Fabrics: Sateen

Sateen is a glossy, smooth fabric made in the satin weave but uses spun yarns instead of filament. Sateen is a fabric with a smooth front side and a rough plus dense backside. The term refers to the fabric’s weave, not the materials of the fabric. In most cases, sateen is made from cotton fibres, but you’ll also find sateen from other fibres like wool, polyester, and silk.

Characteristics:

A sateen weave is essentially a satin weave but using short staple yarns like cotton. The fabric produced is not as lustrous as the satin weave fabric but it is more durable. Sateen weave will generally take dye well and comes in a wide variation of colours and patterns. This fabric is suitable for upholstery with limited use, it is not as durable as some other types of fabric. I used this fabric on my dining chair but would be reluctant to use it again. The sateen weave marks easily and the filaments break easily leaving small holes or gaps in the weft threads.