I first launched The Fabric Squirrel in September 2017 and over the last 7 years I have seen trends come and go but the biggest shift I have seen recently is the move away from quilting cotton. This is just my personal interpretation from following all things sewing over the years. I think it stems from 2020 when we all had more time and, in some cases, more disposable income to spend on hobbies. The home sewing community boomed! Pre 2020 quilting cotton was a great gateway fabric into sewing and a lot started their sewing journey with little sewing projects like pencil cases, bags, cushions and cute gift ideas that my blog is full of. In 2020 there seemed to be a move and growth towards dressmaking. Don't get me wrong I think this is wonderful! I just think newer sewing enthusiasts have skipped over "quilting cotton" because the name suggests it's not for them. I am here to try and change that.
Alongside this blog post I have talked through some of my wardrobe over on my YouTube Channel.
Although I stock a nice selection of dressmaking fabrics and believe there is room in my sewing room for all the types of fabrics, quilting cotton is where my hearts lays. I thought I would share my me made quilting cotton wardrobe with you today and get you all converted or at least expand your fabric shopping horizons.
Quilting cotton can come in different qualities. Get to know your brands because you know the quality will be consistent. Although I only stock fabric that is a quality I would be happy to sew with, generally the more premium woven fabrics are going to be over the £8pm mark (original price, not taking into account sale fabrics). These are going to be a safe option to sew garments with although I can’t speak for the whole fabric industry. My tried and tested favourite brands for sewing clothes with are Lewis and Irene, Figo Fabrics and the Make and Believe branch of Craft Cotton Company which are often organic cotton.
Woven cotton holds its shape well and doesn’t have any stretch to it. It is worth considering this when you pick your pattern. For me this means puffy sleeves and shirring work well and you will see these feature a lot in my wardrobe. Although there is no stretch, I still like to do my best to avoid a zip wherever possible, so don’t let the thought of zips put you off, I have plenty of over the head patterns in here.
The other thing to consider when picking your pattern is the width of the fabric. Generally quilting cottons are 110cm wide. Most dressmaking fabrics are around 150cm wide. This may mean you have to do some clever pattern placement or slight alterations whether that be changing the gradient on a skirt or a cleverly positioned pleat. I have a few examples of these.
There are many patterns that would work with a range of fabrics, the thing that draws me back to quilting cotton is the extensive and fun range of prints you can get them in. I love sewing for a trip or occasion or just as a way of expressing my personality. There is a quilting cotton for every mood!
One of my most sewn patterns is Mabel from Tilly and the Buttons. I have made 4 of them so far for all different occasions. Mostly casual but quilting cotton doesn’t have to just be casual. I made this Mabel for my brother’s wedding. The collection is Indian Summer and the print is called Love Birds. The hidden message behind the dress also brings me a lot of joy.
I have sewn Race Day dresses in cotton and going out out hen party dresses in cotton, don’t think that they are all just casual options.
I made this Hinterland dress in Figo Fabrics Band Practice cotton to wear to an Ed Sheeran gig. It is now a go to when I have music gigs to enjoy, and it can easily be worn with tights and a t-shirt underneath in colder months.
A trip to Disneyland Paris was the perfect excuse to sew some themed clothes so I went with an Little Mermaid inspired outfit on the first day with a purple top that was a hack on a very basic top pattern. The fabric was from The Crafty Lass’s Sea in Colour collection so not only was it the perfect Ariel colour, but it also had the nod to underwater.
For the second day in Disneyland, I went marvel themed and made a Spiderman skirt. It is my go-to for kid’s birthday parties and when I am just not feeling up to adulting. The pattern is self-drafted.
Christmas! There are dozens of amazing Christmas fabrics that are released every year, and it seems a shame for them to be destined to just small projects. My Debbie Shore poinsettia dress and my Christmas jumper dress will come out every December for forever just like my Christmas jumpers.
I have spoken about Christmas and now I want to share my love of shorts. Quilting cotton is all year-round fabric whether that be Christmas Day or on your summer holiday. I love a pair of shorts, and I feel like I can get away with a loud pair of shorts more than I can a top, I don’t know if I just feel more comfortable with the attention being away from my face, but as soon as it goes over 20 degrees the shorts are my go-to. As a mum of boys that run around and bike to school every day, it is also a more practical option when the weather permits. Sewing for boys is a little harder than girls but shorts are also a great one to make for them. We have had matching shorts and shorts especially for a trip to Thomas Land.
If that hasn’t got you inspired yet here are a few other wardrobe items.
A shirt for my husband in Back to the Future fabric.
A quilted jacket in Hannah’s Flowers from Lewis and Irene.
A self-drafted tiered skirt because this fabric spoke to me!
The last thing I want to say to champion quilting cotton, is that there is never any waste. The scraps from your dressmaking can be easily used in quilts, bags, cushions, small projects like tree decorations and greetings cards. My blog s full of ideas. The really small bits I donate to nurseries for craft projects. Some other dressmaking materials aren’t so versatile. My scrappy chevron quilt is like a scrapbook to my woven cotton journey. It is made up solely of left over fabric from other projects and each little section has a story to it.
Hopefully you are leaving this blog with a new appreciation for such a wonderful fabric that we have at our fingertips!
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