Cotton Lawn Projects and Choices

A Little About the Fabric

Lawn

Lawn is a lightweight fabric notable for it’s smooth surface and clean finish. You can find mixed fibre lawns which have these attributes but Lawns are most often associated with being 100% Cotton. Historically, Lawn was woven from linen and the name is a derivation of the French town Laon, which was the centre of lawn weaving originally for clerical garments.

Why so smooth? The (combed or carded)high count cotton fibres are spun into thread that is then woven into cloth. The material itself is a flat weave which enhances the silky surface. Because of the smooth surface, Lawn is a perfect base for crystal clear printing.

Lawn is lighter in weight than average Cotton Poplins or Quilting Cottons, and therefore it is perfect for warmer days and easy shapes. It can also be considered the ultimate flash lining fabric for that special item.

There is something a little nostalgic about Cotton Lawn – maybe it’s the association with Liberty Tana Lawn – an iconic British designed (once British printed) Heritage fabric or maybe from visiting vintage sales you have seen fine lawn made up with the clever seam details or the 30’s and 40’s. The term Lawn is associated with quality.

Lawns would not normally be stretchy.

Project Choices

If you are scanning the back of your pattern envelope regard Lawn as a ‘Lightweight Woven Cotton’. Beware of transparency in lighter shades and consider adding a lining. Lawn will work well in slightly looser shapes and results in fantastic full skirts – but in close body/shift shapes might crease with wear and look unimpressively nightie like ( for example I have made a Camber Set in Lawn and its nowhere near as appealing as the heavier weight Sevenberry version)
Below are some ideas based on my sewing experience

The Skye Wrap

Lawn is perfect for an impactful lining – the smoothness of the surface will allow the outer garment to slide over whatever else you are wearing – and the crispness of the printed design will allow your garment insides to pop. We sell our lawns by the Half Metre, 70cm Skye Wrap Length and Metre. So you can choose the correct amount for your needs.

The Sew Over It Betty Dress – made here in Flamingos Navy Lawn works so well in this shape – with a full skirt that demands a crisp fabric.

My brief making notes on Betty

1. I always fully line the bodice using the same pattern shapes as the front and back bodice rather than the facing shapes – it’s a slightly different technique but so much cleaner when finished.

2. The skirt on Betty is a full circle – if your fabric doesn’t fit the required width – you can always piece in the extra width on the edge. Be aware generally that with a full circle skirt and a directional print crazy things will happen and your flamingos won’t all be facing the same way up – not important to me, but it might be for you so a non directional print would be the answer.

3. I also find it much easier to hem the skirt with bias binding. If you stretch the edge on slightly as you sew, you will find the inner edge of the bias will sit flat to the skirt sewn 1″ up and avoids any roping. I also think the stiffness of the bias makes the skirt hang beautifully and you get a little flash of contrast when you walk.

Vintage Shirt Dress

The SewOverIt Vintage Shirt Dress in Blowsy Floral is a perfect match of fabric and shape, this shirt dress will take you right through summer with a little cardi on top. The only area to take care with here is choosing your interfacing.

Go with something lighter than you expect – a lightweight iron- on will work better than a medium. Personally I tend to avoid interfacing and when I do, I use a sew-in, but on this garment in this fabric, I would use lightweight iron-on.

Consider adding a little tearaway interfacing to the buttonhole positions for extra sewing support. Button choices should be quite delicate as buttonholes are plentiful. Oh, and think about lengthening the bodice part of this pattern – Sew Over It can be short waisted.