Milk and sleep are the only things I’m able to think about these days, so it’s kind of funny that this story on milk fabric has popped up (via Spoonflower on Twitter). With the rising cost of cotton and the growing interest in more environmentally friendly textiles, maybe milk fabric will catch on. Well, the video and related news stories claim that milk fabric is environmentally friendly, but doesn’t go into specifics, so I’m not sure how accurate that is.

Moskaluk on Twitter pointed out that milk fiber is nothing new, and it’s true — a fabric called Aralac became popular around WWII because of the shortage of natural fibers. The late textile historian Joan Kiplinger wrote an article mentioning Aralac here* that says “when damp, this fabric smelled like sour milk, causing many consumer complaints!” Maybe the process developed by Ms. Domaske solves that problem.

Lo and behold, one of my vintage catalogs (spring/summer 1947) offers Aralac and Rayon/Aralac blends:

*Fabrics.net was recently redesigned and it looks like the formatting of the original articles was lost — try to look past the word salad because Joan’s columns are great.

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Tags: aralac, milk fabric, rayon, video, vintage fabric | Category: Fabric Study, Vintage Weekly

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{ Harmony Art‘s knit prints }

I have to admit, though I have a few yards of it in my stash, I’ve never sewn with knits in my life. But Stitch Simple‘s recent Great Knit Fabric Experiment is getting me motivated. If you aren’t already familiar with Stitch Simple, it’s an online shop offering pre-washed, pre-pressed, pre-cut, ready-to-sew fabrics. Knits are notorious for shrinking (3-12%!), so getting them pre-washed also means getting them pre-shrunk, which I think a lot of people would appreciate. Still, owner Jen wondered if she should add knits to her inventory of woven cottons, so she had the great idea of running an experiment-promotion thing.

She supplied six sewists with prewashed organic cotton knit fabric from Harmony Art in exchange for a review and tutorial on their blogs. The links to all the tutorials can be found here — below are some of the pictures of and links to some of the projects.

Ruffled skirt from Knitty Bitties

Knit blanket from Badlands Quilts

Armwarmers and Baby Knot Hat from Tie Dye Diva

And Stitch Simple is now carrying several Harmony Art prints and solids, in interlock, rib, and jersey varieties, for your own experiments.

{ images from Harmony Art, Knitty Bitties, Badlands Quilts, and Tie Dye Diva and used with permission }

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{ Some nicely ripped fabric from my stash. }

My post from a few weeks back Do You True Up? garnered lots of great feedback (both in the comments and via email), and I learned a thing or two, so I wanted to post a follow-up.

One big surprise for me was that it sounds like ripping is de rigueur outside the U.S. Non-U.S. folks, is this true? Are most fabrics ripped rather than cut from the bolt or roll? I’m thinking of fabric orders I’ve received from Japan, and they’re cut, if memory serves. Maybe there’s an online vs. brick & mortar divide at work here, too. And Chantal from the London, Ontario-based Hyggeligt wrote and said “I have quilters that would faint if I ripped their fabric and others that are pleased I would follow the [print] instead of being ‘true’.”

According to commenter Patsy, my trueing up instructions didn’t go far enough. She mentions that you have to wash first, then rip/pull a thread to true the ends, then ease to straighten the grain:

First, if fabric is washable, wash to remove sizing as she said, then pull a thread or rip to true ends. The next step is to fold the fabric with selvages and trued ends together. If there are funky diagonal folds on the folded edge of the fabric (where the original fold line was), then the fabric must be pulled/stretched to eliminate the problem. If you have more than a yard of fabric, you will need help to do this. To decide where to pull, slip the selvage edges separately until you have a folded edge w/no diagonals. You would pull the corner that is furthest away from you and the person at the other end of the fabric would do the same thing. You would be pulling opposite corners. If there are several yds of fabric, you would need to pull in several places along the selvage with your helper doing the same thing until you can fold the fabric and get no funky folds.

The poll results indicate that most of don’t put in much extra effort beyond folding selvage to selvage and cutting, and don’t expect fabric shops to do so either. However, there was a vocal minority in the comments who routinely find that their fabrics are not cut true to grain, and that doing so themselves at home results in the loss of a few inches up to a quarter yard (!) of fabric, which makes them mad. And rightly so. I think everyone, from shop owners to fabric buyers, would agree that when you order a certain amount of fabric, you should receive that amount of usable fabric.

I can understand how people might perceive ripping as a brutal and careless way to remove fabric from the bolt, and a few commenters said they don’t like how it results in wavy/slightly stretched edges, but probably at least as many (including myself) prefer the rip.

I don’t think I’ve ever been given the choice, but I think if shops asked customers if they had a preference for cutting or ripping, experienced sewists would appreciate it, and it would be a chance to provide newbies with a little education. (A couple commenters said their local fabric shops use the thread-pulling method — wow!) Then again, I can also see how that would result in waste and potential chaos. Customer A wants it ripped, then Customer B wants the same fabric cut and doesn’t like the looks of the ripped edge, so the retailer has to cut a little off before cutting B’s length. Customer C wants the fabric cut true to the print and doesn’t care about grain, and the print is slightly off-grain, so after C leaves, the cut edge coming off the bolt is un-true, which means more waste trueing up for Customer D. I don’t blame retailers for wanting to stick to one method.

