saw earlier, cotton lawn is affordable for beginner sewing levels because it is a sturdy and non-slippery fabric.

As with most cotton fabrics, it is recommended to prewash them before cutting, as this prevents shrinkage once your sewing project is finished.

As with any fabric, choose a needle size for your project based on the weight and type of thread of the material. For cotton lawn, a standard size 80 needle is ideal; for very fine cotton lawn, you can possibly go down to a size 70. 

There you go, I hope this article has taught you a bit more about cotton lawn, this beautiful and high-quality fabric.

Feel free to visit our shop and see our lovely cotton lawn with very original patterns.

Get your needles ready!