All about Textiles / Fabrics: Specifications, Fabric Treatments, Dyeing, Etc.

[asta]

recently, when looking at fabrics, i realized that fabric is cut in different widths.

i noticed that some were in 45" and others were 54-60".

some of the more intricate fabrics were cut on a 45" width, while the more basic ones were 54-60". i know that this would affect the pattern of a item, in that it may have to be cut in more pieces, but is this necessarily a bad thing?

obviously, it is more cost effective in production to use a 60" width fabric... but what if only 45" are available at the time when samples are being made? is this common with high end brands and the fabric production for fashion houses? do they make samples out of 45" width fabrics? or do they have immediate access to 60"? once a pattern is made out of a 45" width fabric, is it possible to go into production with a 60" fabric? a marker would lay out all of the pattern pieces on the yardage in the most cost effective way, so would a change in width make for an increased chance in a loss of money?

thanks to anyone that can help!

 

[pinkillumination]

Thanx

 

[leyla m.]

have you tried the fabric stores in soho?
i remember thats where my professors took us to for our projects

but then again, i remember them not being really cheap

 

[pinkillumination]

No, but ill go and check it out

If they're nice fabrics, and i think the price is worth it, then why not .. all in aid of my final major project at college ... which i have 3 weeks to make a complete outfit which i havent designed yet!! So, hopefully fabric shopping will knock some good pure motivation into me! (I work a bit backwards y'see )

 

[Rosie]

It depends what type of fabric you want.....for a good range of different types of fabrics and moderate prices you could try somewhere like "Peter Jones" at the top of Kings Road....I think they have a good fabric section there.

Or you could try somewhere like Brick Lane where there are loads of shops selling a huge range of Indian sari fabrics in beautiful colours and silks, fairly cheaply. like I said, it depends what your looking for...

 

[Acid]

leyla are you MAD........the prices in SOHO are about 10 times anywhere else

the best places are.........shepards (sp) bush market or church street near marble arch.

if u NEED a decent fabric and dont care about the price.....go to cloth house in soho......or the one in camden

 

[pinkillumination]

Originally posted by Acid@May 8th, 2004 - 11:30 pm
leyla are you MAD........the prices in SOHO are about 10 times anywhere else

.. ok im not THAT much in need of motivation lol

I'll check out the markets .. only ever been to the ones around where i live, but they're a bit boring now.

 

[Rosie]

oh yeah I totally forgot about markets.... good idea, and more fun, you never know what you might find

 

[LadyIllusion]

COLOR=red]Have you tried some of the little shops inbetween Bond St/ Oxford Street. I cant remember the name of the road,but i know when you reach back on Oxford Street, you are in front of John Lewis, these are little shops that sell all types of fabrics, some more expensive than others, it depends on what you are making. One of my best friends go her wedding/bridesmaids dress material from these shopsiberty is good, but can be a little expensive as well. John Lewis material dept, should be able to give you directions. [ [/COLOR]

 

[pinkillumination]

Ahhhhh, yeh my fashion teacher told me to trail around there, but i've tried before and end up getting lost and only finding one haberdashery store (which was good nevertheless).

At least I know where to start now, thanx very much!

 

[seditionary]

Originally posted by leyla m.@May 8th, 2004 - 10:06 pm
have you tried the fabric stores in soho?
i remember thats where my professors took us to for our projects

but then again, i remember them not being really cheap

quality is everything...
if something is made of cheap fabric... it looks cheap

 

[Lena]

working by meter metric system, i couldnt really understand the measurements given, but i guess you are talkning of 90cm and 1.50cm length fabrics.

i either use whatever suits the collection regardless the cost,
or i try to adjust the use of the fabric to patterns suiting the width.

most expensive fabrics are in the 0.90cm width, such as silks, brocades, embroideries, best quality line etc.
wider fabrics are usually for more basic or 'commercial' production,
some asian mills produce all their qualities (including high end) in 1.50m.

my advice is use what suits your style

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by asta@May 4th, 2004 - 5:08 pm
once a pattern is made out of a 45" width fabric, is it possible to go into production with a 60" fabric? a marker would lay out all of the pattern pieces on the yardage in the most cost effective way, so would a change in width make for an increased chance in a loss of money?

To answer this question first, it is not that difficult to adjust your layout from a narrower fabric width to a wider one. It is, however, a complete pain in the *** to re-tool a pattern designed for a wide width to a narrower width, so you may wish to bear this in mind. However, it is my experience that a 45" width fabric is typically sufficient for most designs, as most very full skirts are going to be cut in panels anyway.

recently, when looking at fabrics, i realized that fabric is cut in different widths.

i noticed that some were in 45" and others were 54-60".

some of the more intricate fabrics were cut on a 45" width, while the more basic ones were 54-60". i know that this would affect the pattern of a item, in that it may have to be cut in more pieces, but is this necessarily a bad thing?

