White Cotton Voile

+ Voile is an essential fabric in my personal fabric stock. I like to have yardage available in black and white for any project I’m working on. Since I work mainly with light to medium weight silk fabrics, I use the voile for an underlining, lining or to build up a strong base structure for the shell fabric. Aside from being applied as a foundation, it is a classic fabric in my eyes and dyes beautifully. This one in particular has a very delicate hand and a charming irregular checkered pattern in the weave.

1. Fiber - 100% Cotton - Staple fiber

    Yarn -  S Twist. Warp and Weft have varying average to high twist voile yarns

2. Fabrication - Cotton Voile. Plain weave. This fabric also resembles a handkerchief lawn because of the variation in yarn size that creates an irregular checkered pattern.

3. Overall Specs -

• Width: 54”
• Light weight
• No finishes
• Soft hand, Good abrasion resistance, Good launderability, Great dyeability, Will wrinkle.

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts - This Cotton Voile is intended to be used as an apparel weight fabric possibly used for dresses, blouses, lingerie, nightwear, shirts, veils and can be used for millinery.

Voile has excellent moisture absorption which makes them cool and comfortable to wear next to the skin. It is one of the lightest grades of cotton in contrast to the heaviest, denim.

Voile is constructed with high-twist voile yarns. To make a voile yarn, the fibers are highly twisted together- more so than normal yarns, but less than a crepe yarn. Because the weave structure is an open-sett plain weave it is important that the selvage is firmly woven.

5. History or Origin - Voile is French for veil and got this name because it was originally used as a veiling fabric.

Weft Knitted Crepe - Single knit (Jersey)

+ When it comes to knits one of the most sought out fabrications is Jersey. The term Jersey is just a generic name that is applied to all types of weft-knitted fabrics, whether knitted by hand or machine. I wanted to do more research on better identifying a Jersey knit - I chose this fabric as my first. I read through 30+ types of weft knitted fabrics until I figured out it was a weft knitted crepe. So what were the clues that lead me to its true name of a weft knitted crepe? Let me break it down:

1. Fiber - Combination fabric: 100% Rayon - Filament fiber

                100% Spandex - Elastomeric fiber (power stretch)

    Yarn - Rayon yarn: S Twist with varying low-hard twist yarns

               Spandex yarn: Monofilament yarn.

2. Fabrication - Weft Knitted Crepe - Single Knit Jersey. It is a combination fabric because it has two yarns made from different fibers.

3. Overall Specs -

• Width: 54”
• Light weight
• No finishes
• Soft hand, Mild texture because of varying yarn twists, Low cover, 2 way stretch, Low luster due to spandex yarn reflecting light.

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts - This Weft Knitted Crepe is intended to be used as an apparel weight fabric possibly used for t-shirts, sportswear, stockings or scarves.

It is believed that a trend toward a more casual lifestyle is reflected in the increased production of knit apparel fabrics. This can be seen first hand in most retail apparel stores selling mostly knit t-shirts, sweaters, leggings and jersey knit dresses.

There is a knit counterpart for almost every woven fabric - knit seersucker, pique, denim, crepe, satin, terrycloth, velour, an so on.

5. History or Origin - Knitting is not as old a technique as weaving. Remnants of knit fabrics date back to 250 A.D. and were found near the borders of ancient Palestine. Knitting was solely a hand process until 1589, when the Reverend William Lee of England invented a flat bed machine for knitting cloth for hosiery. Knitting full garments became possible in 1863 with the invention of a machine that shaped garment parts by adding or combining stitches. In 1908 the first domestic hand knitting machine was invented.

Rayon was the first regenerated cellulosic fiber developed in 1855 by Georges Audemars. It was considered the first  as the the first man made ‘artificial silk’ fiber.

Cloqué - Matelassé - Crepe - Moiré

+ This one was a great fabric to identify because it lead me down four different possible paths. At first glance I jotted down my assumptions: Matelassé, Plissé, Cloqué, and Crepe - each with a Moiré pattern. All passed except for Plissé because the fabric’s blistered surface is achieved with a crepe yarn and compound woven structure and not by being treated with a sodium hydroxide solution.  Researching the remaining categories lead me to learn that this fabric has very strong French roots. The Moire pattern and fabrication both originated and earned their names from France.  I also have to mention the color is a stunning coral/orange - absolutely perfect for spring! Now, let’s dive into the details:

1. Fiber - 100% Silk, Filament fiber.

    Yarn - Z twist crepe yarn with varying degrees of twist (low - high) this creates the raised blistered/puckered moire pattern on the face.

2. Fabrication - This fabric actually falls into multiply fabrications: Cloqué crepe, Matelassé crepe, Blistered crepe. All done on a jacquard loom and considered compound fabrics.

3. Overall Specs -

• Width: 45”
• Momme: 20 - medium weight
• No finishes but after being woven the crepe yarns (hard twist) on the back will shrink creating the finished blistered look on the face.
• Textured but soft hand, soft drape, lustrous yarns accentuate moire pattern.
• The raised moire motif has 3 levels which resembles a topographical map
• Considered a Moiré Ocean - an undulating wave effect.
  

