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

[VICTIM]

^ i iron them on the linen settings untill they start to smell burnt lol it works every time for me though i wouldnt recomend it just incase

 

[Honey~Blade]

LOL that sounds like my style, I think i will give it a go. I like burning stuff anyway

 

[kinkexplosion]

the rubberized fabrics are always made in a factory. i believe they treat the fabric first, then spray on and speed-dry the coatings. would be hard to replicate at home. i don't know what you can use to make a fine enough mist. if you want to start with that kind of fabric, all i can say is TEFLON PRESSER FOOT i got some from b+j fabrics in the city a few years ago... have played with it a little, but still don't know what i want to use it for.

some things you can do to play with fabric:

- there is a product called "fiber etch" or "etch fiber" or "fabric etch" or something like that which you can use to selectively burn away plant fibers. you just apply it with a brush or whatever you want to use and iron it, which dissolves the fibers where you applied it. you can use blended fabrics, too, which creates a neat effect sometimes (the stuff will only dissolve the plant fiber and will leave the synthetic intact). this stuff is really, really fun to play with!

- if you have some regular silk velvet, you can crush it yourself easily. just scrunch it, pleat it, whatever... lay it down on your ironing board (you may have to use pins, just be sure to use ones that won't rust! chrome-plated steel is usually good for this, but test first) and steam it good. let it dry a little and then open it up and fluff it... ta-da! gorgeous crushed velvet. it works SO WELL with silk, the poly just looks junky.

- you can get interfacing that dissolves in water and sew/embroider on it with cool thread/ribbons/etc, then dissolve the interfacing afterwards. i've done some really interesting things this way, like making trimmings and lacy panels etc.

i'll post more as i think of it... if you have a question about a certain technique, ask away, i might have an answer.

wow thanks so much!!! how about satins?? how do i loose the shine i want it to look a bit matte? is there a method for that?

 

[orlem]

wow thanks so much!!! how about satins?? how do i loose the shine i want it to look a bit matte? is there a method for that?

You can dye the fabric, and most of the shine goes away.

 

[kinkexplosion]

up for this thread! =)

 

[cbcb]

Can anyone give me the lowdown on what the use of polyurethane in jeans does? I see that more and more in place of lycra, so I'm wondering if it serves a dual use - one, giving a shiny patina to the fabric (always or sometimes?) and two, providing a little stretchiness?

The fundamental thing I'm wondering is if that's the case, are 'stretch' jeans with poly instead of lycra etc. going to be any better at avoiding bagging.

 

[Lena]

hello and welcome to tFS pavanimiller,
1- you always receive finished product from fabric manufacturers
2- you need a pattern cutter to provide you with patterns and construction details which you forward to the sample makers
3- good luck with finding a 'mentor'

 

[kenboy]

Dying fabrics?

I spent a lot of time looking for my favorite fabrics. However, the color of fabrics are sometimes very limited. Some suppliers only have this or that color, and it is not flexible at all. I wonder why many designers can have their own colored fabrics. Did they dye them on their own or hire a 3 party service?
By the way, anyone know the dying process and its costs? I am sure many of us are curious about it too.

 

[Lena]

i have used small dying houses myself

best choice are those small ateliers that work mainly for theater/opera productions, they are used to work with small quantities and are very artistic in getting the perfect shade..
only thing is you cannot really trust how your fabric will react and you dont always be sure that next 'dye' will fit exactly the preview one on tone detail..
but it's sure worth it, loved dying my own shades

 

[Mayfair]

Rosie can you recommend a textile / fabric school in London?

 

[sisi01]

hi do you know where i might find an online store for purchasing fabrics?

Ralph Lauren always have the loveliest materials, I just love his choice of fabrics and prints same with Michael Kors, I love Ralph Lauren and Michael Kors. Tommy Hilfiger and Nautica have such cheap crap, I dont even bother with them cause they're styles are crap too.

Express is so overpriced, it was like $300 for a boring leather handbag with a super cheap grain, not to mention those sweaters that were talked about. J.Crew has good fabric sense as well, but they're styles are rather boring (for men at least), but they have knockoff Hermes & LV bags that are very well executed.

Guess has good fabric sense, though they do get tacky on occasion. Bebe and Arden B. have incredible taste in fabrics, always top notch. H&M has low quality, though for some reason the cheap materials actually add to the clothes. Banana Republic is still struggling, they're so expensive but some of thier pieces are obviously too cheap for the price.

 

[tott]

^You might want to try the "Shop til you drop section" or Google?

 

[So Amazing]

Student who needs help with fabrics....Help!

Does anybody know where or how I would go about sourcing fabrics for a collection. I am from London. I've tried the internet but I get stuck in a rut.

Please help, I am especially interested in metallics, like the ones used in Victor and Rolfs latest collections.

Any information on directories, suppliers... ect, would be appreciated.

 

[VICTIM]

fabric shops?

 

[So Amazing]

Fabric shops, don't supply large quantities if the garments need to be put into production.

 

[Luna]

Depends on where your factories are? If your factories are in China usually you'd have to do some shopping there to see.. You can try googling fabric wholesalers maybe?

 

[Ameera]

i have used small dying houses myself

best choice are those small ateliers that work mainly for theater/opera productions, they are used to work with small quantities and are very artistic in getting the perfect shade..
only thing is you cannot really trust how your fabric will react and you dont always be sure that next 'dye' will fit exactly the preview one on tone detail..
but it's sure worth it, loved dying my own shades

i tried dying silk.. made a complete mess and wasted 20 yards of fabric.
the colors just kept spreading making little lines between the threads. had fun though. i just wanted to know something though, i am a self taught designer and i work on designing stuff and have my own shop but since i cant design my own fabric i always avoid buying something with prints and embroidery because i simply can't call that my design since i didnt design the print.. can i? i try to buy plain colors and then add beads and design them my own way. this is my question.. is a designer entitled to sell a peice of clothing to the public although he got the fabric from his local shop with ready prints and cannot garantee that you will never see the same print on someone else who bought the same fabric?

 

[Lena]

go through the yellow pages, or the UK fabric manufacturers association

there are still quite a lot if fabric houses in England, even if their bulk is made in China..

 

[jun3machina]

i have a question....if i was going to do a collection, and just do probably a prototype and a few samples of each garment. is it best it find the materials online (from a wholesaler?) or go to a fabric store. im not interested in doing mass production, but small limited edition runs for boutiques possibly...how does that usually go?

 

[Lena]

try small fabric store and get straight away all the material you will probably need..

you can also go to a fabric manufacturer and just ask for a small quanity around 30-50 meters, it will be cheaper than getting it from a fabric store

i dont enjoy buying fabrics online because i wouldnt get a real 'feeling', 'weight' and 'touch' of the fabric