VOILE - LAWN

Voile is a soft,

sheer fabric

, usually made of 100% cotton or cotton blended with linen or polyester. The term is French for veil. Because of its light weight, the fabric is mostly used in soft furnishing. In tropical climates, voile is used for window treatments and mosquito nets.

Is it a

lawn or a voile?

Have you ever wondered about the difference between these two wonderful cotton weaves? Lawn is generally softer to the hand and not as tightly woven. Batiste, by the way. is woven with finer yarns. Lawn is commonly used for blouses or full skirts. A tight fitting bodice would need a lining as would a straight dress. Solid colored lawn makes a wonderful lining for linen or other fabrics where you want to maintain the natural breathing qualities.

Lawn as well as voile takes dye nicely so it works well for prints. This is one in a series of paisley prints that will be posted to the web store mid-month. Voile is considered a semi-sheer and has a crisper and drier hand than lawn. Uses are similar, but the drape of the fabric will have a slightly more sculptured fall.