Cotton Jersey Fabric: The Complete Guide for Dressmakers

Cotton jersey is the fabric most of us wear every single day — it's what your favourite t-shirt is made of. If you're new to sewing with knits, it's also the best place to start. This guide covers what cotton jersey actually is, what to make with it, and the small tricks that make it easy to sew.

What is cotton jersey?

Cotton jersey is a single-knit fabric, usually 95–100% cotton, sometimes with a little elastane for extra recovery. Unlike woven fabric, it's made of interlocking loops — which is why it stretches without needing a zip or fastening. It's soft, breathable and comfortable against the skin, which makes it the go-to for everyday clothing.

Most cotton jersey sits around 200–220gsm — light enough to drape, heavy enough not to be see-through. Our cotton jersey collection includes 100% cotton single jersey and cotton interlock (a thicker double knit) in a wide range of colours.

What should I make with it?

T-shirts are the classic, but cotton jersey works for far more: casual dresses, children's clothing, baby grows, loungewear, pyjamas, tops and lightweight joggers. Interlock, being thicker and more stable, is brilliant for kids' clothes that need to survive the washing machine on repeat.

How much do I need?

As a rough guide: an adult t-shirt takes 1.5 metres, a child's tee about 1 metre, a casual dress 2–2.5 metres, and adult loungewear bottoms around 1.5–2 metres. When in doubt, add half a metre — jersey shrinks slightly on first wash, so pre-wash before cutting.

Tips for sewing cotton jersey

Jersey has a reputation for being tricky, but three things fix almost every problem:

• Use a ballpoint or stretch needle. A regular sharp needle cuts the knit loops and causes holes or laddering. A ballpoint slides between them.
• Use a stretch stitch. No overlocker needed — a narrow zigzag or your machine's lightning stitch lets seams stretch with the fabric instead of popping.
• Don't pull the fabric through. Let the machine feed it. Pulling is what causes wavy seams.

How to care for it

Wash at 30–40°C, dry flat or tumble low, and iron on medium if needed. Cotton jersey gets softer with every wash and lasts for years.

Buying cotton jersey by the metre

At Veratex Fabrics, every order is measured and cut by hand off the roll, so multi-metre orders arrive as one continuous length — no joins. Browse the cotton jersey collection, and if you're not sure whether a fabric suits your project, just get in touch — we're happy to advise.