Indeed, most of the shop owners who responded to the post balked at the prospect of having to judiciously true up their fabrics. Anything that adds extra time or wastes fabric from the bolt can really add up, eventually hurting a shop’s bottom line, especially in These Tough Economic Times. Again, I think ripping is a good solution — it is faster and results in less waste — but if a portion of customers don’t like it, is it worth it?

Rhea from Alewives Fabrics shares her solution in this very helpful comment) — she cuts a couple inches extra (she uses a thumb’s length). That costs her extra (she even runs down the numbers), but it is enough to allow the customer to true up at home according to his or her preferences and, in the vast majority of cases, still end up with the amount of fabric they paid for. Of course, we’re now getting into pricing issues, which is a whole big sensitive issue unto itself that needs to be addressed here eventually.

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Tags: economics, grain, sewing, shopping, trueing up | Category: Fabric Study

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This blog will turn three years old in just a couple months, and I haven’t yet written a post about the sewing term after which this site is named — trueing up. For shame! Well, let’s make up for lost time.

“True up” means means to make balanced, straight, square. In sewing, it means to make a piece of fabric true to grain with a cut or rip. (You might want to (re)visit the Know Your Weaves post if you’re not familiar with lengthwise and crosswise grain, and the three basic weaves: plain, twill, and satin.)

Why True Up? Unless you’re intentionally bias-cutting your fabric to make trim or a drapey, bias-cut garment, un-true pieces don’t behave well — they can stretch and get distorted with just normal handling. Misbehaving fabrics mean hard-to-align pieces, can make even seams difficult to achieve, and makes the fabric hang oddly. If you’re working with directional prints, the lines will end up slightly off-kilter.

How Do You Know a Fabric is True? With plain weave fabrics (most quilting cottons are plain weave), a thread pulled from one corner will come off cleanly across the entire cut edge.

How to True Up? That depends on the fabric and your personal preferences. It seems like most books recommend the “fold fabric selvage to selvage, smooth, and cut” method. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong (I’d love to hear your thoughts!), but that still often results in a somewhat off-grain cut.

So, I’m a ripper. That means: snip through the selvage, and rip through the width of the fabric. You can also rip lengthwise. That usually means you lose a 1/4-1/2 inch or so of fabric along the ripped edge, which gets kind of distorted and wavy, but if your fabric HAS to be true, that’s the best way, in my opinion.

Another method is the thread-pulling method, as shown in the picture above. You snip through the selvage, find a crosswise thread sticking out to grab hold of, and pull it. (This works well for lengthwise cuts too.) In most cases, this will create a noticeable (and true) line that serves as a cutting guide. However, it can be very tedious!

Some fabrics don’t rip, or won’t rip both crosswise and lengthwise — plain-weave linen, satin weave fabrics, and twill weave fabrics, to name a few — so you have to choose one of the other methods.

And oh yeah. Sometimes you’ll never get a piece of fabric trued up because it’s poorly manufactured. The print is skewed off-grain, or the grain itself is messed up (e.g. the cross grain won’t be perfectly perpendicular to the lengthwise grain). If you get one edge true and notice the print is skewed relative to it, or if you true both edges but the edges won’t match up when the piece is folded selvage to selvage and smoothed, you’ve got some problem fabric on your hands. Take it back!

Just thinking. Maybe this is more a question for shop owners — do you make sure your cuts are true? Buyers, would you notice/care if the fabrics you buy are cut perfectly on grain? I think that might be a nice selling point, and one I haven’t seen used before. “Guaranteed True.” Maybe I could make a logo for that. I imagine that there’s just not enough demand, or that the demand doesn’t justify the added time and potential waste fabric for the retailer. But I’m still curious …

Because I haven’t done one in ages, a little poll (RSS subscribers, you might need to jump over to the site to answer the questions) …

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Tags: grain, plain weave, poll, satin weave, sewing, shopping, trueing up, twill weave, weaves | Category: Fabric Study

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1. Abstract Elements – tie-dye textures that take inspiration from the earth such as minerals and other organic matter. pattern by Emma Schonenberg for Theo & Hugh, El Salvador

2. Baroque Opulence – rich, ornamental, embroidery inspired designs with an antique feel. pattern by Studio L2 Design, USA

3. Bohemian Folk – geometrics, paisleys and floral designs influenced by Ballets Russes. pattern by Gather No Moss, UK

4. Eastern Color Block – influenced by Bauhaus and Mondrian with a hand painted feel. pattern by BG 2770, USA

5. Ink Blot Camos – watercolor and ink spots create an organic update. pattern by Studio L2 Design, USA

6. Photo based Prints – 3D and chromatic aberrations. pattern by Oaffi, USA

7. Pop Art Conversationals – bold, outlined shapes take inspiration from Roy Lichtenstein’s technique. pattern by Pattern People, USA

