Cotton poplin

helvelyn

Can anyone tell me what cotton poplin fabric is like please? I've spotted a design I like online but they don't do samples. I want to make a kitchen blind and (unlined) curtains for under the work tops to hide washing machine and cupboard with no door so would this be suitable? I am very broke at the moment and can't afford to make a mistake

dasophster

Poplin is kind of like the material men's shirts and thicker ladies blouses are made from so it may be a tad lightweight for soft furnishings unless they are going to be used in such a way that doesn't put too much strain on the fabric. Xx

[Deleted User]

Although if you get some 'Robin' starch if its still sold and dip the material into it and give it a good starching it may be just the job.I used to do this with my DDs school dresses that were made of poplin It was nice material, as it seemed to keep fresher in the summer as opposed to the horrible nylon dresses that ended up full of static and made the girls hot in warm weather
So a good starch and iron and it should hang beatifully.Probably find Robin starch in a box at maybe if you have one in an ironmongers shop
I think maybe only supermarkets sell the spray on stuff.Not bad, but the stuff you dip the material in is better, and a good warm iron to make it as stiff as possible.
Starching takes me back to the late 1950s early 1960s when we all wore layers of starched sticky out petticoats under our skirts when at the Saturday Night Dance.:):) now I'm showing my age :)

thriftwizard

It is a lightweight fabric, but you could do what I've done (many times) in the past when I've seen exactly the right fabric, in exactly the wrong weight, & line it with the decent bits of old sheets. But make sure you wash it first, so it's done any shrinking it's going to do!

gibson123

You could use poplin for both these jobs, just make sure the curtain is twice the width you require so there is some "weight" and drape, If it is too floaty sew some 5p pieces into the hem to hold it down.

For the blind, if it is a roller blind you will have to treat the material anyway, there are some posts on this under the sewing threads on here. If it is a roman blind, stiffen it with interfacing.

helvelyn

Thanks very much for all the replies - very helpful. Am grateful indeed :beer:

StevenDr

This doesn't contradict anything written above, but cotton poplin isn't really a different kind of fabric from cotton, but just a method of weaving the cotton. For men's shirts it tends to result in a lighter weave, thinner weave, compared to something like a twill weave.