Wash & Care Details- Cotton Fabrics

A Little Bit About Cotton

Cotton is extremely versatile and is used for a large number of products. This includes clothing, curtains, pillows, towels, wraps, bandages and bedding. There are a number of reasons why cotton is such a popular fabric:

  • First of all the wearing comfort; a cotton fabric feels natural on your body and the durability of cotton makes it a popular material for clothing.
  • Secondly, cotton is very sturdy, making it resistant to mechanical and chemical influences from outside.
  • Furthermore, the fabric absorbs a lot of moisture. Cotton can absorb around 20% of moisture without feeling damp.
  • Finally, cotton is also breathable, so many people like a cotton duvet to sleep under. In the summer it is cooling and in the winter it doesn't get too cold.

    Pre-Washing Your Cotton

    We can not emphasize just how important it is to pre wash your fabrics. Fabrics made from natural fibres will shrink- anywhere from 5% to 10%. If you don’t wash your fabric prior to sewing, your final garment will shrink when washed and the fit may be ruined.

    To prevent this, remember to pre wash the fabric as you intend to wash the final garment. For example, if you plan on machine washing the garment, then machine wash the fabric. 
    Another reason that is often forgotten is to wash out any chemicals or excess dyes that may be present in the fabric from the manufacturing process. Our cottons are all printed with soluble, safe dyes but there’s no better feeling than a freshly washed length of fabric! After washing, your fabric is likely to be softer and easier to handle during the sewing process. Just another reason to pre-wash!

    Washing Cotton

    It can be a daunting task when you have to wash a stunning new length of fabric. You know it has to be washed but don’t want to ruin the fabric completely.
    The good news is that cotton is a relatively simple fabric to wash. If you are washing bright or dark fabrics, we recommend a cooler wash of 30° to help avoid colour fading or dye transfer. 
    For cotton fabrics like calico, a higher temperature wash is suitable- 40° or higher.
    If you aren’t sure how to wash your fabric, you can run a sample in the machine to test it before you put the entire length in. 

    Drying Cotton

    You can dry most cotton fabrics in the tumble dryer with a warm setting. A lot of modern drying machines have a gentle option which is ideal for delicate cotton fabrics. If you think your fabric is delicate and your machine does not have this setting then we recommend hang drying your fabric. 

    Ironing Cotton

    Cotton fabrics are prone to creasing easily so it’s important to iron after washing. If you have just pre-washed the fabric, ironing will help make the sewing process less fiddly- it will be easier to line the seams.
    It is best to iron cotton items while they are still slightly damp or alternatively use the steam setting on your iron. If you iron your cotton as soon as it has been removed from the machine, you can prevent stubborn creases from forming in the fabric.
    Make sure the items are dry/aired before folding and putting away.

    Summary

    • Always pre-wash your fabric as you intend to wash the finished garment.
    • Bright & Bold = 30° , Plain & Sturdy= 40°
    • Not sure what temperature to wash at? Wash a sample piece.
    • Dry & iron prior to sewing.