Calico is a woven fabric. It is made from cotton that is unbleached. This unbleached cotton usually has not been treated much. This means that the fabric has little black specks of seed and is quite stiff. Washing the fabric will soften it, remove the seeds and also cause the fabric to shrink quite a bit.
there is chalk (CaCo3) in the water, which makes the water "hard"... i.e. if you wash your clothes, the fabric becomes stiff. But adding an agent to the chalky water will "soften" it, this means that the chalk will chemically be removed.
wash it, then dry it with 2 tennis balls in the dryer, let them bounce around in there and it will be softer when you are done, using some fabric softener in the wash will also help.
Stiff and bulky
Yes, it can be, but it will be stiff because the fabric is so thick.
Mainly to prevent wrinkling and soften clothes
linen is a type fabric which is thin and stiff
Fabric Softener??
no
You can get a spray painted jacket soft by washing it as directed. Then, place it in the dryer on medium heat and use several dryer sheets to soften the jacket.
You can use fabric softener or dryer sheets and stuff but other than that i dont know.
There are many types of netted fabric. Chances are, you're thinking of stiff tulle. It's incredibly cheap but also difficult to sew.