Learn about craft, haberdashery and every day accessories used for fabrics, also their usage and properties.
Fleece as a fabric can be made up from different yarns, whether that is a natural yarn like natural wool, cotton or a man-made fibre like a polyester or a cotton and poly blend. The natural fibres are woven together to create a soft and warm textured material. The polyester yarns are created by a polymer being hardened and then spun to create some fibres.
As the name suggests sheeting fabric has been used for bedlinen and a cover sheet over for many different projects. It is a widely available fabric purchased around the world as an economical material for the end use. It is usually made up from 100% cotton or a new development of this material has been the addition of polyester as a blend, this can ensure the durability and the longevity of the material.
Some sheeting materials have been treated to flatten any slubs and textures that can build within the material, this also creates a blank canvas ready for the dying process. This helps the dyes deepen and stain better.
Continue reading “Sheeting Fabric material its applications and treatment”Gingham is a lighter fabric made up from either 100% cotton or a cotton blend mixed with polyester like a polycotton or other fibres depending on the end use. Gingham is a traditional name originating from Malaysia, however, during the 17th century when the fabric was imported in to Europe other countries such as India, Indonesia and even France have claimed the fabric to have originated from there.
The unique quality of the material is the bright coloured stripe and then evolved in to a chequered design similar to other plaid fabrics.
India and Indonesia were able to produce large quantities of gingham due to the scale of production of the textile/ linen industry. Gingham was originally made with three main colourways, red and white, blue and white or yellow and white. The dyes used were all natural like madder, indigo and turmeric. Natural dyes were easily accessed in India and Indonesia therefore production was on a larger scale and able to export to other continents.
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The material has always been a popular option throughout the world, especially in America throughout the southern states during the 1920’s up until the late 80’s when gingham started to change dramatically and other designs and materials became popular. Internationally gingham represents different spiritual symbolisms and uses compared to other countries using gingham as a practical fabric.
Continue reading “Gingham Fabrics and its usage in accessories and clothing”
Cotton canvas waxed is also known as Barbour wax after the famous brand Barbour and their outdoor garments. Cotton canvas is available with or without wax the difference between both depends on the end use and what you would like the material to do.
Cotton canvas alone is not a waterproof fabric, instead it is just a natural material and the fibres will absorb the water.
Waxed canvas has an application of wax, which is applied during the weaving process and the options are either a paraffin wax or something more expensive like beeswax, both types of wax will perform in similar ways. The wax ensures the material is waterproof and protected from this layer of wax which is embedded in to the fabric covering each fibre.
Continue reading “Cotton Canvas Waxed”Faux suede is an alternative for suede, the name is self-explanatory and any product with faux or actual suede will be highlighted and labelled as the correct name. Suede is one of the bottom layers of leather; it is a little fury with a longer pile making this the softer layer of a hide. Cow, goat and lamb hides are used to create suede products.
Suede was originally used to create gloves and other thermal products. However, it is not now to create a lining on leather goods like shoes, bags and wallets. This helps line the products with a softer material but still create a luxury product.
Continue reading “Faux Suede and its usage in fashion accessories, clothing and upholstery”Lace has been around for centuries some older than others, corded lace was initially produced in the 16th century in France. Alencon lace is another name for corded lace as it was produced in a small town in France named Alencon prior to the French revolution.
Corded lace is a three-dimensional lace, where the woven patterned lace is lined or layered with an extra thread that may be twisted or a much thicker yarn to create this design. The highlighted sections stand out and give an extra dimension to the lace making it very different compared to the usual lace.
Wadding is used as padding for quilts or certain upholstery products. There are many different types of wadding and they are all based upon the production techniques and the material used to create the wadding such as cotton, polyester or wool. Wadding can come in different thicknesses to suit the application, it is a lightweight material used to create some thickness and padding but at the same time it won’t weigh down the end product.
The production method of wadding is similar to felting to create this airy light material with fibres that are structured in a way similar to tangling that is so they don’t split or separate. Continue reading “Wadding fabric types and applications”
Polycotton is made up of a percentage of cotton and another percentage of polyester creating this combination fabric. The usage would depend on the percentage of each material, as different combinations would give a different finish and have different properties.
Cotton is a natural staple fibre made from the cotton plant that is a shrub native to the hotter climates such as Central America, South America, Africa, the Arab peninsula and Asia. The fibres are spun, dyed and woven to create cotton.
Polyester is a man made fabric using synthetic and natural plant cuticles to create a new fabric that has imitated other natural fabrics but with better qualities or more advantages.
The two combined create a semi natural fabric that will have more advantages then just cotton, as the polyester can help with waterproofing or insulating the fabric. Also it can help with protection qualities such as strength and making it abrasion resistant.
Continue reading “Composition of Polycotton, its properties and applications”
Linen is a natural fibre made from flax or also known as linseed. It is part of the Linaceae family of plants. The fibres are taken from the stem of the plant and usually the fibres are smooth and straight, the fibres can be up to three times stronger then cotton.
Flax can be knotted, spun or dyed to create linen. It is one of the oldest fabrics dating back to the early civilizations such as the Egyptians where they would use linen to mummify the body and use it as normal clothes to wear everyday.
The texture of linen is smooth and cool to touch, the fibres are very smooth so the fabric is usually lint free, however you can get small bumps along the fibres called slubs. Linen is very popular to wear in the summer months worldwide due to the cooling properties, it usually comes in lighter pastel colours but it can be dyed to a range of different colours. The natural lustre of linen is great as it is an added extra to the fabric.
Continue reading “Linen properties and applications in Upholstery and other projects”
At EU Fabrics we have a wide variety of craft fabrics and haberdashery products. Craft fabrics have special characteristics that makes it suitable to use for crafts. Craft fabrics can be used for clothing but many people have started using it to make bags, card making, felt products and general artistic projects.
More recently there has been a huge interest in crafting and quilting as a hobby. With all the recent TV programmes on Knitting, quilting and crafting this has generated a huge interest within the crafting industry. We at EU Fabrics have added many craft and quilting fabrics and accessories to cater for these needs. We have added craft fabrics like fat quarters, crafting fabrics that can make quilts and hessian fabric which is an amazing multi-dimensional fabric.
Alongside craft fabrics we have a wide selection of craft accessories. Not only craft fabric is a major source of inspiration but the accessories that come with designing craft works are in the thousands. We stock items ranging from card making supplies, glues and adhesives, quilting supplies.
