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John Louden Fabrics

John Louden is one of those brands that turns up in fabric shops all over the country without ever shouting about itself. It dates its founding to Manchester in 1926, supplying suiting cloth to bespoke tailors, and over the best part of a century has moved into craft, quilting and dressmaking fabrics. Today it's a Lancashire-based brand supplying independent fabric shops, and it's a dependable, keenly priced workhorse.
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Some fabric brands are bought for their name and some are bought because they do the job at a fair price. John Louden is firmly the second sort, which is why it has ended up in so many independent fabric shops. The cotton is consistent, the prints are cheerful without being cheap, and the price sits at a level that makes it sensible for the things you make in quantity: bunting, bags, aprons, quilts, children's clothes and everything that gets cut up in a workshop.

The brand

John Louden dates its beginnings to Manchester in 1926, selling men's suiting cloth to bespoke tailors, before moving to Leeds to supply clothing manufacturers and later broadening into ladies', children's and craft fabrics. It is now part of a Lancashire textile business, and sells through independent fabric shops rather than direct to the public, which is the reason you'll recognise the name from other shops but won't find a brand shop of its own.

Its ranges carry Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, which tests for harmful substances in textiles, and some lines are additionally tested to the EN71-3 toy safety standard. That matters if you're sewing for babies and small children, or making soft toys. Certification covers specified ranges and colourways rather than every individual print, so check the individual product page if it's essential for your project.

What the fabric is like

The core of the brand is craft and quilting cotton: 100% cotton, typically around 110cm wide and a light to mid weight, printed and woven. It presses crisply, takes a seam cleanly and is easy to sew, which makes it a good choice for anyone learning as well as for anyone making a lot of something. The brand also produces a wider range than most people realise, taking in batiks, colour-woven cottons and blenders, jersey, denim and extra-wide quilt backing.

What we're stocking at the moment

Our current selection leans towards seasonal and novelty prints: a substantial Christmas cotton range covering holly, mistletoe, berries and festive characters, alongside animal and novelty designs, plus double sided stretch fleece in plain shades. Seasonal ranges arrive well ahead of the season they're for, so the Christmas cottons land in good time for anyone who plans their making. The grid above is the definitive list of what's in stock today, and there's more festive cloth across our full Christmas fabric collection.

Sewing and care

Quilting-weight cotton is about as straightforward as fabric gets: an ordinary needle, an ordinary stitch length, and it presses beautifully. Wash before you cut if the finished item will be laundered, since cotton can shrink a little on a first wash, and keep to a moderate temperature to protect the print. Follow the care guidance on the individual product page.

What sort of fabric is John Louden?

Principally craft and quilting cotton: 100% cotton, typically around 110cm wide, in a light to mid weight, both printed and colour-woven. The brand's range is broader than that reputation suggests and also takes in batiks, cotton jersey, denim and extra-wide quilt backing. What we hold at any one time is shown in the grid above.

Is John Louden fabric good quality?

It's a dependable mid-market brand rather than a luxury one, and that's the point of it. The cotton is consistent from roll to roll, prints cleanly and sews easily, and the price makes it sensible for projects that use a lot of fabric. Its ranges carry Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, which tests for harmful substances, and some lines are also tested to the EN71-3 toy safety standard.

Is John Louden cotton safe for baby and children's items?

Its ranges carry Oeko-Tex Standard 100 certification, and some lines are additionally tested to EN71-3, the toy safety standard covering migration of certain elements, which is the relevant test for soft toys. Certification applies to specified ranges and colourways rather than to every print individually, so if this matters for your project, check the individual product page or ask us before ordering.

How wide is John Louden fabric?

The craft and quilting cottons are typically around 110cm, or roughly 43 inches, which is the standard width for quilting cotton. Other fabrics in the brand's range run wider, up to extra-wide quilt backing designed to cover a quilt without a join. The exact width of any given fabric is listed on its product page, and it's worth checking before you calculate how much you need.

Does John Louden fabric shrink?

Cotton generally shrinks a little on its first hot wash, so wash the fabric before you cut if the finished item is going to be laundered, particularly for quilts and children's clothes where a later shrink would distort the piece. Keep the temperature moderate to protect the print, and follow the guidance on the individual product page.

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