Yes, you can sew garments from quilting cotton, and for crisp, structured styles it works well: gathered and A-line skirts, boxy tops, shift dresses, aprons, tote bags and hats. It is a medium-light plain weave of about 140 to 160 gsm (4 to 4.7 oz per square yard) that holds a press and a fold but has little drape, so avoid it for anything meant to skim or swing, such as a slip dress or a bias-cut skirt. Pre-wash it, because it shrinks 3 to 5 percent, and expect it to soften with each wash.
Quick reference: sewing settings for quilting cotton
| Setting | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Needle | 80/12 universal (70/10 on the finest, high-thread-count prints) |
| Thread | All-purpose polyester or 50 weight cotton |
| Stitch length | 2.5 mm; 3 mm for topstitching |
| Presser foot | Standard foot |
| Pre-wash | Yes, warm, dried the way you will dry the garment; twice if you want it softer |
| Pressing | Cotton setting with steam |
| Seam finish | Zigzag, pinking, serger or French seam; it frays moderately |
What is quilting cotton, and how is it different from dress cotton?
Quilting cotton is a plain-weave, 100 percent cotton fabric made for patchwork: a thread count around 60 to 75 threads per inch, a firm finish (sizing) that keeps it flat under a rotary cutter, a width of 110 to 112 cm (44 in), and prints designed to be seen in small pieces. It is sold by the meter and in fat quarters of about 50 by 55 cm (18 by 22 in).
Dress cottons are woven for the body. The table shows where quilting cotton sits among them.
| Fabric | Weight | Hand | Usual width | Drape |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton lawn | 60–90 gsm | Fine, smooth, slightly crisp | 140 cm (55 in) | Soft, fluid |
| Cotton voile | 50–80 gsm | Sheer, light | 140 cm | Soft |
| Cotton poplin | 100–130 gsm | Smooth, crisp | 140 cm | Moderate |
| Quilting cotton | 140–160 gsm | Crisp to firm, softens with washing | 110 cm (44 in) | Little |
| Chambray | 120–180 gsm | Soft, shirt-like | 140 cm | Moderate |
Two things follow from the table. Quilting cotton is heavier and stiffer than poplin, so the same pattern looks boxier in it, and the narrower width means a pattern that asks for 2 m (2 1/4 yd) of 140 cm fabric needs noticeably more of it. Reading fabric descriptions explains what the gsm and thread count numbers mean in practice.
Which garments work in quilting cotton?
Anything whose shape comes from the pattern rather than from the fabric falling against the body.
- Gathered and tiered skirts: the crispness holds the gathers out, and a print shows well across a wide panel. The gathered skirt pattern is cut from rectangles, so it uses the 110 cm width without waste.
- A-line skirts keep their flare and look sharp with topstitched seams.
- Shift dresses with bust darts and a slight A-line; the fabric stands away from the body as the silhouette intends.
- Boxy woven tops with dropped shoulders, where a soft fabric would collapse.
- Aprons, tote bags, zip pouches, bucket hats, cushion covers: here the lack of drape is an advantage, and fat quarters are the right size.
- Pajama trousers and shorts with an elastic waist, which only need the fabric to be soft after washing.
- Children's clothes, where small prints and a tough fabric are what you want.
Which garments do not work in quilting cotton?
Slip dresses, bias-cut skirts, cowl necks, soft gathered blouses, full circle skirts meant to swing and anything with a drapey sleeve. In quilting cotton these look stiff, stand away where they should fall, and crease across the lap. Fitted trousers are also a poor match: the fabric is too light to hold a trouser shape and too stiff to move with the leg. For those, choose a lawn, a viscose or a Tencel instead; choosing fabric for a pattern matches fabric hand to silhouette.
The other drawbacks are practical. Quilting cotton creases easily, pale colors can be slightly sheer, and large motifs that were designed for a quilt can land awkwardly on a bust or a seat, so hold the fabric against yourself in the shop.
How do you make quilting cotton behave more like a dress fabric?
Wash it twice in warm water and tumble dry it before cutting: the sizing washes out, the fabric softens and the shrinkage is done. Choose patterns with design ease, gathers or pleats rather than close fit. Line a dress bodice in cotton lawn so the stiffer layer is not against the skin. Finish necklines with bias binding cut from the same fabric: it curves well and looks crisp.
Match the print at the center front seam and the side seams of a skirt; pattern matching is easier on this fabric than on most, because it is stable and does not shift under the pattern. For a directional print, cut all pieces with the motif pointing the same way, which again costs a little extra fabric.
How much quilting cotton do you need?
Patterns list fabric for 110 cm wide fabric as well as 140 cm, and for a garment the 110 cm figure is usually 15 to 30 percent higher. The fabric yardage calculator converts an amount between widths. Fat quarters go further than you might think:
- A scrunchie: one fat quarter.
- A zip pouch: two fat quarters (outer and lining).
- A bucket hat: two fat quarters for the outer plus two for the lining.
- A tote bag: about 1 m (1 1/8 yd) for the outer, the same for a lining.
- An apron: about 1.5 m (1 5/8 yd).
The sewing guide of a Sewly pattern gives the amounts for 110 cm wide fabric alongside 140 and 150 cm, so a quilting cotton from the fat quarter shelf can be checked against the pattern before you buy.
How do you sew and press quilting cotton?
It is the easiest fabric on the list to sew: stable, opaque, pressable and forgiving. Sew with an 80/12 needle and a 2.5 mm stitch, press every seam as you go with steam, and finish the seams with a zigzag or pinking shears, because the cut edge frays a little. Finishing seams without a serger compares the finishes. Topstitching at 3 mm with a slightly heavier thread looks neat on this fabric and keeps hems and facings flat.
Press with the iron at the cotton setting. The sizing on unwashed quilting cotton can scorch and shine, which is one more reason to wash it first.
What to sew with quilting cotton
- An apron in a large-scale print, with the pockets cut to match the motif.
- An A-line skirt with a zip and topstitched hem.
- A shift dress, after two washes, lined in lawn at the bodice.
- A bucket hat from four fat quarters, which is also the right fabric for the brim.
- A tote bag with a fused medium interfacing for a crisp bag.