12 Types of Cotton Fabric: A Complete Guide for Sewists

Cotton fabrics are some of the most versatile options for garment sewing, but choosing the wrong type can completely ruin your project. I've been sewing with cotton for decades and have learned from plenty of mistakes which types work best for different garments. After watching this video, you'll confidently select the perfect cotton fabric for any project, avoiding those disappointing results that waste your time and money. Wall and lawn are some of my absolute favorites to sew with. These soft, smooth, and fine cotton wovens offer beautiful drape while still maintaining enough structure for details. Lawn has a slightly crisper hand than wall, while wall tends to be a bit more sheer. Batiste is another similar fabric you might encounter, which falls somewhere between the two in terms of weight and opacity. These fabrics are incredibly versatile, and they work beautifully for light blouses, dresses, even pajamas. Keep in mind that wall can be quite sheer and may need a lining depending on your project. I recently made this sage blouse in Liberty Tonna Lawn, and it's one of my favorite makes of the year. Liberty fabrics do cost a bit more, but the quality is remarkable. They feel like silk, but they have cotton's practicality. What makes these fabrics special is their perfect balance of drape and body. They're substantial enough to hold shape in details like collars and cuffs. They're fluid enough for beautiful gathers and drape. They're also a dream to press. Creases stay crisp where you want them, without excessive wrinkling when they're worn. When working with these delicate fabrics, I recommend using a fine needle size 7010 to prevent any damage to the weave. French seams work beautifully with both wall and lawn, creating a clean finish without adding too much bulk. The fern top is perfect for these fabrics. The gathered neckline and raglan sleeves show off the beautiful drape of lawn and wall. The sage top, with its princess seams, also benefits from these fabrics' structure and pressability. If you've ever walked into a fabric store, you've probably been drawn to the quilting cotton section with its endless colors and prints. The variety is incredibly tempting. When I first started sewing as a teenager, I was irresistibly drawn to the quilting cotton. I kept using them to make dresses, but I couldn't quite figure out why my finished projects looked a little bit off. So here's the truth. Quilting cotton isn't really designed for garment sewing. That doesn't mean you can't use it. It's just that you need to choose your projects wisely. Quilting cottons typically use shorter cotton fibers, making them more durable but less fluid. They have a stiffer hand, and they don't drape as nicely as fabrics that are designed specifically for apparel. Remember that Sloan dress I made just last year? I fell in love with the print, but when finished, I thought the dress looked more like a pillowcase than a garment. The fabric simply didn't have the drape needed for the design. And let's be honest, as pretty as the print was, it did look like it belonged on a pillowcase. Live and learn. If you do want to use quilting cotton for garments, and those prints can be hard to resist, look for patterns with more structure that don't rely on drape. Crisp A-line skirts, structured tops, and pajamas are all great choices. The leaf pajamas are perfect for quilting cotton. Pajamas should be comfortable and easy to wear, but they don't require that much drape. The basal quilted jacket also works wonderfully with quilting cotton as the outer fabric, since quilting adds structure and changes how the fabric behaves. If you're determined to use quilting cotton for clothing, try washing and drying it several times before cutting your pattern. This pre-treatment can soften the fabric somewhat, giving it slightly better drape. But be aware, it will never be as soft as those walls or lawns that we talked about before. And by the way, if you're wondering where to shop for these fabrics, we have a whole list of indie fabric stores that we partner with to offer discounts to Seamwork members. These are our absolute favorite stores to shop, so be sure to click the link below if you want to see them all in one place, and discover the discounts you could get as a member. Now poplin. Poplin is a plain weave fabric with a tight weave that gives it unmistakable crispness. In poplin, the horizontal yarns are thicker than the vertical ones, creating a subtle ribbed texture. When working with poplin, I imagine sewing with paper. It's thin and light, but it's very crisp. This mental image helps me visualize whether a pattern will work with the fabric. Poplin holds pleats and structured details beautifully, but it's also thin and crisp, so every fold shows. It's lightweight, but durable, and resists wrinkles better than many other cotton fabrics, making it practical for everyday wear. It's particularly good for button-up shirts, structured dresses, and full skirts that need to hold their shape. One tip for sewing with poplin. Because it's so crisp, it can show pin