unknown to me embroidery cloth

Mirjam wrote

This is a way of working with cloth that clearly comes from your love of the medium, and there are others that work that way. For others, especially when they are learning a technique, it is good to know how the cloth is constructed and what it is made of. The discussion of names has really informed me in the past--I don't always pay attention to what my fabric is called, but sometimes I do. I know people who made great quilts, bags, toys and other stuff from remnants, thrift shop finds and whatever. I know others who make things out of fabrics very carefully selected from a particular range that were designed to complement each other. Both can produce beautiful results, neither way is better, just different. Some choose one way sometimes and the other another, depending on the effect they want. Good thing, isn't it, that we see things differently--it makes for more beautiful things coming into the world. Dawne

Oh Dawne , i wrote this note , because it is so facinating that some people preffer to know every name and terminology , and some feel they can find their way by looking and touching. Anyway , some people might be interested to know that some names are Geographicly connected. Many shop keepers here wouldn`t know all those fine names , [ shhhhh some even though they sell it for years ,, wouldn`t know what the exact use is ]. Thus both ways of creating should bring joy to their makers . mirjam

Mirjam - that seems the best way.

You, too.

Ellice

I totally appreciate what you're saying. Here, in the US, however, when you're ordering embroidery fabrics from the distributors, you either do it by a catalog number, or name/count/color. And the catalogs are indeed organized by type, then the proprietary name - and you look at swatches for color - then get the number by the swatch. The boutique dyers (doing the hand-dyes) can just be ordered by the color name, and then count/type - not a catalog number. I also, and many of the customers, pick their embroidery fabric after fondling it - but not all. Most just go for color & count/type. But, they'll ask if it feels alright.

Cloth in a sewing shop, fabric shop - meant for garment sewing/upholstery, etc - I think is at the least bought the way you describe. I go and look, feel, probably check the bolt for fabric content so I know care directions. In those shops it's somehow separated by types to an extendt - polyesters, silks, cottons, quilting cottons, batiks, rayon batiks, upholstery weight fabrics, decorating fabrics, linings, leather, evening stuff (with all the hand beading & the like). I imagine ordering fabric for a shop like that is a bit different - more like what you see when ordering for example from e-quilter on line - small swatches with a minimal description of fiber content.

Ellice

"ellice"

In a way, it's wonderful that a whole array of fabric is just a mouseclick away, but I am a bit sad that there are so few places, at least where I live, where you can go and feel the cloth, scrunch it between your fingers, hold it up against something else----I miss real fabric stores and real needlework stores. Dawne

Here the economy and some socialogical events , caused a revival in handwork& sewing shops , our midtown that turned a bit downtown , [less elegant shops], is full wh shops selling sewing , handwork things all very Technical advanced things , but lots of mateials, and one has to find wht one can find and make the best of it. Some of my colleagyes fo to Jaffa old markets , i enjoy my city ,, a good walk , shows me new places , while in old shops , they know me enough, to tell me if they have something that might interest me . [ They also like it , when i just pop in to say Hallo !!!] mirjam

I'm sorry, Dawme. At least in this respect I do feel spoiled. But, if you ever come to DC, we'll be sure to take you to visit fabric stores, of all kinds!

Ellice

Sometimes i think , we are quite lucky , not being able to buy in catalogs or ebay etc,, but HAVING to work with what we had, maybe made us more flexable with our work. mirjam

"ellice" wrote

Well, that is day dream material! I do enjoy going to the quilt shop that is near me---just to see the creative way the owner arranges her colours. Dawne