I’m quite sure we all hear a lot about muslin. But many of us have little knowledge about why it’s so different and good from other fabrics. Specially Types of Muslin Fabric. Here, I’m now telling you the types of this elite fabric.
Before dig deeper the types of muslin fabrics, we gave a short brief about muslin, its history. That really helps to identify different types of muslin.
As a part of Dhaka muslin team, I am confident with 27 years of cumulative experience in fabric marketing. This article will clarify all types of muslin fbaric.
What are the types of muslin fabric?
We all know what fabric is; right? And muslin is a type of fabric made from cotton with plain woven method. Many countries produce and export different types muslin fabrics this days.
But the best quality of muslin fabrics derives from rare cotton Phuti Karpas (whose scientific name is Gossypium arboreum), which is available in some parts of Bangladesh. The original muslin (Dhakai muslin) is unavailable at all costs yet. on the other hand, Industrial muslin or a fusion is widely available, and it’s affordable too.
Besides, a mix of cotton and silk or polyester or other/s is also available in the world market. We can differentiate muslin as historical viewpoint, variety, bleaching & quality!
Types of Muslin Fabric
The history of muslin fabric is long, twisted, mythical, and thrilling. Here, I’m not going to focus on its history; rather, I can recommend the article history of bengal muslin as worth reading.
Characteristics of muslin fabric ( you can skip if needed)
This fabric has some unique features that you don’t find in other fabrics. And, it gains acceptance and popularity because of its characteristics. All types of muslin fabric will have them. Now, I’m sharing its unique features:
100% cotton: The best quality original muslin is made from 100% cotton fibers.
A good absorbent: Cotton is a natural absorbent. And muslin is 100% cotton fabric. So, it can absorb water and sweat.
Hypoallergenic: Muslin is a hypoallergenic fabric. Like other fabrics, such as polyester, it doesn’t cause any allergic reactions to human skin.
Durable: Muslin fabric has incredible durability. Pulling and twisting—which are common in fabric–cannot do a lot of damage to it.
Lightweight: It’s a very lightweight and thin fabric. A long muslin saree can be kept in a matchet box. It’s so thin that an original muslin is made from 2000+ thread counts. Original muslin isn’t available yet. what we find as muslin in the global market has a 100 thread count. It’s also lighter than all other fabrics
Smooth texture: Muslin has a fine and smooth texture. It’s because of a plain woven technique.
Shrinkable: Muslin does shrink but at minimum, not something very worried about. It normally shrinks from 5% to 10%. Using a fabric softener during washing reduces the shrinking of muslin fabric.
Muslin Fabrics
Ancient Types of muslin fabric
Muslin received an unbelievable amount of appreciation and patronage from the ruling classes (Emperors, Empresses, Kings, queens, and landlords) throughout the middle age. That’s why an unimaginable development was taken place in weaving muslin fabrics!
The weavers didn’t only weave muslin because of money and occupation, rather it was a moment of pride and heritage to engage in muslin production. Mulmusl khas, Nayan sukh, Sobnam, etc are a few of the many types of ancient muslin.
The manufacturers brought different varieties of muslin in terms of qualities and forms. If you have any interest in knowing ancient muslin fabric types, you may read this article “The Myth of Muslin: Epic Journey of Muslin ”.
Present Types of muslin fabric
Present Types of muslin fabric
This is our main point of discussion on present types of muslin fabric. The muslin fabric has many types. We can discuss its types based on quality, variety, and bleaching.
In terms of quality:
There are two qualities of muslin. One is about high-quality muslin. It’s soft and smooth. Evenly-spun yarns are used in weaving to produce the best quality muslin. Another is low-quality muslin, which is coarser. It’s medium soft and smooth. Coarser is woven with uneven yarns; which is why it’s cheap.
In terms of variety:
There are four main varieties of muslin available in the market.
Gauze: This type of muslin is ultra-lightweight. It’s the finest and thinnest fabric so far. We used this muslin for clothes, filters in the kitchen, and dressing pads for wounds.
Mull: It’s a lightweight and plain muslin. This muslin is made of a fusion of cotton & silk. It’s heavier than gauze in weight. Furthermore, it has uses in dress underlings—a layer of fabric underneath your main fabric and pattern testing for garments.
Swiss Muslin: It has raised patterns and dots on the fabric. This muslin is perfect for usage as warmer clothes.
Sheeting: This is the thickest and coarsest type of muslin available so far in the market. It’s often used for furniture upholstery, home wares, hardware, and backdrop.
In terms of Bleaching:
Bleaching is a chemical process. It’s done to remove stains and impurities from fabric. Muslin fabric is of two types in this regard.
Bleached muslin fabric: This fabric is soft, smooth, and white. It’s expensive and has different uses. You can learn more about bleached muslin fabric here Bleached Muslin fabric: A guide for soft unique fabric.
Unbleached muslin fabric: Unbleached muslin fabric is 100% organic. No chemical compound is found here. It’s comparatively hard, rough, and cream-white in color. It is cheap as well. You can know more about unbleached muslin fabric by clicking on Unbleached Muslin fabric: Best guide for beginners.
Uses of Differnt types of muslin fabric
Differnt types of muslin have diffrnt appeal. Thats why they created. Right? Let’s see the utility of different muslin in differnt ways :
- Dhaka Muslin : Luxury muslin that is coming soon after 180 years of disappear. It will rock in luxury fashion.
- Bleach Muslin : More finished fabric. Clothing, blnaket & others regular use.
- Unbleach muslin : Good for pattern, sewing, upholstery etc.
- We already discussed uses of Gauge, mull, swiss muslin & sheeting.
FAQ: Types of Muslin Fabric
We tried to give you answers that most frequently asked about types of muslin fabric.
Is the original muslin fabric available?
No. Original muslin fabric isn’t available yet. But it’s likely to come into the market in the coming years, as much in-depth and intense research has been undergoing. You can get more information by reading Where to buy Dhaka Muslin?
How is muslin fabric made?
Muslin fabric is made using a plain woven technique. Machines are not used in producing muslin fabrics. Hand looms produce such quality fabrics. That’s why it requires a lot of time to prepare a fabric. Read more about its making from here.
Is muslin fabric eco-friendly?
Yes. The best quality fabric is eco-friendly as it’s made from 100% cotton, which is biodegradable. However, if the fabric is made from a mix of cotton and other synthetic material, then it might detrimental to our ecosystem.
Are all muslin fabrics 100% cotton?
Yes. All original muslin fabrics are 100% cotton. And they are expensive too. However, nowadays, polyester or cotton blend is used in weaving muslin fabric commercially to make muslin cheaper.
Does muslin fabric pill and fray?
Yes. Muslin fabric does pill and fray as it’s made by a loose weave. Pilling means appearing little balls of threads on the fabric. And Fraying means the broken fibers don’t tangle together, rather they form frayed edges (threads become visible on the fabric, staying straight or curved, but not forming little balls). When you use and wash muslin regularly, such problems do arise, since cotton is subject to pilling and fraying. So, taking care of muslin is a must.
In Fine
Already we shared all the types of muslin. Just keep in mind original Dhaka muslin is extreme luxury which is not available in market.
The muslin we see in the market is an industrial product. Its popular for comfort & affordability. For differnt aspect we already discussed all types of muslin fabric. Happy Reading!
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