Antique Satin - a satin with horizontal (weft) slubs which imitates
spun shantung silk. It is 60% rayon (the face yarn fiber) and the 40% of
acetate (the back yarn fiber). Often the warp and weft yarns are dyed with
different colors to give an iridescent effect.
Batik - is a dyeing method where the cloth is covered with wax
designs. It is dipped into vegetable dye that dyes the uncovered cloth
without melting the wax. The wax is removed with hot water after the design
is finished.
Brocade - a multi-use formal, Jacquard woven fabric with intricate
raised woven designs resembling embroidery. It is often made with variety of
thread colors depicting complex patterns and scenes with a shiny finish.
Background weave is often satin. To the back of the fabric, the threads are
not tied-down and are carried as "floaters".
Brocatelle - a specific type of medium weight brocade utilizing four
or more sets of threads, equally for warp and weft. It has large patterns in
high relief to appear embroidered or puffy. It is woven finely for formal,
refined and sophisticated wear.
Calico - similar to broadcloth, made of cotton or cotton/polyester
and usually printed in small "country" all-over with multi-colored
floral patterns.
Canvas - medium to heavy weight cotton fabric woven closely in plain
or twill with relatively large threads. Available in variety of colors,
stripes and few printed designs. It is also referred as "duck" or "sailcloth".
It has many uses.
Casement - a fabric for drapery either loose or tight, open or
closed, plain or novelty weave. Given color, pattern and interesting texture
through tyed complex-yarn arrangements and variations in weave. Usually it
is semi-sheer, translucent or opaque.
Cashmere - a soft fabric made of the wool grown beneath the outer
hair of the Cashmere goat in Tibet and the Kashmir province in India. It is
popular because of its softness.
Chambray - made of cotton or linen, a lightweight fabric in plain,
balanced weave using white threads across a colored wrap. Pronounced "sham-bray".
Chevron - a regular and repeated zigzag pattern formed by reversing
the twill weave. It is also known as herringbone.
Crepe - a light soft thin fabric with a crinkled surface. It is made
from silk, cotton, wool, or another fiber either in plain or satin weave.
Damask - a formal satin base Jacquard fabric of linen, cotton, silk,
or wool with reversible patterns. It is medium weight with variety in colors
and patterns. Used in decorative fabric situation.
Denim - a coarse twilled cloth, usually of cotton or
cotton/polyester which is practical and sturdy. Navy colored is used as
jeans fabric and cream or white is used as Drill.
Embroidery - a surface ornamentation made with a thread or set of
threads sewn onto a fabric.
Finish - a substance or the mixture of substances added to textile
materials to impart the desired properties.
Flannel - a fabric woven and then brushed to achieve a soft nap. It
is made of wool or a blend of wool and cotton or synthetics.
Flock - a material obtianed by cutting or grinding textile fibers to
fragments. There are two types of flock, precision cut flock, all fiber
lengths are approximately equal and random cut flock, the fibers are ground
or chopped to produce a broad range of lengths.
Flocking - a method of ornamenting cloth with adhesive printed or
coated on a fabric. Finely chopped fibers are applied by dusting,
air-blasting or electrostatic attraction. The fibers adhere to the printed
areas and it is removed manually from the unprinted areas.
Herringbone - a regual zigzag pattern fabric with a novelty or
complex twill weave. It is woven or printed on light-weight to heavy-weight
fabrics.
Houndstooth - a medium to heavy weight woven twill fabric designed
with continuous broken checks or four-pointed stars resembling projecting "tooth-like"
corners.
Jacquard - a weaving system which utilizes a versatile pattern
mechanism to permit the production of large and intricate patterns.
Lisserie - a fine Jacquard woven stripe which imitates silk and
embroidery. The different figures and colors in the pattern comes from the
warp.
Matelasse' - a heavy-weight upholstery textile in Jacquard weave
with double sets of warps and wefts. The surface appears to be puffy or
cushioned and is also known as double cloth.
Mohair - a fabric obtained from yarn made from the silky hair of the
Angora goat.
Nylon - a man-made fiber where the forming substance is a synthetic
polyamide. It exhibit excellent strength, flexibility, elasticity and
abrasion resistance.
Ottoman - a heavy silk or rayon fabric with broad, round weft
threads that produce a horizontal rib. Used for coats and trimmings.
Peau de Soie - a soft and fine silk fabric of satin weave having
ribbed or grained appearance. It is a French term which literally means "skin
of silk".
Pile fabric - a fabric with an extra warp or weft set, woven to
produce a deep surface texture like velvet, terry cloth, frieze or corduroy.
Pilling - fibers tendency to work loose from the fabric surface and
form a balled or matted particles attached to the surface of the fabric.
Plaid - a cloth having a crisscross design. The stripes in warp and
weft directions cross at intervals to form different colors in square or
rectangular patterns. It may be plain or twill weave.
Plisse' - a blistered or puckered finish given to a sheer, thin or
light-weight fabric with a caustic soda.
Polyester - a man-made fiber where the forming substance is any
synthetic polymer. It has high strength and are resistant to shrinking and
stretching. It is also wrinkle resistant.
Rayon - a man-made fiber basically composed of regenerated
cellulose.
Rep, Repp - rib woven fabric (horizontal or vertical ribs) between
poplin and ottoman in rib size and weight. It is durable and medium to
heavy-weight. Woven from cotton, wool, or silk.
Satin - a basic type of weave with up to eight weft threads are tied
down with one floating weft thread. It is light to medium-weight with glossy
face and a dull back.
Scrim - a durable, open weave sheer cotton fabric used for curtains
or upholstery lining or in industry.
Shantung dupioni - originally a spun silk fabric with slubs and
forms interesting textures. Today, shantung may be of natural or synthetic
fibers. Fabrics imitating shantung are antique satin and antique taffeta.
Suede cloth - a light or medium-weight synthetic knit or woven
textile with brushed nap imitating suede leather.
Tapestry - a Jacquard woven with multiple warps and wefts creating
various color patterns or scenes. Used as wall hangings for decoration or
somtimes to cover furniture.
Toile - a sheer fabric similar to muslin or percale in plain or
twill weave obtained from cotton or linen.
Tufted fabric - a pile fabric formed by tufting a yarn into a woven
background. Example, some upholstery fabrics and all tufted carpets.
Tweed - a coarse, rugged, and often nubby woolen fabric in plain
balanced or variation (originally twill) weave. Used as casual suits and
coats.
Velour - a closely napped fabric with a soft, velvet-like texture,
used for clothing and upholstery. It includes some velvet, and all
plush-pile surface cloths.
Velvet - a pile woven cotton, silk, and/or rayon fabric with a soft
yet sturdy face. Very much like plush but with a shorter pile. The underside
is plain.
Vinyl - extruded polyvinyl chloride synthetic fabric flowed onto a
knitted, woven, or non-woven base cloth imitating leather. It is medium to
heavy-weight upholstery fabric.
Voile - a light, plain-weave, sheer transparent fabric with tightly
twisted yarns often having a stiff finish. Available in novelty effects like
pique stripes, printed patterns and stripes. It is obtained from cotton,
rayon, silk, or wool and used especially for making dresses and curtains.
