I’ve encountered samite in I don’t know how many bits of historical fiction, but it’s only now that I wonder what it actually is! According to good ol’ Wikipedia, samite is a heavyweight silk fabric with a twill weave, although as time passed, the term came to be applied to any heavyweight fabric with a… 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. Kersey is a coarse woolen cloth, originally made in Kersey, in England, hence the name. Made from lower-quality wool with a twill weave it was thick and sturdy, and very warm. Very suitable for peasant… 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. (My candidate for most annoyingly non-specific term in the entire history of textiles – Ed.) A term to describe almost any woven fabric created with the worsted technique – in which long-staple fibers are carefully combed… 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. A rough twill or plain-weave fabric with linen warp (sometimes cotton) and wool weft. Warm, strong and cheap – at the time. Still created in limited quantities today for use by historical re-enactors. Given it’s… 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 allsport. Covert is a durable heavy-weight tweed of regular or worsted wool, suitable for overcoats. It’s very hard-wearing and water-resistant. Covert coats are mentioned in 19th century catalogs as outdoor garments suitable for… Read More »
Satin, sateen. How different can they be? About $3/yard, for starters. As satin was traditionally made from silk, sateen was created as a cheaper alternative. It’s a twill-woven cotton with some yarns ‘floated’ as per a satin weave – it’s not quite one or the other, although most of my textile books prefer to refer to… 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. Serge is a soft, durable twill-weave fabric. The pattern of the weave is very much like that of denim – steeply diagonal and reversible. In the 19th century, serge was a popular choice for military… Read More »
We all know what denim is, right? It’s what our jeans are made out of, what our little brother’s dungarees are made from and it’s, y’know, self-explanatory, right? Maybe so, but for the sake of completion… Denim is a dense twill weave fabric, traditionally made from pure cotton and featuring white yarns in the weft and… 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. A soft twilled silk or wool, similar to foulard, but heavier. The twill texture is very pronounced. I’ve seen it listed as a dress and coat material in 19th century catalogs. Today, it seems… 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. Historically, foulard was a fine soft silk or cotton in a twill weave, often printed with a small, repeating pattern. Superficially similar to surah. Today’s foulard is a twill woven from silk, acetate,… Read More »
Fabric For Cosplayers