Choosing A Fabric To Fit Your Decorating Scheme

 

Fabric is by no means limited to uses such as drapery, upholstery, tablecloths and spreads. It can actually produce striking effects on walls. Fabric can be glued to wood furniture, headboards and outer shower curtains. It can also be used as a decorative liner for display cabinets and open hutch tops. And don't forget about the fabric ceiling... applied like wallpaper or tented. Bed decoration enlists the use of fabric for spreads, canopies, pillow shams, bolster covers and dust ruffles. And fabric dividers can be used to semi-partition rooms.

Fabric Dictionary

Acetate - man-made fiber consisting of cellulose acetate and used in many luxury fabrics. It's quick drying, needs a cool iron. Rayon acetate is often used in drapery fabric. 

Acrylic - man-made fiber often used in knitted fabrics. Its characteristics are warmth and bulk without weight. It can give great shape retention and wrinkle resistance to fabrics.

Anidex - new fiber similar in use to elastic-type spandex yarns. It is, however, much more resistant to heat, sunlight, and chemicals, but has less elongation stretch.

Antique Lace - handmade bobbin lace made with heavy thread and square knotted mesh. Similar types of lace can be found in drapery fabrics.

Antique Taffeta - crisp lustrous fabric with slubbed yarns resembling types made before silk was finely cultivated. Formal draperies and bedspreads are frequently made from antique taffeta.

Appenzell - Swiss hand embroider done with a buttonhole stitch.

Applique - separate design which is sewn or attached to a cloth.

Arabesque - ornamental, geometrically balanced design in scrolled effects.

Bainin - hand woven Irish woolen cloth made in the Aran Islands.

Bark Cloth - non woven material made in the tropics from the inner bark of trees, soaked and beaten out to the required thinness, then dyed or ornamented with printed patterns. Also woven drapery fabric that imitates the rough appearance of bark cloth.

Basket Weave - interlaced weave resembling a plaited basket. Cotton blended with synthetic makes a strong and good-looking basket weave for slipcovers and upholstery.

Batik - Javanese process of wax-dyeing fabric. Parts of cloth are coated with wax which is then cut to shape the design. Only the uncovered parts of the cloth take the dye. Batik effects are also simulated in printing. The prints, tropical in nature, are good for summery rooms as slipcovers and laminated on shades.

Batiste - sheer fabric, once cotton or silk and now constructed of man-made fibers as well. Named for Jean Baptiste, a French linen weaver.

Benares - silk and metal tissue made in Benares, India.

Bias Tape - double or single fold of tape cut on the bias and used to bind edges.

Blends - mixed yarns that often combine natural fibers with synthetics.

Block Print - ancient process of applying design by means of carved wooden blocks.

Bolt - entire length of cloth from a loom.

Bonding - uniting of two fabrics to make a stronger cloth. Fabrics can be bonded to a number of materials including knit and foam. A lightweight fabric can be bonded to knit for a heavier weight and then be used for upholstery.

Botany - generic word for fine wool used interchangeably with merino wool.

Boucle - tightly looped fabric that is very sturdy. It's particularly good for covered pieces that take a lot of wear and tear.

Braid - round or tubular narrow fabric for binding or trimming.

Bretenne Lace - net with embroidered designs of heavy thread.

Broadcloth - closely woven fabric with lustrous finish made of many different fibers and blends.

Brocade - raised, figurative designs on lustrous fabric.

Brocatelle - heavy furniture and drapery fabric similar to brocade but with figures in high relief.

Burlap - jute fabric that is coarse and plainly woven. Its uses include both wall coverings and drapery.

Butcher Linen - coarse, homespun linen. The texture is now simulated in synthetics.

Calico - plain, closely woven printed cotton originating in East India.

Canvas - cotton linen, or man-made fiber in heavy weave.

Casement Cloth - airy, open weave fabric most often used as draperies or curtains.

Challis - supple, plain weave fabric, often wool, and printed in small floral or paisley designs.

Chinoiserie - Oriental inspired designs.

Chintz - glazed cotton fabric often printed. Although it appears delicate, chintz is a rugged fabric. This makes it a good cloth for slip-covers, bedspreads, and wall upholstery.

Cire - patent-leather glaze on surface of a fabric produced by application of wax, heat, and pressure. Nylon cire is popular in woman's fashions and would also be applicable to home furnishings; for instance, in outdoor fabrics.

Color Fast - term used to describe fabrics that keep their shades without fading. Dyestuffs used in home furnishings have color-fast ratings in terms of hours.

Corduroy - wide or narrow wale fabric usually woven of cotton. Corduroy is extremely durable and is therefore a good fabric to choose for a study or child's room.

Cotton - natural fiber from seed pod of cotton plant.

Crash - coarse toweling weave.

Crease Resistant - permanent press. A treated fabric that requires no ironing. Items treated with permanent press would be identified on a label bearing content and washing instructions, along with fiber company guarantee.

