Lawn vs. Voile vs. Cambric vs. Poplin – what is the difference?

One of the most frequently asked questions we receive at Monsoon Weave is about fabric types.  Since the increase in online fabric stores, there seems to be a lot of people making things at home without the guidance of their friendly fabric store owner.

I think a lot of people get scared of doing the “wrong thing” – sewing with the wrong type of fabric, using upholstery fabric to make a dress, or the opposite, using dress fabric to make household furnishings.  How about just using quilting fabric for everything – I’m sure we all know someone who does that!  How do you know what is the “wrong” fabric if you’re not even sure what sort of fabric it is?!

It’s true that it’s easier to break the rules when you know what “the rules” are… artists break rules all the time.  Think about the Impressionists, the Fauves, the Cubists, Pop Artists – rule breakers all!

But today I’m not here to promote fabric anarchy (although perhaps I will…).  Choose fabric by texture and design and don’t pay too much attention to its original purpose if you think you can make it work for you!  I say again, today I’m not here to promote fabric anarchy, but to clarify the difference between a few basic cottons that are plentiful and easy to find.

100% Cotton: Voile, Cambric, Poplin and Lawn… what’s the difference?

Cotton Voile is translated from “veil” in French.  So you can assume that it will always be very lightweight and somewhat sheer when back-lit.  Plain cotton voile works beautifully for a dress lining or summer pyjamas.  It is soft and cool to wear.  Although as a lining it will stick to the outer fabric (unlike a satin or many polyester fabrics), a pure cotton will always be nicer to wear on a hot day.  I would use a patterned cotton voile if I were making a little girl’s cotton summer top, pyjamas or nightie, and use a plain cotton voile as a dress lining.

Cotton Cambric is a slightly heavier and less sheer fabric than voile, but still has that lovely softness due to the way that it is woven. Like voile, it falls beautifully and is light and soft for summer clothing, and versatile enough to be used for indoor soft furnishings like curtains, nurseries, indoor teepees etc.  I sell lots of cambric cotton in my online store Monsoon Weave, because it is such a lovely weight for a cotton dress fabric – especially for those of us who live north of Sydney and require lots of cotton clothing to survive the heat of summer, spring and autumn.

Light-weight cotton poplin can be a similar weight to cambric but will feel more coarse than cambric due to its weave.

Cotton poplin is used for quilting and craft-making and is generally a little bit heavier again (think quilting weight fabric).

Finally, in my opinion Cotton Lawn is the queen of cotton dress fabrics, made from fine combed cotton, with its lovely tight weave and almost shiny texture, and the price will usually reflect this level of quality manufacturing.  If you have ever felt a Liberty of London floral print (and looked at the price tag with dismay) then you will know what I mean…

Notwithstanding I would use any of these “dress fabrics” to make cushions, curtains, or line baby blankets etc if I liked the pattern well enough.  So don’t be afraid, be creative!