What is Cotton Batiste?

Sewing is a useful skill to have, but picking out fabric for your projects can sometimes be a challenging task. With many different options available, it's often hard to know what the right choice is. However, cotton batiste is an excellent option for a variety of sewing projects.

Cotton batiste is lightweight, sheer, and delicate. The term batiste is a French word that refers to a fine quality cloth. This type of fabric is similar to cotton lawn, but it is a thicker fabric. Its appearance is best described as unassuming, yet elegant.

Cotton batiste has a graceful drape and is a fairly easy sheer fabric for beginners to work with. However, if you're not careful, it may catch on your sewing machine's foot.

Cotton batiste is commonly used to make women's lingerie, dressy blouses, and handkerchiefs. It's comfortable and versatile, appropriate for both a day at the office and an evening by the lake. Since it is a lightweight fabric, cotton batiste can be used as an underlining for dresses and nightgowns as well.

To accommodate sensitive skin, items made as gifts for a newborn baby are frequently made with cotton batiste. Receiving blankets, wraps, onesies, and Christening gowns are just some of the many projects that can incorporate this type of fabric.

People interested in heirloom sewing will find that cotton batiste is typically used in their projects. However, 100 percent Swiss cotton batiste is the preferred fabric type for this sewing specialty. Batiste blends made with polyester generally do not lay as flat.

Cotton batiste is easily found in white, black, and ivory at most craft and fabric stores, as well as from a number of online retailers. Specialty colors such as pastel pink, lemon yellow, baby blue, or seafoam green may be available in some locations. If you can't find the right color for your project, however, you can easily dye the fabric to fit your needs. Additionally, some cotton batiste may be mercerized to add luster and a light sheen to the finish.

To care for an item made from cotton batiste fabric, machine wash in a gentle or delicate cycle. Avoid using bleach. Tumble dry on a low setting. If necessary, you may press the fabric on the cotton setting with steam. Spray starch can be used to keep the fabric crisp, if desired.