The fabric isn't actually cut to these widths, it is woven in that way. Good call on noting that the more elaborate and luxurious fabrics were usually woven in narrower widths. Typically, you won't be using as large of quantities of these, either; they will be trims or whimsical, frivolous little-nothing dresses. Stout workaday fabrics like suitings, denim, and shirtings typically come in wider widths. You will more than likely run through a 17-yd bolt of suiting faster than you would run through a 12-yd bolt of diaphanous silk charmeuse. A dress, on average, takes 2-3 yards of fabric, a suit will run more along the lines of 5-6 yards. Denim sells like crazy, and a pair of jeans typically takes up 2 yards. Your note about the narrower, more elaborate fabric necessitating more complicated cutting is a good one, also, The average dress is cut in more panels and has less wearing ease, at least throught he body, than a suit generally would.

is this common with high end brands and the fabric production for fashion houses? do they make samples out of 45" width fabrics? or do they have immediate access to 60"?

I don't know about high-end designers. I'm a local, small-time dressmaker, but I do work through wholesalers for my stock goods for wedding dresses and basic fabrics like denim and suiting. As far as I know, there is no such thing as "immediate access" to anything, though couturiers sometimes have fabric designed and woiven especially for specific projects. (and some houses like Missoni design their clothing around the fabric that made them famous to start with) For people like you and me, who may only do a range of say 6 dresses, we pretty much have to take what we can find. Bear in mind, though, that if you work with a network of good wholesalers, and have a good relationship with other retail fabric shops, you can get damn near anything you would ever need for any type of project.

Hope this helps you some.

Originally posted by lenaworking by meter metric system, i couldnt really understand the measurements given, but i guess you are talkning of 90cm and 1.50cm length fabrics.

She is. A yard is just shy of a meter, and a yard is 36in. We Americans are so stinkin' stubborn and kinda weird. I can work in either--numbers are just an abstraction, but you go to an American fabric shop and ask them for 3 yards of outing flannel, and they will look at you like you asked them for a freshly poached groundhog.

I agree wholeheartedly with your advice, as well. I don't work that much in luxury fabrics, myself, because most of my clients are brides who are trying to do a wedding on the cheap, so As You Like It Design works in WAY more polyester satin and polyester Jacquard-brocade than is strictly tasteful.

 

[Lena]

i understand as-you-like-it, sometimes there are some very fine polyesters one can work with

i work with high end market so, even if i find good synthetics i can hardly use them (only if they are very high tech).. due to pricing restrictions

 

[As You Like It]

Well, the synthetics I am mostly using are very inexpensive. The Jacquard brocade going into the wedding dress I am working on right now was $3.50/yd wholesale. Granted it is pretty, and appropriate to a dress that is only going to be worn once anyway.

I sometimes wish I could get commissions where I could use better fabrics and charge enough to make it worth my while, but so far, everyone I have worked for was looking for a bargain, and since any work is better than no work at all, I have been churning away, pretty much making no profits whatsoever.

I think I am actually taking a loss on this wedding dress I am doing right now, as I had to buy a whole new bolt of fabric to get started, plus incidental notions and finishing materials. Oy. I wish there was a headache smiley.

 

[seditionary]

Originally posted by As You Like It@May 16th, 2004 - 2:56 pm

I think I am actually taking a loss on this wedding dress I am doing right now, as I had to buy a whole new bolt of fabric to get started, plus incidental notions and finishing materials. Oy. I wish there was a headache smiley.

i dont understand why u are makin a loss
if the project costs more, cant u tell the client it will cost them more
*oy*

 

[seditionary]

Originally posted by Lena@May 16th, 2004 - 2:17 pm
due to pricing restrictions

someday i wish i can say that too...

oneday it will happen....

 

[As You Like It]

Originally posted by seditionary+May 16th, 2004 - 10:12 pm--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(seditionary @ May 16th, 2004 - 10:12 pm)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-As You Like It@May 16th, 2004 - 2:56 pm

I think I am actually taking a loss on this wedding dress I am doing right now, as I had to buy a whole new bolt of fabric to get started, plus incidental notions and finishing materials. Oy. I wish there was a headache smiley.

i dont understand why u are makin a loss
if the project costs more, cant u tell the client it will cost them more
*oy* [/b][/quote]
She has budgeted for what my estimate was, and it would be extraordinarily unfair, not to mention bad business to turn around and hike up the price. Also, any work is good work, since I can put the results in my portfolio. I don't get that many commissions as it is, so I will take it in the shorts if I have to, just to keep working and kind of get my name out there.

Thanks be for dayjobs, eh?

 

[seditionary]

Originally posted by As You Like It@May 17th, 2004 - 3:47 am

She has budgeted for what my estimate was, and it would be extraordinarily unfair, not to mention bad business to turn around and hike up the price. Also, any work is good work, since I can put the results in my portfolio. I don't get that many commissions as it is, so I will take it in the shorts if I have to, just to keep working and kind of get my name out there.

Thanks be for dayjobs, eh?

 

[OnMyTippyToes]

all about textiles:suppriels, treatments, dying etc

Okay, I love the Chloe banana shirt that was discussed in the trend spotting forum. I have set out to recreate it on my own, seeing that I am on a highschool student's budget and could never afford to buy it. Plus I am not all that bad with a sewing machine, I love making clothes. Anyway.

I am having the hardest time finding a similar fabric. My local fabric stores were not much help so I am going to have to seach online. It does not HAVE to be banana print (though that would be nice)...just something similar looking...not too loud or gaudy.

Does anyone know of any good online fabric stores for fashion/designer fabrics? Specifically ones that carry fruit prints? Thanks for any help!