Craft Cotton Company, and where their fabric earns its place
Craft Cotton Company built their reputation on speciality and licensed prints: the fabrics you buy because of what is printed on them rather than because you needed another blender. That means character panels, themed collections, seasonal ranges and a long run of cheerful children's prints, backed up by coordinating dots, stripes and small geometrics so a quilt does not have to be made entirely of novelty motifs. The cloth itself is a conventional quilting-weight cotton, which is exactly what you want when the print is doing the talking.
What quilting-weight cotton gives you
A stable plain weave at roughly 110cm wide, it cuts cleanly, holds a crease, takes a quarter-inch seam without stretching and presses flat. That predictability is why it is the standard for patchwork. It also means these prints are not limited to quilts: the same cloth makes bunting, bags with a fusible interfacing, aprons, pyjama shorts, cot bumpers, drawstring bags and lined pencil cases. It is less suited to drapey dressmaking, where a lawn or a viscose behaves better.
Working with panels and directional prints
- Panels: measure the printed area, not the cut length, before you plan borders; panels are rarely perfectly square on the grain.
- Large motifs: fussy cutting wastes fabric, so buy extra if you want a specific character centred in each block.
- Directional prints: plan block rotation in advance, or half your motifs will end up sideways.
- Licensed ranges: collections come and go, so buy the full quantity for a project in one go rather than hoping for a reprint.
How much to buy
A cot quilt top typically needs around 1.5 to 2 metres in total across your prints, a single-bed quilt considerably more, and backing needs to be at least 10cm larger than the top on every side, which usually means joining widths. A fat quarter is enough for a lined pouch, a set of bunting flags or several patchwork blocks. Bags need heavier support: pair the cotton with a fusible fleece or woven interfacing rather than expecting the fabric to hold shape alone.
Prewashing, cutting and pressing
Strong reds and deep blues are the usual culprits for dye bleed, so if a project mixes them with white, prewash or at least test a scrap in hot water with a colour catcher. Otherwise many quilters skip prewashing and let the finished quilt crinkle in its first wash. Press before cutting, never after squaring up, use a fresh rotary blade, and cut with the selvedge aligned to the ruler line so the grain stays true. A little spray starch tames the fabric for small pieces.
Finishing and care
Wash finished items on a cool cycle with a mild detergent, and tumble low if at all. Cotton shrinks a few per cent on the first wash, which is what gives a quilt that puckered, cuddled look; if you need precise finished dimensions, prewash everything. Store leftover fabric out of direct sunlight, since novelty prints with big blocks of colour fade noticeably along a folded edge.
Craft Cotton Company questions
What weight is this fabric? Standard quilting-weight cotton, suitable for patchwork, bags with interfacing, bunting and children's makes.
Can I buy it by the metre? Yes, cut lengths are available by the metre alongside fat quarters and bundles.
Is it suitable for dressmaking? For structured items such as skirts, aprons and pyjamas, yes. For anything needing drape, choose a lighter cloth.
Do I need to prewash? Only if you are mixing saturated colours with white or need exact finished measurements.
How much for a cot quilt? Roughly 1.5 to 2 metres across the top prints, plus backing and binding, but always check your pattern's requirements.