Damask - patterned glossy jacquard weave, flatter than brocade. Tablecloths are still the most popular damask design, but it is also used in bedspreads and draperies.

Denim - usually blue or white cotton cloth, sometimes printed or striped. Made of inexpensive, strong cotton and washable.

Documentary - authentic copy of an antique fabric, true to period in color, pattern and texture.

Dotted Swiss - sheer cotton ornamented with small dots. The original is still made in Switzerland. Dotted Swiss makes lovely curtains.

Double-Face Satin - satin cloth constructed so that front and back have same lustrous finish. Used for formal draperies.

Ecru - beige color of raw fabrics such as linen, silk, and lace.

Embossed - figures or designs raised on surface of fabrics.

Embroidery - ornamental needlework stitched by hand or machine.

Everglaze - Joseph Bancroft & Sons trademark, signifying fabric processed and tested according to the firm's standards.

Eyelet- open punched patternings.

Faille - flat, horizontal ribbed fabric. Period furniture blends well with faille upholstery.

Felt - matted fabric usually made of wool or fur.

Fiberglas - trademark owned by Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corp. for fine filament glass fiber.

Flame Repellent - chemical treatment that makes fabrics less susceptible to flash or sustained burning.

Flannel - napped surface fabric in plain or twill weave.

Flax - used in manufacture of linen. Flax adds the rustic texture to linen or to whatever fiber it is blended with. It is a coarse, strong natural fiber.

Flocking - application of clipped fibers to surface of a fabric to form a pattern, often used in wallpaper as well as fabric.

Gabardine - diagonal weave, lustrous fabric, good for tailored upholstery.

Gauze - sheer open weave used a canopy drape for four-poster bed or cradle.

Gingham - cotton fabric most frequently woven in two-color checks.

Glass - fiber-forming substance with good stability, resistance to mildew, chemicals, heat, moisture, sunlight, and electricity.

Grosgrain - ribbed trimming fabric with pronounced cords.

Hemp - lustrous, harsh, fast fiber and used mainly for twine and sailcloth.

Herringbone - broken twill weave, zigzag effect, like the skeleton of a herring. A masculine fabric that is also good for mixing patterns.

Jacquard - intricate patterns made on special looms named for the inventor Jacquard. Geometric upholstery fabrics are often jacquards. Very durable.

Jaspe - drapery or upholstery fabric that has a series of faint stripes formed by light, medium, and dark threads of the same color.

Kemp - coarse white hairs, sometimes used in carpets.

Knitting - process of making fabric by interlocking series of loops of one or more yarns.

Lame - silver or gold metal fabric.

Laminated - fabrics which have been joined together or bonded. Window shades, for example, can be laminated to a fabric so that they are actually one.

Lawn - sheer cotton made of fine-combed yarns.

Leno - open weave with mesh effect.

Linen - natural flax fabric.

Madras - named for Indian city in which it is made; madras colors bleed when washed. Patterns are usually plaids on coarse cotton. A durable cloth, madras is a colorful type of fabric to use for bed covers and throw pillows.

Metallic - metallic yarns, which can be effectively used for decorative purposes, are costly, but have great resistance to heat and corrosion.

Mildew Resistant - treatment of fabric so that it resists growth of mildew or mold.

Modacrylic - fibers used for fire-resistant drapery and synthetic fur.

Mohair - fiber that comes from Angora goat. Its character is coarse, but silky and very lightweight. Mohair should be tightly woven for use in interior design, it does tend to shed and is best when woven with another fiber like wool.

Moire - an effect created on the surface of fabric, usually silk, and resembling water ripples. A formal fabric, moire is often used in period rooms as upholstery and drapery material.

Nacre Velvet - pearly-looking velvet achieved with back of one color and pile of another.

Needlepoint - simple stitch embroidery completely covering mesh or canvas cloth. Gros point (coarse) and petit point (fine) are variations Both are popular for seat covers.

Ninon - sheer, crisp fabric frequently used in curtains.

Nubbed - fabric woven with novelty yarn containing slubs, knots, or lumps.

Nylon - versatile fiber in terms of home furnishings-from carpet to drapery. In strength and abrasion-resistance it is said to be superior to all other fibers.

Olefin - synthetic fiber that consists mainly of petroleum by-products. Of the olefins, polyethylene comes in a variety of colors and has good chemical resistance. Polypropylene is the lightest commercial fiber and, in certain form, has excellent strength, great chemical resistance, and a toughness and abrasion second only to nylon.

Ombre - French word for shaded coloring ranging from light to dark.

Organdy - sheer, crisp cotton used in curtains.

Organza - French for silk organdy, most frequently used in fashion.

Orlon - DuPont trademark for acrylic staple fiber.

Ottoman - heavy, ribbed fabric especially sturdy for upholstery.

Paisley - multicolored pattern with India palm  or cone figure and elaborate detail. Paisley mixes well with other patterns in a room.

Panama - hopsacking of coarse, yarn basket weave producing effect similar to panama hat texture.