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts - This Moiré is intended to be used as an apparel weight fabric possibly used for blouses or skirts.

Moiré is a French term applied to a finishing process that produces a characteristic wavy, watermark effect on the surface of the fabric, similar to wood grain. Crepe fabrics are characteristically springy to handle fray easily.

5. History or Origin - Originally Moiré was developed for silk taffeta fabrics, but now the pattern crosses over into various weights and fabrications. 

All come from French Words: Moiré - watered, Cloqué - blistered, Matelassé - to quilt/cushioned/padded, Crepe - to crinkle.

Black Silk Shantung - Wild silk

+ I selected this fabric because it has a beautiful hand and weight. Once I set eyes on it I began dreaming about making the perfect pair of tailored black pants. It’s a great fabric for transitioning from winter to spring.

1. Fiber - 100% Silk, Filament fiber, Wild silk

    Yarn - Uneven silk tussah yarn, Single yarn, No twist

2. Fabrication - Shantung. Plain weave with tussah yarn made from uncultivated silk worms. Filament yarns are coarse and uneven resulting in a nubby ‘slub’ appearance.

3. Overall Specs -

• Width: 54”
• Momme: 20 - medium weight
• No finishes
• Crisp irregular surface texture that is most apparent in the weft

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts - This shantung is intended to be used as an apparel weight fabric, possibly for lightweight suiting, tailored pants jackets, fitted dresses and skirts.

This type of wild silk is obtained from the cocoon of the wild silkworm Antheraea mylitta, and its imperfections give it a characteristic slubby and uneven texture.

5. History or Origin - Originally silk shantung was made of tussah yarns on hand looms in the Shandong (Shantung) province of China. Similar fabrics to shantung include honan and pongee, which both originate from different districts in China. 

Flower Shadows - Warp printing

+ I selected this fabric mainly for the warp pattern/warp printing. Warp printing is an impressive and time consuming process. Its finished face is partially unknown until the pre-printed warp yarns are woven with the solid black filling yarns. The finished hazy floral motif floating among the blue and white abstract cloud shapes is a unique pattern, in my time at Mood I have not seen a comparable fabric.

1. Fiber - 100% Silk, Filament fiber

    Yarn - Filament yarn, Single yarn, Hard twist

2. Fabrication - Taffeta. Plain weave using fine, closely sett warp yarns and slightly thicker weft/filling yarns. Face has 1/2” checkered faille rib.

3. Overall Specs -

• Width: 56”
• Momme: 19
• Flower motif: 1”x1”
• No finishes
• Lustrous face, Smooth texture, Crisp hand (due to hard twist)
• Warp Pattern with warp printing, Filling is an average twist black yarn. 

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts - This taffeta was intended to be used as an apparel weight fabric, possibly for evening gowns or elegant attire.

It’s considered a specialty fabric because warp printing is fairly uncommon, it’s a time consuming and expensive process. Warp printing is also known as ‘Shadow Printing’ because its hazy/shadow effect.

5. History or Origin - The term ‘taffeta’ comes from Persian tafta, meaning a ‘glossy twist’. Taffeta has been used for hundreds of years, first in the Middle East and Asia, and later in Europe but originates from Persia. It is available in a range of different weights and qualities.

To get the ball rolling on HighBoltage I dove into my swatch book and selected the seven fabrics for this week’s picks. As winter turns to spring I feel drawn to bright colors and floral motifs, but with lingering clouds in the sky, I am still attached to the muted tones of the current season. For me, these fabrics tell the story of the seasonal change by combining cotton voile, jersey knit, silk shantung, light weight wovens and a hint of a sheer metallic blend. This week I will be researching and identifying these seven fabrics - stay tuned to get the complete run down of each one throughout the week!

Put a name to a face, or double face, if that be the case.

Working in a fast-paced, high-demand industry with a seemingly infinite number of choices makes finding the right fabric tougher than you’d think. One is left constantly questioning - what is this made of? Does it have a name? How can I find it again? Is there more? Where does it come from? After working in one of the largest fabric stores in New York City I have found myself asking some of the same questions. And though many fabrics have names, there are just as many that don’t.

Think about it - you have to know the fiber, the yarn, the fabrication (woven, knit, nonwoven, lace, braids, etc.) and finally the finish. There is a lot to analyze in order to understand the complete physical makeup of a fabric.

Recognizing the endless possibilities I’m surrounded by everyday has piqued my newfound interest in identifying fabrics. I’m taking full advantage of this opportunity and learning as much as I can.

The sources I will be using to assist me on my textile investigations are:

Fairchild’s Dictionary of Textiles - 7th Edition by Phyllis Torton & Robert Merkel

Textiles - 10 Edition by Sara J. Kadolph

Classic and Modern Fabrics by Janet Wilson

Various online sources

I’ll select a fabric and write about it, focusing on 5 key components of identification:

1. Fiber and Yarn

2. Fabrication

3. Overall specs (width, size of print/pattern, momme, finishes, etc.)

4. Intended end use and/or fun fabric facts

5. History or origin

+ Why I selected this lucky fabric out of the bunch to write about.

Through this practice I hope to expand my knowledge of textiles and help educate others.

Go High Boltage!