fabrics

There are two basic forms of fabric-natural and

Types of fabrics synthetic-and both have their positive qualities.
Synthetics, for instance, can be very durable and
can often resist sun damage. But don't think of
naturals as necessarily being weaker than the
synthetics ¾ durability often depends on the
weave and finish applied to the products, not
the inherent qualities of the fabric itself. For
example, chintz is a highly polished, somewhat
thin-fibered cotton that isn't long-wearing. It's a
"look," whereas a cotton using thicker fibers and
heavier weave will perform better for greater
periods of time.
In some cases, a synthetic-natural blend is going to be the best option for your
upholstery, floor-covering or window-treatment need. Blends can give you the
strength of the synthetics combined with the desirable qualities of the naturals.
naturals
 Cotton
Cotton is extremely versatile and the strongest of the natural fibers, with the
exception of wool. Cotton accepts dyes well, so color options are great, and it
allows for the flow of air through the goods; in industry jargon, we'd say it's a
fabric that "breathes" well.

Cotton Matelassé Cotton trade blanket Sheer cotton fabric Cotton hounds tooth
fabric
 Where to Use It

For upholstery, cotton's breathability has distinct advantages. For a room in

which people sit for long periods of time-a family room, for example-the
breathability factor will enhance the comfort of the furniture. If you like that
ever-so-fashionable wrinkled, easygoing "forever summer" look, you can't go
wrong with cotton slipcovers.
To add durability to the breathability mix, look for a cotton-synthetic combination.
Cotton is also a great choice for breathable seat cushions for occasional chairs or,
with fabric protection, for dinette chair covers. Cafe curtains and less formal
window treatments for spare bedrooms can be made from inexpensive chintz or
brushed cotton (this type of cotton has a soft, smooth hand, like chamois), giving
you great color at a low price.
Made from a vegetable fiber, linen has a Linen
fine luster. It possesses a healthy stain
resistance but wrinkles if you even look at
it funny. Therefore, the style of linen is
wrinkled. Often, style follows the inherent
nature of the material.

Where to Use It
Linen is super as a table covering. Its lighter hand and casual nature relate to spring
and summer. Use it to add a little magic to summer table settings or as a casually
elegant unstructured window treatment on a decorative rod.
 silk
Silk gets a bad rap because it's
susceptible to sun damage. If you avoid
overexposure to the sun (which can
create what's called sun rot), silk can be a
wonderful investment. It comes in a wide
variety of fabric weights, from light-
handed to heavy raw silk. The weave will
often determine the wearability of silk,
with some of the raw silks being much
stronger and able to take more wear.
 Where to Use It

Lined silk makes gorgeous window

treatments and is very long-wearing. It
makes durable upholstery fabrics as well.
Before synthetic fibers, silk and cotton were
used extensively. Many of the finest
Oriental rugs are made of silk and last for
hundreds of years. Silk makes terrific throw
pillows, feeling cool and slick on the cheek
when taking that too-rare nap on the sofa.
 wool
The battleship of the naturals, wool is a
fabric that provides long wear. Wool can
be scratchy and warm, however, and
some people may be allergic to it .Pets
might have an allergic reaction to wool
carpeting or upholstery.
Where to Use It
Wool makes fabulous hard-wearing wall-
to-wall carpeting. Wool sheepskin, in its
natural state, brushed and airy with long
fibers, makes wonderful small floor
coverings at the side of a bed or near a
cozy fireplace. Wool upholstery will last
to the next ice age. Think of wool
upholstery as the famous Pendleton shirt,
which warms and breathes well
simultaneously. For some people,
though, it gets a little too warm
 Styles and Patterns

Chintz: The style originally hails from India and was

brought to the West by the British raj. Chintz is a highly
polished, rather thin, brightly colored calico cotton
fabric. Popular for upholstery and slipcovers.

Cretonne: A plain-weave fabric with both printed floral

motif and angular shapes for people who can't make up
their minds about what they like. Often used for chair
coverings and curtains.
Damask: A glossy Jacquard weave (a Jacquard weave is made with a Jacquard
loom, which was invented Joseph Marie Jacquard in 1801) that has a flat look on
the pattern itself but a glossy look for the background. In silk, rayon or linen, it's
often used for draperies and upholstery.

