Can Anyone Name this Fabric?

could be chambray, but this isn't corded. Could be a very fine seersucker would would give it a corded feel .

I highly recommend Julie Parker's All about Cotton, and the other two for silk and wool. Wonderful books to identify fabric since in addition to basic information, the fabrics include a swatch so you can really get to know the fabrics.

Joy

Nope not chambray. And the stripes on seersucker are more regular. This was heavier... more the weight of a twill or medium weight linen. I'll look for those books... that is interesting. You know, what bothers me so much about buying fabric online is that they so rarely describe their fabrics in common nomenclature but, instead, use only the manufacturer's names. For instance "Butterfly" or "Fantasy". If they also included the fabric type instead of just the content, I think they'd sell a lot more fabric. When I want fabric, I am usually looking for a certain type--- not just a manufacturer's trade name. Sorry to go on about that.... just one of my pet peeves.

Phae

Butcher linen? Kettle cloth?

Definitely not kettle cloth.... I know what that is. I've never heard of butcher linen so I'm not sure about that one.

I bet it's whipcord. I've been trying to think of the name all evening, since I read the original post, and it just came to me.

Whipcord is a medium-weight corded cotton, and it can have different colors of yarns. I can't remember if it is corded lengthwise or not, but I'm fairly sure that's what it is.

Hope this helps!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Phaedr> >

Thank you Karen :) It did not have a diagonal cords or ribs as whipcord allegedly has (according to the fabric lists). The fabric is ribbed ever so slightly on the lengthwise grain but you cannot tell that by looking at it, only by touch and then it is barely perceptable. I was thinking "pincord" but the lists I looked at said "pincord" was a fine wale corduroy.

I'd give my eyeteeth to find that fabric again. It was very smart and easy to care for. There is also something called "Bedford cord" but I don't know what that is and the description I found was not terribly illustrative.

Phae

fairly coarse "linen weave" fabric made of not-linen, usually cotton. About 25 years ago, I'd see a lot of bicolor blends in butcher linen.

It was solid-color rayon when I met it over thirty years ago. I had a red butcher-linen skirt and a white Indian Head blouse trimmed with the red butcher linen. Indian Head was a brand of heavy cotton muslin, also a linen substitute which came in many solid colors.

Joy Beeson

Chambray was my first guess, since in the sixties striped chambray had a thick warp thread on each side of each white stripe, and another heavy thread down the middle. This made it nicely wrinkle-shed for summer clothes, but chambray is much less formal than the fabric described, and the stripes are quite blatant.

The ribs in faille run the other way, and it's a silk winter fabric. But the two fabrics have one thing in common: ooh, gotta have MORE!

Then there was a 100% filament polyester called "fluff crepe": impossible to muss, all the advantages of a sheer (I could have carried a long dress in a small purse), quite opaque, subtly plisse', very dressy.

Joy Beeson

Pincord is ribbed, but pretty obvious. It is NOT corduroy -- often used as a utility fabric because it's not very wrinkly. Typically color and white, but also white and white and multicolor and white.

I'd give my eyeteeth to find that fabric again. It was very smart and > easy to care for. There is also something called "Bedford cord" but I > don't know what that is and the description I found was not terribly Bedford cord is even more pronounced in ribbing than pincord. Remindsme of pinwale corduroy with no nap. All I've seen have been solid color.http://www.imageconnection.net/images/products/78770_colors.jpgKay

Definitely not a linen weave.

That's it! ::twangs the magic twanger:: Thank you .... thank you! My first guess/recollection was right, then, and the fabric glossaries that said pincord was corduroy were all wrong! Now to find me some pincord! It was blue like in the picture too.

Wow, this thread was more exciting than CSI! Now I want to see what you make out of this pincord, Phae!

Pora

Thanks for this, Kay. This is basically what I know as whipcord, and it's exactly the fabric I was thinking of.

The sewing world being what it is, with a pretty much handed-down body of knowledge, we end up using what we learn from others. So often, we learn something that is misnamed, and then we use that name forever. The word "challis" is a perfect example; it is pronounced "shall'-ee", but I've heard everything from "chalice" to "chA'-lee". You just know someone, somewhere, pronounced it this way to that person!

Karen Maslowski in Cincinnati

Kay Lancaster wrote:

LOL... hardly....

Well first, I must actually find the pincord.... that will be interesting.

Oh yes.... I know that scenario well--- especially pre-internet. And speaking of "scenario", I had a friend who pronounced that word NOT making the C silent.... you know... as in "scan". I wonder where she picked that up.

As to fabric nomenclature, I think this tends to be somewhat regional.

Phae

So true! I learned to sew from my Mom, she learned from her grandmother, and none of us knew what the correct technical term was for many of the processes. I learned to 'understitch' but called it "topstitching", and in my family, 'underlining' was know as "interlining". Oh, and my favorite: the 'armhole seam', which I've come to learn is actually the "armscye". I suppose some standard glossary exists somewhere.

Beverly

Ah, whipcord is a corded steep twill. And for real fun, you can try to describe tricotine and distinguish that from whipcord, with no pictures. (reminds me of a friend who had to describe roll, pitch and yaw for his engineering orals. With his hands in his pockets. )

What threw me was the original description of not obviously ribbed... I guess I'm myopic enough that I focus on the ribs more.

If you can find it, look for a copy of Profiling Fabrics by Gioello -- one of the things I like about it is it shows the drape in both straight grain and bias of various fabrics.

And then there's "etamine" and "pique"... "eat a minny" and "peeky" (shudder).

Kay `

I'm moderately sure I noticed some at Fabric Depot last time I was in... I'd also try Mary Jos in Gastonia, Denver Fabrics, and perhaps some of the heirloom sewing shops.

Kay