OT word of the day

Dunno how long I'll keep it up, or if I will last even a week, but I thought it might be fun to toss out a word a day and try to keep it to textile terms. They may not be new words for everybody, but hey it doesn't cost anything. (G)

Today because I used the term once and puzzled people here, and because it was near the front of the dictionary:

CALENDER. To smooth woollen cloths, and give them a gloss.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist
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Ringspun or Ring Spun

A spinning process that takes the fiber through the roving, twisting, and winding stages, in a single unbroken procedure. It produces a finer thread than most other spinning processes.

Reply to
NightMist

Mercerization

In modern times it is a process of treating cellulose yarns or yardage with a heated caustic soda solution and stretching them. This increases strength, dye take, and adds lustre and a softer hand. Often it also reduces or eliminates future shrinkage, though there are some variations of the process that strive to avoid this.

Reply to
NightMist

Thanks for an interesting thread Nightmist.

Dee in Oz

Reply to
Dee in Oz

Many cotton/other cellulosic fiber items used to be labeled "Mercerized". Today we seldom see the word on labels. That is because virtually all are mercerized as a matter of course. Seeing the term on a label is, in some ways a warning sign..... If a product doesn't have any other "pluses" then the word can be added to the label to make it look better. Often there is too much other information that is more important that is on the label instead.

Pati, > Mercerization

Reply to
Pati C.

Pongee

A plain weave fabric of silk. The silk yarn of which it is woven is not usually whitened or dyed, and is often rather slubby.

Reply to
NightMist

Livability

A functional measurement added to basic body size when drafting a garment pattern. It varies depending on the purpose of the garment, and the cut and type of fabric which it is intended to be constructed of. It is meant to allow room for action in each part of the body.

Reply to
NightMist

And I saw the story of the house falling on your sister last Thursday! ("Wicked") Fun fun fun!

Reply to
KJ

aka wiggle room?

Reply to
Kellie J Berger

Ya-huh.

Sometimes known as "why the pattern for that lovely dress fits so beautifully made in jersey, and so abysmally made in pimatex."

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist

Reply to
Nann

Since it's election season, how about canvass? As in "to canvass the vote."

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The sources all say it comes from "to toss in a canvas sheet," but that is not helpful. Toss the ballots? Toss the voters? Just two voters, mixed gender, tossing (hmmm)? (Or, these days, same gender?) Does the length of the tossing-time affect the outcome of the vote? How big was the sheet used for tossing -- sail-sized? bed-sized? apron-sized? handkerchief- sized?

Nann

Reply to
Nann

Fulling.

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The person who does the fulling is a fuller . . . which is my SD's husband's surname and thus also the DGDs' surname. And Fuller Brush, of course, though I doubt that Mr. Fuller used his brushes for fulling.

Nann

Reply to
Nann

French Seam

One of the seam varieties in which all raw edges are enclosed.

Sew a quarter inch seam with the wrong sides of the fabric together, trim closely, press the seam with the right sides of the fabric together, sew a quarter inch seam, press to finish.

Very handy if you don't have a serger.

Reply to
NightMist

Fuller's teasel! It is called that because the seed head looks like something a fuller would use. Or heck maybe they did use it upon a time.

NightMist

Reply to
NightMist

Probably still do, in some places. They certainly were used for brushing up a nap on cloth until the Industrial Revolution.

==== j a c k at c a m p i n . m e . u k === ==== Jack Campin, 11 Third St, Newtongrange EH22 4PU, Scotland == mob 07800 739 557 CD-ROMs and free stuff: Scottish music, food intolerance, and Mac logic fonts

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Jack Campin - bogus address

Reply to
Bernardin vOLMAN

Oh, how funny! I've learned so much in my life (so far!) and I've never known that. Logical, though! . In message , Bernardin vOLMAN writes

Reply to
Patti

But here in England they are French!!

Sally at the Seaside~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~uk

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Bernard> Where I grew up these were clled English seams.

Reply to
Sally Swindells

Here in the USA they are French, also! Oui! PAT in VA/USA

Reply to
Pat in Virginia

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