Gingham: A relatively inexpensive fabric that usually has a checkered pattern.

Looks great as a dining tablecloth in Italian restaurants or on kitchen or nursery
windows.

Grosgrain: A silk with a ribbed appearance.

Herringbone: A regular geometric pattern consisting of two slanted rows that form a
"V" shape on the fabric. This menswear look has become popular in upholstery.

Moiré: For some reason, the French liked fabric with water spilled on it just like your
kids do. Moiré is a "water-marked" fabric (an effect now produced by cylindrical
presses) with vertical "cathedrals" (lines that look like the peak of a cathedral).

Mohair: Angora goats' hair. Sometimes used for throws and pillows.
Satin: This one dates from the 14th century. It's believed to be named after the
Chinese town of Zaitun, though no one knows where Zaitun was. Satin was
originally a glossy silk fabric with a dull back, but the look can be reproduced in
rayon for the cost-conscious.

Tapestry: Tapestries were originally developed in the Middle Ages as a form of

insulation, as the walls at the time had pretty low R-values. Tapestries helped to
block the wind coming in through the chinks in your basic castle's mortar and later
developed into a brocade type of weave with ornamentation.
Ticking: Ticking is a striped cotton fabric traditionally made in black and white
but also seen in blue/white and red/white. It's used for mattress covers and
informal curtains and coverings.

Toile de Jouy: Literally meaning "fabric of joy," toile is a French fabric with a
pattern that's somewhat naïve, featuring country scenes of a solid black, red,
gray or blue against a cream-colored background. Toile is often associated with
cottons.
Ultrasuede: An advance in technology, ultrasuede replicates natural suede (the
underside of leather) but resists stains much better than the highly absorbent
suede. Second-generation ultrasuedes are the more affordable microfibers
that are less dense in terms of fiber count and therefore more affordable.

Velvet: A pile that's cut at uniform lengths to create an even overall surface.
Very durable and great for heavy flowing draperies.
Synthetics
rayon

Here's a synthetic that can hang well, but it

can also do some pretty bizarre things for a
fabric. Check the fabric contents on window
treatments to be sure the rayon content is
low or nonexistent. In the summer, rayon
absorbs humidity and shrinks upward. It lets
back down in lower-humidity months. It's
like window treatments on a pogo stick.

Rayon is fine for window treatments in a

Where to Use It very low-humidity area.
acrylic
Acrylic is colorfast and resists stains well.
It also has sun-resistant qualities not
found in the natural fabrics, but it's
slightly harder to clean than wool, and it
can pill.

Where to Use It
Acrylic is often blended
with natural fabrics to add
durability.
 nylon
Nylon is tough stuff. It says "no" to stains and static electricity and wears well.
Nylon is a continuous filament, as opposed to a twist (hence nylon can't breathe,
while cotton has a high breathability factor, as air passes through the twist).

Where to Use It
The solidity of the filament makes
nylon not particularly comfortable to
sit on, as it warms up from body heat
quickly, but it's fabulous if you're
jumping out of an airplane.
 Olefin
Olefin is another test-tube baby
with high durability, but it's not
so high on style.

Where to Use It
Olefin is great for professional-
football stadiums (it makes for
swell AstroTurf), but it's not so
great in the home-unless you have
a need for some indoor-outdoor
carpeting.
Polyester
Polyester is what's called a staple
yard, consisting of strands bonded
together. It's fade-resistant but
harder to clean than nylon or wool,
and it's not as resilient as other
fabrics. The term staple refers to a
short length of fiber that's twisted
to form a thicker strand.

Where to Use It It's often used as part of an upholstery blend.

Acetate
Acetate is long-wearing and is less affected
by humidity than rayon. Softer than the
other test-tube babies, acetate rarely pills
and is tough to wrinkle.

Where to Use It
It's good in window treatments because of
its wrinkle-resistant draping qualities.