marks more than softer fabrics. I recommend using fine pins and placing them within the seam allowance whenever possible. The romy top with its peter pan collar benefits from poplin's crispness, giving a polished, tailored look. The Chantel shirt dress, which I'm wearing, is another great option. Poplin provides the perfect structure for the dart shaping and collar, while being comfortable for all-day wear. I really like the way poplin can give a crisp look to a pattern that might look totally different in a drapey fabric like rayon. When fabric is labeled shirting, you're looking at a category that varies widely in quality. The best shirting fabrics are soft, they drape well, and they use long, stable cotton fibers. High quality shirting has a beautiful hand and a subtle sheen to it. It's designed specifically for button-up shirts, with enough structure to hold collars and cuffs crisp, or remaining comfortable and having better drape than poplin. Flat-fill seams, the traditional finish on classic shirts, work really beautifully with shirting fabric. If you're investing in good shirting, take time to master this technique. It creates a clean, professional finish worth the extra effort. You might also encounter oxford cloth, which has a basket weave structure, creating a slightly textured appearance. Oxford is more casual and rugged than fine shirting, perfect for everyday wear. When working with shirting, always pre-wash as it often has sizing that gives it a crisper feel in the store than it's going to have after washing. This helps you accurately judge how the final garment will look and how it'll feel. For shirting, consider the SAM top, which is designed specifically for these fabrics. Its collarless design and pleated sleeves showcase the fabric's drape while maintaining structure. The ROAN tunic is an oversized button-down that works beautifully in shirting, the loose fit that allows the fabric to move and breathe. I absolutely love eyelet cotton. This fabric features small embroidered holes that create beautiful texture and visual interest, or as I like to say, a little pizazz. Eyelet often comes with a scalloped or embroidered border that can be strategically placed along hems, cuffs, or necklines. Planning your cutting layout to take advantage of these borders can elevate a simple design to something really special. Since eyelet is light and often somewhat sheer, it's best for projects where sheerness is either an advantage or can be easily lined. I recently made the baker dress with a combination of plain linen and eyelet cotton, placing the eyelet along the front yoke to create some detail. When cutting eyelet, pay attention to the direction of the pattern. Unlike some fabrics where you can flip pattern pieces, eyelet usually has a definite up and down to the design that needs to be consistent throughout your garment. I particularly love eyelet for gathered or tiered skirts because it's easy to place those beautiful scalloped edges along the hem. The weight of eyelet also gives lovely volume to gathered designs. The Leanne Empire Waist Dress is perfect for eyelet, especially the member bonus ruffle version where you can showcase those scalloped edges. The lined bodice solves the transparency issue, while the gathered skirt shows off the fabric's texture really beautifully. The baker dress works beautifully with eyelet as well, especially when you use it for the yoke as I did in my version. Denim is one of my all-time favorite fabrics to sew. It's incredibly versatile, goes with everything, and it has a timeless appeal that just never goes out of style. Denim is made of cotton, sometimes blended with spandex for stretch, in a heavy twill weave. You'll notice diagonal ribs on the fabric. That's the twill weave, which makes the fabric durable while giving a slight natural give. When sewing with denim, use a needle specifically designed for it. These heavier-duty needles can penetrate the thick fabric without breaking. You might also want top-stitching thread if you're going for that classic jeans lift with visible stitching. One of my favorite tools for denim is a clapper, a smooth block of wood that helps press seams flat. Denim can be quite bulky, and seam intersections become unwieldy if not properly pressed. The weight of the clapper helps create crisp, flat seams even in thick fabric. For really thick denim seams, try the hammer method, literally hammering the seam with a rubber mallet to flatten those bulky areas before sewing over them. This little trick has saved my machine from struggling through impossibly thick intersections. While jeans are the obvious choice for denim projects, don't limit yourself. The ULA Shift Dress in a lightweight denim creates a professional but comfortable dress that transitions well from office to casual wear. The Leonora Skirt is designed specifically for denim, and features classic jean details like top-stitching and patch pockets. Canvas is a heavy, plain weave fabric similar to what tote bags are made from. It's incredibly durable, and it holds shape really well, making it perfect for structured garments. Canvas comes in