Getting The best brushed cotton fabric For Your Projects

Brushed cotton fabric is a luxurious material that is created by use of mechanical process to comb the excess fibre, and rub its surface for smooth and refined finish. And whether you call it brushed cotton, winceyette or flannel, these fabrics are great for cozy and comfortable wear. Being 100% cotton, these fabrics are also breathable and durable to match. To help you find the best cotton fabric for your various use and projects, here are some guiding tips to help you;

Durability of The Fabric

Getting brushed cotton fabric with long fibres that can easily be spun into finer yarn. The resulting fine yarn can
easily be bounded tightly, making the resulting fibre strong and more durable. Another key factor is the presence of young kids and pets. Generally you’ll need to look for cotton fabric that is stronger by going for a more heavy fabric as opposed to a light one that is delicate. Generally when the fabric is exposed to sunlight, it slowly fades losing the color. Go for a fabric that is more resistant to fading for increase durability.

Softness of the fabric

Another advantage with the long fibres is that it can easily be turned into yarns that are softer. On the other hand short fibres are difficult to turn them into yarns as you will start seeing the tiny ends of the fibre protruding at every angle. The longer cotton fibres can easily be bound together to prevent them from sticking out in different directions.

Price Of The Fabric

Different stores tend to have different price range for their fabrics. This does not necessarily mean that the expensive fabrics have superior quality to other fabrics of the same type in different stores. Try to compare the fabrics quality from the different stores and see if any fabric has the right quality and recommendation that you want. This may help you to avoid spending a lot on a fabric that you would have otherwise bought it at lower price at different store.

Color Of The Fabric

When it comes to choosing a brushed cotton fabric or any other type of fabric, color is one of the main attributes that most people go for. There are numerous colors and their shades that you can choose from. It is however important that you are able to find the right color that will compliment well with what you are working on and enable your project turns out successful. You can go for bold and trendy colors or just a neutral one that looks more simple but classic.

Referrals From Friends

You can also opt to seek help from your experienced sewer friends on finding the right brushed cotton fabric for your project. This is important especially if you are a beginner, as you will be able to avoid the confusion of having to choose yourself the right fabric. You will be able to also avoid any mistakes that may include purchasing the wrong fabric quality and wasting your time.

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With these important guiding tips your purchasing experience in finding the right brushed cotton fabric will become a lot easier and enjoyable. You will be able to get the correct fabric recommendation that will help you to not only save some money and avoid wastage, but also become successful in your projects in the future.

What is brushed cotton?

When talking about fabrics, everyone has heard of cotton. It is made from the cellulose fibers of the cotton plant, which get spun into threads that are then woven into fabric. Cotton has been around for centuries with diverse species of the plant found in Mexico, Australia, and Africa. It won’t be farfetched to say that all of us have some form of clothing or accessory that is made from this material.

But what is brushed cotton? It is a woven cotton fabric that is, as the name suggests, brushed to create a soft, napped texture. Essentially, ‘brushed cotton’ is the result of a process carried out on regular cotton that takes this multifarious fabric to the next level of aesthetics and functionality.

How is brushed cotton made?

Brushing is a finishing process used to raise the surface fibers of a fabric. The fabric undergoes a mechanical brushing process in which fine, metal brushes carefully rub the fabric to produce fine fibers from the woven yarns, creating extra softness on the surface of the fabric. Cotton can be gently brushed on both sides to make it soft to the touch.

Chiara Rubinelli, from the Italian mill Grandi & Rubinelli, says, “Usually when most fabrics are finished, a flame is applied to singe away any raised fibers so its surface is completely smooth. Brushed cotton undergoes the complete opposite treatment. We do not remove the fluff on the surface of the cloth, but instead, exaggerate it. We do this using specially engineered mechanical metal brushes, which tease the fibers out from the surface of the fabric. It’s a technique that goes back many centuries – originally, it was done using the dry, spikey heads of thistles. This creates a beautifully soft handle, similar to a fine wool cloth, but it’s incredibly comfortable against the skin, absent of any itchiness.”

What is brushed cotton used for?

Brushing cotton creates raised fluffy fibers that trap air particles, thereby improving the insulation capacities of the fabric. Dr. Hugh Gong of the School of Materials at Manchester University says, ‘Anything that reduces the contact with the skin reduces the amount of heat being conducted away from our bodies.’

Owing to this, brushed cotton is widely used for bedding items such as sheets and pillowcases as well as garments. Luca Faloni, the owner of the Italian brand, Luca Faloni, says, ‘Brushed cotton…provides protection against wind chill, but it doesn’t make you feel overheated. Usually, during cooler spells, you might need to wear a V-neck in-between your shirt and jacket, but with brushed cotton, you don’t have to as it’s such a good insulator; it saves you the trouble of bulking up with multiple layers. People normally are used to poplin or Oxford cotton which are very fresh, crisp, and light; brushed cotton has all the comfort of a T-shirt, but is a far more premium and elegant material.”