Panne - velvet with pile pressed flat in one direction and very lustrous.

Passementerie - heavy braid trimming used as edging on upholstery or draperies.

Peau De Soie - French meaning "skin of silk."

Percale - cotton sheeting in various qualities.

Pile Fabric - velvets, plushes, velveteens, and corduroys-fabrics that have dense surfaces. Also fur imitations. Very durable, many of the imitations look very authentic.

Pilling - formations of little fuzzy balls caused by the rubbing off of loose ends of fiber too long or strong to break away entirely.

Piping - cord covered with bias fabric and used as edging on upholstery or bedspreads; also on pillows.

Pique - fabric with raised patterns such as honeycomb, waffle, or diamond.

Plisse - lightweight, puckered cotton.

Point D'Esprit - dotted cotton net, very fragile, could be used as canopy drape.

Polyester - fiber-forming substance which gives resilience, durability, dimensional stability to fabrics, making them wrinkle resistant and sunlight resistant.

Quilting - layers of cloth stitched either by hand or machine in a variety of patterns and used for bedspreads as well as upholstery. Headboards, too, can be upholstered with quilted fabric to match the bedspread.

Ramie - fiber from the ramie plant used mainly for table linen. It is similar to flax but more brittle.

Raw Silk - silk reeled from cocoons before natural gum is removed. Used in drapery and upholstery fabrics. Quite expensive due to rarity of fiber.

Rayon - first man-made fiber. It is the least expensive and most widely used. Considered superior to any other fiber, natural or synthetic, by many experts; it has superb strength and blends well with all other fibers.

Rickrack - decorative flat braid in wavy chevron. Used for trim.

Sailcloth - strong, heavy canvas weave made in several fibers. Particularly satisfactory in outdoor fabrics.

Sanforized - Cluett, Peaboby & Co. trademark for fabric processed by machine so that residual shrinkage will be minimized to 1% in either direction.

Sateen - satin-finished cotton.

Satin - lustrous, polished fabric. Often silk.

Schiffli - embroidering machine capable of tracing a vast number of patterns on a fabric and for making Venice lace.

Scotchgard - Minnesota Mining & Manufacturing Co. trademark for a fluoride-based stain-repellent and rain-repellent finish. A special formula is made for leather.

Seersucker - crinkled, lightweight cotton fabric good for summer curtains.

Selvage - outside woven edges of cloth.

Shag - stout, haircloth made of coarse wool in the Orkney Islands. Shag often is used in rugs and for throw blankets on bed or sofa.

Shantung - slubbed silk, originally made in Shantung, China.

Sharkskin - plain weave fabric often with dull luster and made of acetate. Sporty cloth good for outdoor furniture.

Shetland - wool from sheep raised in Shetland Isles of Scotland. Shetland is often used in blankets for its warmth.

Silk - natural fiber from silkworm.

Sisal - coarse fiber obtained from the leaves of the sisal ( Agave sisalana ) plant.

Soutache - decorative braid.

Spandex - fiber-forming substance which resembles rubber in terms of stretch and recovery, but is superior in resistance to sunlight, abrasion, oxidation, oils and chemicals.

Strie - irregular streaks in a fabric of almost the same color as the background.

Suede Cloth - surface-finished fabric resembling suede. Good for upholstery or slipcovers because of its easy-care qualities and its resemblance to the real skin.

Surah - lustrous silk in twill weave; also woven in other fibers such as acetate or nylon.

Toile - French term for all kinds of coarse, plain weave linen or cotton; toile de Jouy is a pictorial design printed on cotton. Toile is popular as a slipcover fabric and also for upholstering walls.

Triacetate - a variation of acetate that holds more heat and usually retains pleats, shape, and texture.

Tricot - warp-knitted fabric with fine ribs on the surface. Tricot could be used where very sheer, airy curtains are desired. It's washable and dries quickly.

Tussah - wild silk.

Tweed - mixed color effect in rustic weaves in any number of fibers. Tweed upholstery is probably the most durable and it blends with many other patterns.

Velours - French word for velvet.

Velvet - close pile fabric with smooth, silky surface. Luxurious, but sturdy, velvet makes a very good upholstery fabric. Silk or cotton content.

Velveteen - cotton or rayon pile fabric with short pile. Unlike velvet, velveteen is singly woven.

Virgin Wool - the term for new wool.

Voile - sheer plain weave with crisp texture that can be used for curtains.

Wale - rib or ridge running in any direction as in corduroy.

Warp - set of lengthwise yarns in a loom through which the crosswise filling yarns or weft are run.

Warp Prints - blurred designs achieved by printing warp threads before fabric is woven.

Waterproofing - fabrics which are rendered waterproofed with coatings of rubber, resin, or plastic.

Wool - fleece of sheep.

Worsted - fabric from the tops of raw wool, usually smooth surfaced like flannel and men's suiting.

Zepel - DuPont trademark for spot-resistant finish.

 

 

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