Part of the ‘Antique Fabrics’ series, this fabric isn’t necessarily extinct, but it was more popular in the past than the present. A heavy crepe fabric, with a more prominent texture than average. The fabric features distinctly wavy ridges along the warp. I’ve seen it referred to a lot in my 19th century catalog reproductions,… Read More »
Part of the ‘Antique Fabrics‘ series, this fabric isn’t necessarily extinct, but it was more popular in the past than the present. AKA poult-de-soie, and paduasoy A fine-corded silk fabric, made in a plain weave, but because of it’s semi-lustrous appearance, it can be mistaken for a satin weave. Quite luxurious. It’s still in use today for evening… Read More »
Oh boy, another HUGE term. Why? Because jacquard is a type of weaving, but the term has also come to mean the fabric produced by that weave. By the way, if you’re a computer geek, look up jacquard looms. Some folks maintain they were the first computers. They revolutionized the textile industry back in the… Read More »
Two things determine a fabric, the yarns used and how they’re assembled into fabric. Here’s a quick glossary. There are many more ways to weave and knit than are listed here, and I’ll add to the list over time, but these are the most common methods. Essential Terms Warp and Weft Warp yarns run the… Read More »
Simply put, polyester is plastic. Actually, Wikepedia tells me that the word polyester applies to a “category of polymers that contain the ester functional group in their main chain”, whatever that means. Around here, polyester refers to the synthetic fiber that is woven into a yarn referred to by the same name. Polyester gets a bad… Read More »
To paraphrase Wikipedia, silk is a natural protein fiber produced by certain insect larvae to form cocoons. The insect most commonly used in silk production is, obviously, the silkworm. Silk fiber has been used since prehistoric times. An individual strand of silk is smooth but not slippery (unlike its synthetic counterparts) and it’s strong for its… Read More »
Satin is recognizable for having a shine on the correct side and a dull “wrong” side. The shiny finish is accomplished by using a weaving technique whereby the weft threads (subtitle: the threads that run perpendicular to the selvedge edge) skip over the top of several of the warp threads, rather than going under every… Read More »
Crepe is a type of fabric in which the yarns are given a pronounced twist which results in a nubby texture on the surface. The texture may be subtle, or it can be quite pronounced. Crepe may be woven from almost any yarn and there are dozens of fabrics out there with a crepe texture.… Read More »
Charmeuse is a satin-weave fabric in which the weft threads float over three or more warp threads at a time. It’s different from satin in that it uses a different ratio of warp to weft threads (over and under) than satin does. Wonderful. What does that mean? That means charmeuse is a lightweight, shiny, slippery fabric, with a… Read More »
Brocade is a non-stretch woven fabric which features a repeated pattern or motif which is “floated” above the warp threads in a satin-style weave. The pattern can be felt by hand, as it’s raised above the background. The intention is to make those patterns appear as if they’ve been embroidered on to the fabric. The fiber… Read More »
Fabric For Cosplayers