8. Shanghai Florals – stylized Asian florals with a slick nighttime feel. pattern by by Margherita Leonardi, Italy

9. Tribal Wash – ethnic prints that are hand-painted yet look as if rain has washed part of the design away. pattern by Margherita Leonardi, Italy

10. Under the Microscope – science and design collide with detailed images shown in overblown scale. pattern by Ana Romero, Portugal

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The first recap of the recent Fabric Design Weekend in Atlanta is — Ellen of The Long Thread shares a big list of low-tech fabric printing techniques. Copy that list and paste it into your crafty bucket list!

Update: Event host Deborah has a recap with plenty of pictures here.

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Tags: fabric design, fabric printing | Category: Fabric Study

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Via Wren, I learned that this year is the 250th birthday of toile. She created two toile patterns (including “Darling Toile,” above) in honor of her native South Africa for the design magazine Visi. They’re free for download from this link. Even if you’re not interested in toile or modern twists on it, it’s worth visiting the link for the mini-tutorial on how to create a half-drop repeat.

Toile was born in 1760 in Jouy-en-Josas, France. Traditionally, a toile (or “Toile de Jouy“) features pastoral scenes, people at leisure, and mythological figures, drawn in dark blue, red, or black on a white background. They were originally printed with etched copper plates, later to be replaced by copper rollers. Today, toile is associated with elegance and class. It’s a style that begs to adapted as a tribute to a place or person, as Wren has done, or in parody. Take a look …

Glasgow Toile by Timorous Beasties depicts “the under-belly of urban social realism,” with “images of drug and alchohol abuse [framed] in the context of some of Glasgow’s most famous architectural landmarks and public spaces.”

Domestic Element‘s Jessica Smith has several updated toiles in her portfolio:

South Beach Toile: “Alligators beware, your land of sun has been taken over by tourist in Panama hats sipping martinis, body builders with poodles, and bikini clad ladies in strappy Manolo Blahnik.”

“Trash Day, a contemporary Toile, represents the pastoral of modern life.”

Toilette of Venus: “It makes perfect sense that the goddess of beauty may need a little help from time to time.”

Also check out Sheila Bridges‘ Harlem Toile wallpaper and fabric. She writes that she was interested in the stories told and the questions raised by traditional toile and created her own to “[lampoon] some of the stereotypes deeply woven into the African American experience.” (via this discussion of toile on The Textile Blog.) (And just to let you know, I’m not leaving out the image because it’s controversial, but because the thumbnails are too small!)

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Tags: digital textile printing, domestic element, france, sheila bridges, timorous beasties, toile, toile de jouy | Category: Fabric Study

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Seersucker gets its characteristic puckered texture from a special weaving process. Some warp yarns are put on the loom with regular tension, while others are put on loosely. It’s the loose columns that become puckered once the fabric is removed from the loom. Though the terms “seersucker” and “plissé” are often used interchangably, plissé gets its texture chemically from an application of caustic soda.

This fabric is synonymous with summer. Though it can be made in practically any weight from a variety of fibers, it’s usually lightweight cotton. The wrinkles create air pockets that help cool the skin. And, added bonus, since the wrinkles are part of the charm, it usually doesn’t need ironing.

Above: 1960s star print seersucker in cream, orange, turquoise, brown, and yellow, from acafterglow on Etsy. $14/yard; six yards available.

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Terry cloth is a uncut-pile weave fabric. Pile fabrics (which also include velvet and corduroy) are made with an extra set of yarn looped through a ground weave or knit. If these loops are cut you get a fuzzy cut-pile fabric, but terry cloth is uncut and its loops result in added absorbency. You can see how it’s woven by hand in this video.

In the 1970s-80s, terry cloth got to escape the bathroom and enjoy several years in the form of fly rompers, sundresses, and jogging suits. You don’t see too many printed terry cloth fabric on the market anymore, though maybe Japan will change that.

This vintage psychedelic terry cloth stash is from The Tin Thimble on Flickr — check out her vintage fabric and sewing shop on Etsy.

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Phillipa by artist Grayson Perry, part of last year’s Liberty of London Art Collection. Spotted at Purl Soho in three colorways. I like how the bikes interlock.

Bicycle fabrics by Aunt June — she says they were in fact inspired by Erin’s vintage bike fabric!

A Japanese double gauze with multiple prints spanning the width of the fabric, at eQuilter.

Bicycle sketch fabric from Timeless Treasures, also from eQuilter.

Bicycles make an appearance in the new Echino Ni-Co collection, just arriving in shops. Image from Fabricworm.

And of course I haven’t forgotten Heather Ross‘ Dream Bikes from Lightning Bugs & Other Mysteries, but I couldn’t find a good quality image of it to post!

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