OT word of the day

Tencel

A brand name of lyocell fabric used by the Lenzing corporation. Lyocell is a fiber that is manmade from wood, and alleged to be sustainable and more enviromentaly friendly than other manmade fabrics.

As an FYI because I know somebody is going to be curious (since I was (G)) the lyocell process can be adapted to use bamboo, but bamboo is more commonly put through the process to make rayon.

Glazed

A finish resulting in a smooth, glossy surface on the fabric. Usually the fabric is first treated with resin, wax, starch or other substances then calendered.

Jacquard

A weaving process that allows complex designs to be woven into fabric. The Jaquard Mechanism is comprised of a series of punched pattern cards (almost like really big versions of computer cards, or perhaps a player piano roll if you know what one looks like) that carry the pattern and regulate which warp thread is plucked up when. It allows much more complex designs than a dobby loom (dobby was word of the day on the 5th), or a drawloom which was a much more labor intensive process besides. Damasks, brocades, and woven tapestries are all examples of woven jacquards

Shantung

A midweight plain weave silk fabric with a distinctive texture due to the use of slubbed yarns. Sometimes confused with dupioni in modern usage.

Warp

The vertical threads of a woven fabric.

Weft

The horizontal threads of a woven fabric, the ones that run from selvedge to selvedge.

I can never remember which is which. Thanks for this one specially Nightmist. . In message , NightMist writes

Patti - the way I remember things like that is:

You have to do the vertical threads before the horizontal "a" is before "e" Warp before weft

HTH G> I can never remember which is which. =A0Thanks for this one specially > Nightmist.

Wow! that's clever! Thanks Ginger. . In message , Ginger in CA writes

And the way that I remember it is that you "warp the loom" to start weaving. Took me a long time to be able to remember which was which, too.

Pati, > Patti - the way I remember things like that is:

Warp: what your cutting mat does when it gets too much sun. Weft: what it tries to do.. rises up and down from left to right but never just in one spot.

Butterfly (up way to early today)

Distressed Fabric

Fabric that has been intentionally damaged to change the texture or drape. Some common commercial techniques are:

Sandwashing - Tumbling the fabric (wet or dry depending on the fabric and the company) with sand.

Stonewashing - Tumbling the fabric with pebbles or small stones

Acidwashing - washing the fabric in an acid bath

Bleachwashing - washing the fabric in a strong bleach solution

Enzymewashing - washing the fabric in a solution containing enzymes that attack cellulose fibers. Obviously it is only used with cellulose fabrics most commonly cotton, but it is becoming popular using lyocell(1).

The amount of actual damage to the fabric varies due to different processing and of course differences in the various fabrics treated. Enzymewashing is considered by many to be the least damaging of the above processes. However all of them damage the fabric at the fiber level and significantly reduce its length of serviceability.

(1) see word of the day Tencel from 11/07

Well, I'd be distressed, too, if I had a bath like any of these ;)

G> Distressed Fabric

i've always much preferred denim as it was made rather than that with all the mess'n about just to change the look. i prefer change'n the look by wear'n them til they develop their own markings from wear and washing. seems to me silly to 'pay more' for the jeans that are 'distressed' and therefore have a 'shorter lifespan'.

also annoys me when the manufacturers reduce the quantity in a packet of food rather than increase the price. folks often dont notice the smaller package and think the maker is being good by keeping the cost the same for a longer period of time while inflation hits all the other brands. eventually folks get used to the smaller package, then they raise the price later and the makers double their profit. guess i'm just weird tho. j.

"G> Distressed Fabric

Lamé

(French term for trimmed with silver and golden leaves)

Silk or any textile fiber in which metallic threads are used in the warp or filling.

By definition, cloth of gold and cloth of silver would be Lamés. However they are always held seperate from modern Lamé. The metallic threads in modern Lamé are almost always mylar or closely related, thus allowing machine washing. Cloth of gold and cloth of silver use the actual metal in their names, and require special handling.

Nope, not weird. We were just talking about how our favorite brand of bread no longer 'pops up' when it's toasted. The height is shorter! but the price went up almost $.50!! Cost more than store brand, but you get a PBJ sandwich from this bread, not PBJ rolls like with the store brand. So they get you double...isn't worth the cheaper cost if you can't make a proper sammich.

Butterfly (If I wanted Peanut Butter Balls, I'd make 'em)

Basketweave

A weaving pattern in which warp threads and/or weft threads are paired and treated as a single thread in a plain weave. For example as in Monks Cloth.

Throw

A stitch movement in a single direction. Needle goes up or needle goes down on a sewing machine. Needle moves from one side of the fabric to the other in hand sewing. Thus for example, whip stitching by hand requires one throw per stitch, while a single running stitch by hand requires two.

Thanks! I am glad to know people are enjoying it. :)

NightMist