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| A piece of calico used in a shopping bag |
Calico is a plain-woven textile made from unbleached, and often not fully processed, cotton. It may contain unseparated husk parts, for example. The fabric is less coarse and thick than canvas or denim, but owing to its unfinished and undyed appearance, it is still very cheap. Originally from the city of Kozhikode,Kerala, India (known by Europeans as Calicut in the 11th century). The fabric was made by the traditional weavers called chaliyans. The raw fabric was dyed and printed in bright hues and calico prints became popular in Europe.
Calico originated in Kozhikode, India (also known as Calicut) during the 11th century. It was mentioned in Indian literature by the 12th century when the writer Hemacandra described calico fabric prints with a lotus design. By the 15th century calico from Gujarat made its appearance in Egypt. Trade with Europe followed from the 17th century onwards. Calico was woven using Surat cotton for both the warp and weft.
TERMINOLOGY:
In the US:
- Calico—cotton fabric with a small, all-over floral print [8]
- Muslin—simple, cheap equal weft and warp plain weave fabric in white, cream or unbleached cotton and/or a very fine, light plain weave cotton fabric (sometimes called muslin gauze).
- Muslin gauze—the very lightest, most open weave of muslin.
- Gauze—any very light fabric, generally with a plain weave
- Cheesecloth—extremely soft and fine cotton fabric with a very open plain weave.
In the UK, Australia and New Zealand:
- Calico—simple, cheap equal weft and warp plain weave fabric in white, cream or unbleached cotton.
- Muslin—a very fine, light plain weave cotton fabric.
- Muslin gauze—muslin.
- Gauze—extremely soft and fine cotton fabric with a very open plain weave.
- Cheesecloth—gauze.
