Have you ever started a sewing project, only to realize that you forgot to buy lining fabric? If so, you might have wondered whether you can use the muslin fabric you already have in your stash for the lining. The answer, fortunately, is yes, for some types of garments. Muslin can be used to line casual dresses and skirts made out of cotton or linen. However, muslin is not appropriate for lining more formal garments, such as suit jackets and pants. Always use soft, light- to medium-weight muslin (such as mull fabric) to line garments and remember to pre-wash the fabric before cutting to avoid shrinkage.
Pros and cons of lining with muslin
There are many benefits to lining a garment with muslin fabric. These include:
Relatively inexpensive. Lightweight muslin typically runs $3-7 per yard, making it one of the cheapest fabrics you can buy that is made out of natural fibers. Furthermore, many sewists already have a bolt of muslin in their stash that they use for making test garments, so this lining fabric is basically free.
Machine-washable. If you line a cotton garment with muslin fabric, you can throw the entire thing into the washing machine. By contrast, if you line with a silk fabric, you’ll most likely need to dry clean your garment.
Soft and breathable. Muslin is a loose-weave fabric made out of natural cotton fibers, which makes it a very breathable fabric.
No static. Unlike polyester, another lining fabric option with a similarly low price point, cotton muslin does not create static.
Easy to sew. Muslin fabric is very stable and easy to cut, press and sew. By contrast, silk lining fabrics are very slippery and they will shift during cutting and sewing, making it more difficult to construct the lining.
Dyes well. All cotton fabrics take dye well, and cotton muslin fabric is no exception. This gives you the option of dyeing the muslin to match the color of the fashion fabric.
On the other hand, there are a few downsides to lining a garment with muslin fabric, including:
Not slippery. Muslin fabric has a slightly rough texture which makes it cling to other garments. By contrast, silk and polyester have a smooth hand and they will glide over the body more smoothly.
Wrinkles easily. Like all natural fibers, cotton muslin fabric wrinkles relatively easily, so be prepared to iron your final lined garment frequently.
Shrinkage. Cotton muslin fabric will shrink when it is washed, so make sure to pre-wash your muslin fabric before you cut and sew the lining.
These properties should be borne in mind when deciding whether to line a garment with muslin fabric, as compared to other lining fabrics such as silk, polyester or rayon.
What types of clothing can you line with muslin?
Muslin is an excellent choice for lining casual summer dresses made out of cotton or linen. The breathability of muslin allows the wearer to stay cool even in hot temperatures, and the softness of muslin makes the dress feel nice against the skin. The muslin may also add some needed stiffness to the fashion fabric in the bodice of the dress, which is typically relatively structured and cut close to the body. This is particularly important in strapless dresses, which typically have a stiff bodice held up with boning that is inserted into channels sewn in the lining or interlining of the dress.
One other option to consider is to line only the bodice with muslin fabric, and either leave the skirt portion unlined or line it in a slippery fabric like silk crepe de Chine or polyester lining fabric. Lining the skirt in a slippery fabric will allow the skirt to glide over the legs, which many people find more comfortable.
On the other hand, muslin is not an appropriate choice for lining tailored jackets, pants and coats. This is because most people prefer for tailored garments to glide smoothly over the body, and to achieve that, the lining must be made out of a slippery fabric like silk crepe de Chine or charmeuse (unlike muslin, which has a rough texture that will cling to garments worn under the jacket or coat). Silk fabrics also give the garment a higher-end look and feel, which is more appropriate for workwear and eveningwear.
Muslin fabric is also not appropriate for lining garments made out of stretch fabrics. This includes any garment made out of knit fabric (such as t-shirts and jersey dresses) and any garment made out of a fabric with stretch (such as any fabric with lycra or spandex, which is typically used in activewear). Muslin is not appropriate for lining garments made out of stretch fabrics because muslin has no stretch.
The table below summarizes whether muslin can be used to line different types of garments:
| Garment | Line with muslin? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Casual dress with full skirt | Yes | Line the bodice in muslin and line the skirt in a slippery fabric like silk crepe de chine so that the skirt glides smoothly over the legs. |
| Casual shift or sheath dress | Yes | Line the entire dress (both bodice and skirt) in muslin fabric. |
| Strapless dress | Yes | Line the bodice in muslin. |
| Suit jackets and pants | No | Line with a slippery fabric like Bemberg lining, silk crepe de Chine or silk charmeuse. |
| Tailored wool coats | No | Line with a slippery fabric like Bemberg lining, silk crepe de Chine or silk charmeuse. |
| Garments made out of stretchy fabric | No | Line with lightweight stretchy fabric (e.g. tricot or jersey knits). |
What type of muslin should I use to line garments?
Use a loosely woven, light- to medium-weight muslin with a soft hand and a nice drape, like mull. You can use either bleached or unbleached muslin (the bleached version will look a bit more polished). Stay away from stiff, heavy-weight muslin – it will make the final garment feel stiff and scratchy, and it will affect the drape of the garment when worn. The only exception is when lining the bodice of a strapless dress, which may actually benefit from the stiffer hand of a heavier-weight muslin.
No matter which type of muslin you use, always, always remember to prewash the muslin fabric before you cut and sew it up into the lining. If you do not prewash, the lining will likely shrink the first time you wash your garment.
What else can I use muslin for when sewing garments?
Muslin is also a great fabric to use as interfacing to add structure to garments. For example, when sewing a tailored jacket or coat, muslin fabric can be used for the back stay (which helps stabilize the shoulder area of a jacket or coat) and chest shield (which gives body to the upper chest area of a garment, and is commonly found in men’s jackets). To learn more about using muslin as interfacing when sewing tailored garments, check out The Classic Guide to Sewing the Perfect Jacket, available here.
Muslin can also be used to underline fabrics that need a bit more structure. Simply baste the muslin fabric to the fashion fabric, then treat as a single piece when constructing your garment. To learn more about underlining fabrics with muslin, check out this blog post.
Muslin can also be used for pocket bags, if you want to have a pocket with a bit more structure.
Further recommended reading
Learn more about linings in my article on linings from Seamwork Magazine, available here. For an in-depth discussion of how to draft and sew linings, check out Easy Guide to Linings, available here.
