Whenever we are shopping or designing our own clothes, fabrics come to mind. Many of us know which fabrics we look best in or which ones work with what season. No matter what, even if you don’t notice, fabrics are a huge part of attire and how they look. Two common fabrics are cotton and Muslin fabric, and cotton is one you definitely have in your closet.
If you are planning on designing your own clothes, or want to learn more about fabrics well then keep reading. Below we outline similarities and differences between both cotton and Muslin fabrics.
What Is Cotton Fabric?
Cotton is one of the most famous fabrics out there. Most clothes are made with them, and you definitely own something made from it. The fabric comes from a cotton plant and is grown in a fluffy protective case. Believe it or not but cotton is actually very harmful to the environment and is a long and tough process of making.
The reason for this is because cotton uses up to 20,000 liters of water to produce just one T-shirt. Even though it’s harmful to the environment, companies continue to use it. Fashion is the second-largest polluter in the world, and many brands are working together to try to fix their impact. Right now, fixing the excessive usage of water in the cotton-making process is still a work in progress.
What Is Muslin Fabric?
Even though cotton is well known, Muslin fabric might not be as popular. Muslin fabric is actually made from cotton but its texture is similar to those of silk and viscose. Also, you can find Muslin in a variety of weights, they can be found in sheers or thicker types of sheets depending. The name of Muslin fabric originates from Mosul, Iraq where it was first created.
You can use Muslin fabric for many things such as lining for clothes, curtains, quilting, cleaning cloths, and more. The technique it’s made with is the plain weave technique, this is when a single thread alternates over and under a single warp thread. Muslin is known as the material used in fashion prototypes to test patterns before cutting and stitching the final product.
Difference in Textures
One difference between the two fabrics is the textures. When holding Muslin fabrics they tend to be more lightweight and less heavy, whereas cotton is thicker, that is why Muslin is also better for the summer than cotton. Also, due to the lighter texture Muslin fabric has a thread count less than 180, unlike cotton that has a thread count anywhere from 400 to even 800! If you are thinking about which fabric is probably better this summer you definitely want to go with Muslin.
Muslin Fabric Is Affordable
Another difference between the two fabrics is the price. Even though their prices aren’t too crazy apart, Muslin fabric is more affordable. The reason that it’s cheaper than its creator because of its light texture and delicacy you can find it at a lower cost than cotton. Of course, when shopping for fabrics, it all depends on where you go and how many yards you want to buy.
One yard of Muslin will cost you around $6-8, whereas cotton will be between $7-20 depending on where you go.
Where To Shop For Them
Aside from differences, a similarity that they share is that they are both easy to find. You won’t have an issue when shopping for fabrics because most fabric stores will sell these. Cotton and Muslin fabric each can also be found in online stores like Amazon and Etsy if you want to pay less money. Overall, even though both fabrics have huge differences and textures, at least they are not tough to shop for.
The only issue is that there are four types of Muslin, Gauze, Mull, Swiss, and sheeting. Make sure when shopping for this fabric you ask the retailer or sales associate for some help, depending on what type of texture you want. If you want to know the difference, Gauze is sheer-form and used for clothes, then Mull is plain Muslin and is used for underlining garments.
Another type is Swiss which is a lightweight form that has polka dots or other figures. Lastly, Sheeting is the thickets and is commonly in clothing or homewares.
Everyone Can Use Both
The last similarity between Muslin and Cotton fabric is that they can both be useful no matter what you need. What this means is that they both are for multiple things, cotton can be used for clothes, bedsheets, and more. Whereas Muslin is good for lighter uses like underlining garments or pattern making. As a fashion designer, this is necessary because you will be designing clothes for different occasions and seasons and you will possibly need one or the other eventually.
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