Bobbie Goods Pintado Coelho

What You Need to Know Before Buying Pintado Coelho

I ran into this fabric about a year ago when someone in a Brazilian sewing group asked whether it was worth the hype. It is, but not for the reasons most sellers push. The pattern name translates to "painted rabbit," and Bobbie Goods uses it on a few of their cotton prints. The fabric itself is a medium-weight cotton, usually around 130 g/m², with a slightly nubby hand. It dyes well and holds color without bleeding during normal washes, but you will run into a couple of edge cases if you rush the process.

bobbie goods pintado coelho

Here is what actually happens when you work with this material. The weave has a subtle slub that gives it character, but that same texture means straight lines tend to deviate by about two millimeters per meter unless you pre-wash and iron it under moderate tension. I learned that the hard way on a curtain project where the left and right panels didn't align at the top because I skipped the preshrink step. My workaround was simple: soak the fabric in lukewarm water with a tablespoon of white vinegar for twenty minutes, then line-dry it before cutting. The slubs settle down after that first wash and the grain becomes predictable again. Pattern matching on the rabbit motif works if you pay attention to the repeat size. Bobbie Goods lists the drop repeat as roughly 50 centimeters on most pintado coelho runs, though some batches vary by a centimeter or two. If your project requires matching across seams — like a dress front or a pillow panel — cut with a half-repeat allowance and mark each piece with chalk before laying them side by side. Do not trust the printed edge; the selvage area often has a slightly different tension from the main field, which throws off alignment when you sew.

Where to Get It and What to Watch For

The fabric is sold through a small number of authorized resellers, mostly in Brazil and Portugal. The official Bobbie Goods site sometimes carries it, but stock rotates quickly. I usually check the retailer's Instagram stories or their weekly restock emails because the pattern sells out within days of being listed. When you find a seller, verify that the listing shows the lot number. Two different dye lots can shift the shade noticeably, especially on the lighter blue variants of pintado coelho. Mixing lots in one project is possible, but the color difference becomes obvious under direct sunlight.

Practical Tips That Actually Matter

Use a 80/12 microtex needle if you are sewing delicate garments. The slub texture catches on larger needle eyes and can create snags. Pair that with a slightly smaller stitch length — around 2.0 millimeters — and your seams will hold without puckering. For heavier projects like tote bags or upholstery, a standard 90/14 needle works fine, but switch to a roller foot if your machine allows it. The fabric drapes differently than plain cotton, and a walking foot keeps the layers feeding evenly.

Pre-washing is non-negotiable if the final garment will go through a dryer. Even though the cotton is pre-shrunk to some degree, the first hot wash will still shrink the fabric by about three to five percent. I measured this on swatches I kept from earlier projects. Skipping that step means your finished item comes out smaller than the pattern suggests, and no amount of seam allowance adjustment fixes it after the fact.

Common Mistakes Beginners Make

People often try to press pintado coelho with high heat to set the seams. That is a mistake. The cotton blend used by Bobbie Goods responds better to a medium iron setting with steam, but pressing too hot will flatten the slub texture and make the fabric look overly smooth and uniform. The whole point of choosing this material is the slight texture, so preserve it. Use a pressing cloth if you need extra protection, and avoid dragging the iron across the surface. Lift and place instead of sliding. Another issue is cutting without accounting for the nap direction. The pintado coelho print has a slight directional quality, even though it is not a true one-way print. Laying pieces randomly on the fabric can result in the rabbit motifs appearing upside down on different panels. Flip your pattern pieces and align them in the same orientation before cutting. It adds five minutes to the process, but it prevents awkward visual mismatches later.

When This Fabric Is Not the Right Choice

If you are making something that requires sharp, crisp edges like structured bags or stiff collars, pintado coelho is not ideal. The drape is too soft and the slub texture prevents clean creasing. In those cases, a plain-weave cotton or a poplin would serve you better. The fabric also does not hold structure well for corsetry or boned garments. You can use it for loose-fitting items, flowy dresses, and casual shirts, but anything that needs rigidity will fight you.

For reference, the approximate price per meter ranges between twelve and eighteen reais depending on the reseller and current availability. Bulk discounts are rare, but some shops offer them if you order over three meters. Shipping costs can add another five to ten reais domestically. If you are outside Brazil, expect customs fees on top of that, and those fees vary by country.

Final Notes

Nothing to wrap this up with. Just work with the fabric as it is, accept the quirks, and plan your cuts accordingly. The result will be better than if you tried to force it into a mold it was never meant to fit.