I’m lumping these three together for reasons that will become apparent as you read. The alpaca, llama and vicuña are three closely-related South American mammals and they’re all used for (among other things) yarn made from their sheared hair. The collection and processing of their hair for textile use is very similar to that for sheep,… Read More »
Lurex is a brand name for a type of metallic-coated plastic yarn that’s become synonymous with the fabric it’s made into. It’s a shiny, stretchy knit which just screams evening-wear and other fabulous uses. Lurex was really popular in the sixties, seventies and eighties – especially for slinky cocktail dresses. Go to Etsy and type… Read More »
Hoo. Jersey is one of those terms that gets applied to a lot of fabrics, with a varying degree of accuracy, so let’s nail this down. Jersey is a knitted fabric, made with lightweight yarns of natural or artificial origin. Back in the day, it was made of fine wool in the Jersey Islands of… Read More »
I mentioned elastane in the Introduction to Fibers page, but there’s always room for more information. Spandex is a brand name that has become synonymous with the generic thing that it represents – like Kleenex and Xerox and Google. Technically, Spandex is a trademarked fabric using elastane as one of its main components. What’s elastane?… Read More »
I’m mentioning this because it’s popping up a lot on some popular fabric websites. “Hatchi knit” is a brand name. Whoever’s behind it seems to be churning out light-weight knits made of cotton-poly blends and pure polyester. I’ve seen it in solids, stripes and some multicolored prints – all very much following current fashion trends.… Read More »
At first glance, fleece looks a lot like flannel. It’s a soft fabric, napped on one or both sides. It comes in a variety of solid colors and printed patterns and can be used for loungewear and children’s wear – although you’re not going to see a guy in a fleece suit any time soon… Read More »
Boiled wool yardage Boiled wool is a woolen fabric that has been woven or knitted, and then subjected to heat and agitation to make it shrink. This is very similar to how felt can be made and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably – albeit not by your local historian. Unlike felt, boiled wool doesn’t… Read More »
Velour is a woven stretch fabric with a short, fuzzy, pile. Visually, it is very similar to velvet and velveteen. Unlike those other two, though, velour is a stretch fabric. In fact, it’s sometimes called “stretch velvet” by retailers. The degree of stretch depends on the fibers used and other factors. But, as a rule, your… Read More »
Fabric For Cosplayers