Fabric 101: Voile 

Voile is a thin, semi-sheer type of fabric that is often used for lightweight summer blouses as well as breezy window drapes. The material is finely woven with a twisted weave that you can see upon close inspection of the fabric. This weave makes the fabric extremely breathable but also makes the material less durable overall.

Voile is a fairly comfortable fabric to wear, especially on hot summer days. However, it can be a little bit of a pain to work with. The lightweight and fine-woven properties of the fabric mean you have to treat it delicately to avoid snagging as you sew. Also, beware because voile will fray very easily.

Fabric	Voile
Texture?	Soft cotton-like texture
Stretch?	No stretch
Heavy or light?	lightweight
Stiff or flowy drape?	Crisp drape that is less structured than other types of cotton
Nap?	No nap
Typical fiber content?	Usually cotton
Opaque or sheer?	Usually sheer or semi-sheer
Shiny?	Non-shiny fabric
Fraying?	Frays very easily
Pilling and snagging?	Prone to pilling and snagging, especially low-quality voile
Cool or warm weather?	Voile is better for warm weather garments
What to make?	Voile is most often used for curtains and delicate home decor. In garments, it’s used for airy blouses, in addition to some skirts and dresses. Voile can also be used for accessories, such as scarves
What needle to use?	Use a small universal or microtex needle

What kind of fabric is voile?

Voile is a lightweight, semi-sheer fabric that has a somewhat crisp drape and fine texture that allows for breathability. This fabric is most often made using cotton, giving it a soft cotton texture, but some voile is made with some silk fiber added in to also add a bit of sheen to the otherwise matte fabric.

It’s a crisp fabric that also manages to have an elegant drape that makes it great for summer dresses and blouses. The semi-sheer, yet structured nature of voile makes it a good choice for summer curtains too, since it can soften bright sunlight while still keeping the room feeling nice and bright.

Originally, voile was made in only white and was intended to be used as a veil. However, it can be found in a wide range of colors now, and is rarely used for it’s original purpose.

What can you make with voile fabric?

Voile fabric is most often used for lightweight curtains or for breezy summer dresses and skirts. But, voile can be used for a wide variety of different projects. It’s used for anything from quilt backing, to the lining of clothes, lightweight scarves and wraps, and even lamp shades and decorative pillows.

Properties of voile fabric

• Texture: Voile fabric is soft and smooth with that soft cotton-like texture. 
• Weight: Voile is a lightweight fabric known for its light and airy nature.  
• Drape: Voile fabric is renowned for its airy drape. Its more crisp than it is flowy, but it still feels graceful when it shifts with your movement.
• Fiber composition: Voile is usually made from cotton. Silk and rayon are also fiber types used for voile occasionally.
• Opacity: Voile fabric is generally semi-transparent. While voile can partially obscure objects behind it, it still maintains a level of translucency. The extent of transparency in voile can vary depending on the specific weave, thickness, and color of the fabric. Lighter colors and thinner voile fabrics may be more see-through, while darker colors or heavier-weight voile fabrics may offer greater opacity.
• Shine: Voile fabric is not characterized as a shiny fabric. While it may have a subtle sheen, especially in silk voile variants, the overall appearance of voile typically has a cotton-like matte surface.
• Fraying: Voile has a tendency to fray relatively easily due to the loose weave and fine threads of the fabric. Handle the fabric with care and avoid excessive pulling or stretching to help prevent fraying.
• Durability: While it’s not the most delicate fabric out there, the loose weave and fine threads of voile make it more susceptible to catching on sharp objects or rough surfaces, leading to snags or pulls in the fabric.
• Wrinkling: Voile fabric is prone to wrinkling, especially if it’s stored incorrectly. I recommend hanging garments made from voile fabric to avoid significant creases.
• Breathability: Voile fabric lightweight and breathable, making is it an excellent choice for warm climates or when you desire something that allow for good airflow and comfort.

How to sew with voile fabric

Due to its loose weave and semi-transparent nature, voile can be a bit challenging to work with initially. The semi-sheer quality means that some of the inside elements of your garment will be visible through the fabric. You’ll want to step up your neatness game and consider using French seams to finish the raw edges.

Finishing your edges nicely is also important for voile because it tends to fray easily. Plain pinking shears probably won’t be enough to keep the edges from unraveling.

Despite these two challenges. Voile is a stable enough fabric to make it a good challenge for an advanced beginner. The 10th garment I ever made used voile fabric, and it came out pretty good for my skills at the time, so don’t be afraid to try this material, even if you’ve just recently started sewing.

Some tips for sewing with voile fabric:

• Use a smaller needle: A size 70 microtex needle or a size 60 or 70 universal needle is commonly used for this delicate fabric.
• Use a shorter stitch length: A stitch length of around 2.0mm to 2.5mm is usually good for voile fabric.
• You may need to self-stabilize: Since voile is typically semi-sheer, not all types of interfacing will work. Sometimes featherweight interfacings are transparent enough to not cause a problem. However, you may have to do self-interfacing with voile fabric, where you sew two layers of the voile fabric together to give it more stability.

How to care for voile fabric

Cotton voile fabric can be machine washed. However, you’ll want to select a delicate or gentle cycle with cold water and avoid using harsh detergents. It is also advisable to place voile items in a mesh laundry bag to protect them from getting tangled or snagged with other items in the wash. 

However, I learned the hard way that you don’t want to put voile garments into the dryer unless you want the material to get shrunken and twisted. Instead, air-dry the voile garments so the fabric can maintain its integrity.

How to iron or press voile

Voile is typically made out of cotton fibers, which means it can stand up to medium-high heat on an iron. This makes it pretty easy to press out wrinkles and creases.

Since voile is a fairly delicate fabric, you can also try steaming it to cause less friction while de-winkling the material. Steaming is quicker and generally gentler on the fabric. It’s also much quicker than ironing. If you don’t have a steamer in you garment care toolbox, I highly recommend getting one (simple handheld steamers are actually fairly cheap)