different weights, usually measured in ounces. Lightweight canvas is 4 to 8 ounces, and it's the type you'll often find used for light tote bags and clothing. Medium weight is 8 to 12 ounces, and can also be used for clothing like durable pants, shorts, and jackets. And finally, you have heavyweight canvas, which is 12 ounces or over, and that's what you'll find used for upholstery projects or really durable bags. You can use heavy canvas for really tough workwear type coats, but it won't work well for things like shorts and skirts. When sewing with canvas, preparation is key. Always pre-wash to remove sizing and prevent later shrinkage. Canvas can be quite stiff initially, but softens with washing and wear while maintaining its strength. Use heavy-duty needles, size 116 or even 110-18, and be prepared to manage bulk at seam intersections. Raiding seams is essential with canvas to reduce bulk, and consider using a walking foot to help your machine handle the thick layers evenly. For pressing, use plenty of steam and pressure. That clapper I mentioned for denim works wonders with canvas too, helping create flat seams despite the fabric's thickness. The Effie shorts are perfect for canvas. Their structured design showcases the fabric's ability to hold its shape. The Parker chore coat is another great canvas project, creating a durable, workwear-inspired jacket that gets better with age. Seersucker has a distinctive puckered texture created during weaving, with alternating smooth and gathered strips that give it that characteristic bumpy appearance. I made my Benning Dress in lightweight brown and peach plaid seersucker last fall, and it's become one of my favorite garments. One thing that makes seersucker special is that it naturally resists wrinkles thanks to its intentionally puckered texture. This makes it perfect for travel or for those who just don't love ironing. The texture of seersucker keeps the fabric from clinging to your body in hot weather, creating air pockets that help keep you cool. It's truly an ingenious fabric design that's been around for centuries for good reason. When sewing with seersucker, embrace its natural texture rather than fighting it. There's no need to try to press out the puckers. They're the whole point. However, do press your seams carefully, focusing on making them lie flat while preserving the fabric's texture. The Eden shirt would be beautiful in seersucker, with the texture adding interest to a classic design. The Sloan Dress is another great option. The puff sleeves and the gathered skirt work harmoniously with seersucker's natural texture. Cotton gauze is a fabric I find myself reaching for constantly during summer months. This light, airy fabric features an open, slightly crinkled weave that makes it incredibly breathable and comfortable against the skin. What makes gauze special is its distinctive crinkly texture, created through a process called slack tension weaving, where the yarns are loosely woven together. This creates those beautiful, natural wrinkles that give gauze its relaxed, effortless appearance. The crinkled texture means gauze naturally resists wrinkles and actually looks better with a bit of rumbling. Perfect for those of us who prefer to spend less time ironing. It's also incredibly soft and gets even softer with each wash. When shopping for gauze, you'll often see double gauze or triple gauze. These terms refer to layers of gauze that are tacked together at intervals, creating a slightly more substantial fabric while maintaining the signature airy quality. Double gauze is particularly versatile for garment sewing, with enough body for structure while remaining light and floaty. For sewing with gauze, I recommend using a fresh size 7010 or 8012 needle, as the open weave can snag easily on dull needles. Pre-washing is absolutely essential, as gauze typically shrinks quite a bit. I've seen up to 10% shrinkage in some cases. This pre-washing also enhances the crinkle effect that makes gauze so charming. When cutting, I find gauze can shift and stretch easily, so I like to use pattern weights and a rotary cutter rather than pins and scissors. For hemming, consider a narrow double fold hem to prevent fraying while maintaining the fabric's light feel. The Riley top is wonderful in gauze. The cinched waist shows off the fabric's beautiful drape and natural volume. It has a relaxed silhouette that allows the fabric to move and breathe in a way that feels luxuriously comfortable in hot weather. One of my favorite things about gauze is how it combines structure and fluidity. It has enough body to hold simple shapes that moves beautifully with you, creating a garment that feels both put together and effortlessly casual at the same time. Stretched cotton wovens combine the structure of woven cotton with a touch of spandex for comfort and ease of movement. That small percentage of stretch, usually 2-3%, means you can create more fitted styles without sacrificing comfort or risking popped seams. When sewing with stretched cotton wovens, I recommend using a narrow zigzag stitch, around 0.75mm in width, rather than a straight stitch.