What is the difference between brushed cotton and flannel?

The terms are sometimes used interchangeably though there is a difference. Brushed cotton involves brushing on the face side, resulting in a fabric that is soft, retains heat but is also breathable. Flannel or Flannelette fabric is brushed on both sides, resulting in a fuzzier, warmer, and thicker fabric. Not to mention, flannel was originally made from wool but now is often made of cotton or other synthetic materials.

What is brushed cotton-like to sew with?

Cotton per se is remarkably easy to sew with. Experienced seamstresses would recommend using cotton for beginners. The fabric doesn’t slip, is easy to iron, and is easy to wash if you want to pre-shrink the fabric before starting your project. The fabric is machine washable at 30-40 degrees in cold settings, especially for colored fabrics.

Advantages of Brushed Cotton

• Durable
• Breathable
• Soft to the touch
• Easy to care for
• Versatile

Disadvantages of Brushed Cotton

• Prone to shrinkage
• Can pill over time

Printing on Brushed Cotton

Printing on brushed cotton has never been easier. You can use your photos, or even your artwork, and upload them to our design interface. From there you can choose whether you want to make your design bigger, smaller, or even to repeat the design. This is a great way to turn your favorite patterns into your next craft project and can be done in just a few clicks. 

Now that you know what is brushed cotton, get your hands on our swatch pack to pick the fabric for your next DIY project.

No matter what sewing projects you enjoy working on, sometimes the simplest materials can be incredibly inspiring to work with - including brushed cotton. This fabric staple has so many possibilities, so there are plenty of projects you can work on with it. If you would like to learn some of the fun and creative ways to sew with brushed cotton fabric, feel free to continue reading to learn more.

What is brushed cotton fabric? 

This versatile material is a combination of various fabric structures which are brushed finely to remove any excess lint, which ultimately leaves the fabric with a soft and smooth finish. Here at Fabrics Galore, we have many different patterns of brushed cotton available including red, green, blue, and yellow tartans as well as a fabulous range of novelty fabrics. All of our fabrics are easy to take care of and won’t discolour, no matter how many washes you put them through, so you can invest in a long-lasting, cost-effective material that you will love for years to come.

Uses of brushed cotton fabric

People often turn to brushed cottons when the weather turns cooler as the raised fibres not only keep us warmer but also feel super snuggly and soft on the skin.

• One of the nicest and perhaps most obvious uses of brushed cotton in dressmaking is to make a snuggly pair of winter pyjamas – read on to find out how Tilly and the Buttons made unisex pyjamas!

• However brushed cotton fabric is equally good for shirts, pinafore dresses, blouses, dresses and even skirts. Check out our brushed cotton florals which are ideal for these!

• As a furnishing fabric, brushed cotton is perfect for pillow cases, duvet covers, and cushion covers creating a warmer winter look for your bedroom and living room interiors. Brushed cotton is also used widely in patchwork and quilting for the same reason.

• As a crafting fabric, brushed cotton can be used to make soft toys and would be prefect for a cuddly teddy bear or other animal soft toy.

Tartan brushed cotton fabric

Tartan has always been an incredibly popular print, especially as Autumn arrives. The colours we have available easily fit in with the changing colour trends, and there are plenty of dressmaking projects you can work on with this material. One of Fabrics Galore’s most popular collections of tartan fabrics is called ‘Clueless’, which is named after the classic film. Tartan was traditionally made of wool but is now frequently made in various materials - including brushed cotton!

There are endless ways to use tartan in both your dressmaking and furnishing projects, and you have the option to design tartan dresses, skirts and even scarves - which can easily be incorporated into any autumn/winter wardrobe.

Novelty fabrics

Here at Fabrics Galore, we are delighted to host a range of different novelty brushed cotton fabrics which can easily be incorporated into any project, if you are looking to design something with the fun factor to cheer us all up! One of our favourite ways we have seen this done is through comfy pyjama bottoms and shorts, which have been designed by Tilly and the Buttons. She used our very fun Christmas cats brushed cotton fabric to design this wonderful PJ bottoms, which can be worn any time of year if you are crazy for cats and Christmas!

If you would like to create these pyjamas for yourself, feel free to visit her website where she has created a pattern which is ideal for beginners to follow. She has also made a free video tutorial on how to sew pyjama bottoms from start to finish - so the whole process couldn’t be any more simple.

Would you like to buy brushed cotton fabrics?

If you are looking to purchase some high-quality brushed cotton fabrics from a reputable online UK fabric store, you are more than welcome to visit the Fabrics Galore website . Both the physical store and online store in the UK are run by Paul Johnston, a committed business owner who focuses his attention on ensuring every customer he works with is 100% happy. You can also contact us at howdy@fabricsgalore.co.uk where our team would be more than happy to answer any questions you may have prior to your purchase.