Polished cotton

[sewmuchmore]

I have just received a new McCalls shirt dress pattern and one of the suggested fabrics is polished cotton. I have googled and now know that it is a shiny cotton but that is it. Has anyone come across any? Is it just an American term? It isn't mentioned in my Vogue A-Z of fabrics (but it is very old).

[Lilian]

I would think it is the same as cotton sateen, my bed sheets are cotton satin/sateen and they are very smooth and shiny on one side but the same slightly rougher cotton on the other side.   

[BrendaP]

Yes, cotton sateen, but might have a lot of starchy dressing in it to help make it shiny.  Substitutes would be on the heavy side for P&Q.

[Renegade Sewist]

Cotton sateen would be a good substitute. You might see a reference to glazed Cotton in that old vogue book. I'm surprised polished Cotton isn't there, it's an old fabric type.

It is heavier than all but high end quilting Cotton. It's mostly used in home decor as washing it removes the polish. It's made by calendaring, which is putting it through 2 steel rollers or by putting a finish on it.

Garments need to be dry cleaned to preserve the finish. If you wash real polished Cotton you will weep. It also shrinks!

A few years ago at a yard sale my BFF found a roll of hand screen printed polished Cotton. It was a Japanese inspired large scale floral  in olives, russet colors, inky black on an off white ground. Gorgeous fabric. The lady gave it to her. She shared with me. I washed some of it.    It was still lovely  but no where near as beautiful. I was just petting it a few days ago.

[Catllar]

I just read that it's shiny cotton and the shine comes either from the weave or from being squashed between rollers during the manufacture - glad that's cleared that one up with those amazing detailed descriptions - hope it  helps.

Come to think of it I remember a dress my mum made me when I was just a gal - green, full skirt polished cotton.

[Lilian]

My bed linen is cotton sateen made by Dorma and it washes beautifully, no shrinking and the shine is still there after years of use.  The best sheets I have ever bought. 

[Greybird]

Chintz maybe?

[Esme866]

 Polished cotton! Yes, I remember it very well. Extremely popular in the 80's for both furniture and drapery.

And yes, I made a gorgeous red shirt to wear out at night with black buttons. Those were the days when I would stop by the fabric store on the way home from uni at 4:00 and leave the house wearing my new shirt complete with buttonholes and hand stitched hems by 10:30. No time for silly "pre-washing"! Good thing. After I washed it, it was just another shirt for work from then on.

If the pattern is from the big four, it's probably a recycled pattern from way back and no one thought to update the fabric choices.

[Iminei]

Chintz, I have a cushion cover in my lounge made from it.

[Elnnina]

Polished or glazed cotton was around back in the 1950's, in fact at the time of the Queen's Coronation she was seen wearing a brown and white spotted dress - that was probably this type of cotton as it was the 'thing' to wear.  I also remember a girl in my needlework class  making her garment out of this as well.  If I remember correctly this will show any pinholes/stitching that has been unpicked and you cannot remove these holes come what may.