Does the U.S. call calico by a different name than here in OZ? Found a stabilizer guide, no calico (close weave cotton bleached & unbleached, use in crafts).

Hi there I am also in Australia and use vilene as a stabliser. you can get vilene solvy as well as tear away & cut away.

In South Africa we call it unbleached calico. Remember to wash it in very hot water and then rinse it in cold water. Depending on what you want to do with it. If it is a washable article and you do not wash it, it is going to shrink and when you want to paint on it, the painting will be on the starch of the fabric and will wash out first time you wash it.

If you go into Spotlight and ask for calico they should have it .. its usually either by the cutting counter for dress fabrics (as its constantly out being cut and doesnt make it back to it's shelf)...or it'll be in the quilt fabrics section. Calico is quite stiff when you buy it and needs to be washed & dried before using it to remove the sizing etc.

Actually, Spotlight is giving away calico bags if you buy several metres of fabric, instead of using a plastic bag. Just ask them for a bag, and then ask where the fabric is that they made the bags out of lol.

Muslin here is really really thin. Its in the baby fabrics section of Spotlight as ppl use it for swaddling babies in summer.

Hope this helps :D

Sandy, I think what you're referring to is called in the States "unbleached" or "bleached" muslin. I believe someone said once that your "muslin" is more like our "cheesecloth", really loose woven. Our muslin can be cheap (very lightweight), or good like what you seem to be calling "quilter's muslin", a heavy weight material here, kind of an ecru color, often with little 'seeds' in it. Good luck on this, hee hee hee, as Martine said once, "English is the common language that divides us." Apparently especially in names for different sewing materials! Hugs, Marji

Try unbleached cotton. In South Africa we also call it Calico, but it can also go as Unbleached cotton.

1 comment

by marietta 14 Dec 2009

Unbleached muslin as we see it, makes the most marvelous pressing cloths.

We have bleached and unbleached muslin. Our calicos are color backgrounds with tiny flower prints. But cotton, still.
Jo

2 comments

by katydid 13 Dec 2009

good answer, I was going to sat the same. only thing to add is calico is printed design and not woven.

by hartyoz 14 Dec 2009

Our quilters muslin is softer, nicer than calico, comes in different "strengths" (some is quite see-through), and is cream or white , seeded and not seeded. Cotton and nice for quilts, table linen etc.





Sandy