SERGE FABRIC INFORMATION

SERGE FABRIC INFORMATION
Serge is a twill weave fabric, similar to gabardine,
with distinctive diagonal ridges, a result of the
two-up and two-down weaving process.
Extremely durable and sturdy, serge fabric has a
classic, dressy look, drapes especially well and is
quite flexible.
The word "serge" is derived from the Greek
serikos, meaning "silken". Evidence of serge fabric
dates back to a piece of the fabric found in the
tomb of Charlemagne, possibly a gift from the
Byzantine empire during the 8th century and
thought to have originated in China sometime
before that. Originally possessed only by nobility
and the upper class, serge fabric began to be
manufactured by the French in the 1500s, using
premium English wool. Wool serge is especially
popular in military uniforms and suits, as the
material drapes very well, can be worn
comfortably for extended periods of time, and can
be made in a variety of weights for different
climates. Silk serge fabric is typically used as a
lining, as the soft material wears well against the
skin and the natural resiliency of serge allows for
the insides of coats and jackets to be adequately
protected. Serge is typically though of as a
premium fabric, as its durability, flexibility, ease of
wear and range of weights lend it to be a perfect
choice for dressy yet frequently worn garments.

GABARDINE FABRIC INFORMATION

GABARDINE FABRIC
INFORMATION
Gabardine fabric utilizes a twill weave to achieve
a diagonally ribbed surface that is smooth to the
touch. The fabric is durable and tightly woven,
and is traditionally made of worsted wool, but is
also available in cotton or synthetic mixtures.
Named after the “gaberdine”, a type of coat that
was tied at the waist, gabardine fabric was
invented by Thomas Burberry and patented in
1888. The material has a history of usage in cold
weather environments, as it has been worn by
South Pole explorers and Mt. Everest climbers.
The fabric can be found in suits, slacks and
uniforms, and is also produced with a satin finish
to lend a shiny, silken appearance. Gabardine
should be hand washed or dry cleaned, and
ironed with a warm iron.

WOOL FABRIC INFORMATION

WOOL FABRIC INFORMATION
Wool is a natural fiber, shorn primarily from sheep
as well as goats and llamas, that has long been
used to create warm and durable clothing and
blankets. Modern uses of wool extend beyond
winter attire, as wool can be found in carpeting,
insulation, felt and luxury suits. Wool is different
than fur: it has characteristic bends, or crimps,
along the fiber, has the capacity to stretch when
woven and grows in clusters known as staples.
The crimps let the fibers bunch together, which
results in a bulkier material that also acts as a
superior insulator. Fine wool, such as Merino,
may have dozens of crimps per inch, while
rougher wools may only have a handful. Wool
fabric has the unique ability to stretch much
further than silk, cotton, or other natural fibers
and regains its original shape after being
stretched. It has an extremely high absorbency
rate and is flame retardant, which makes it useful
in firefighters' uniforms and carpeting in trains
and airplanes. Wool also does not build up static
cling; the fabric will not cling to the body or
produce a spark. Wool is naturally absorbent, and
can absorb almost 1/3 of its own weight. Wool
has existed since the domestication of sheep and
goats, and wool fabric was readily available to
the general populace long before silk or cotton,
fabrics that were considered luxuries reserved for
the upper classes. Wool was one of the most
prominent trading goods of medieval times and
greatly impacted Europe's economy. England
became central to the production of wool fabric
beginning in the 1200's, and its protectionism of
the material only grew throughout the ensuing
centuries. England guarded her wool furiously;
American colonies were forbidden to trade wool
with anyone but England. Today, of the one billion
sheep in the world, only thirty million are in
England. Australia, New Zealand and China have
emerged as the producers of the majority of wool
in the market. Through selective breeding and
improvements to the fibers, over 60% of today's
wool production is used for apparel. Wool is put
through a time-honored cleaning and
classification process in order to ready it for
weaving. Grease wool, or the wool straight off the
sheep, contains lanolin, dirt, skin cells and various
other particles, and must be cleaned by hand and
subsequently in a soapy bath. The lanolin
retrieved in this process is popular in lotions and
hand creams. The cleaned wool is separated and
the fluffy fleece is set aside from the other, less
valuable remnants. Fleece of varying qualities are
then sorted into similar groups and packaged for
sale. The quality of wool is determined by the
crimps, fiber diameter, color and strength, with
the fiber diameter being the most important
factor. A wool fiber with a diameter of less than
25 microns is considered fine and suitable for
garment use, while the thicker grades are
relegated to carpeting, insulation and rugs. Wool
fabric has come a long way from the scratchy,
oversize sweaters of the past. Superfine Merino
wool makes ultra-expensive suits, while synthetic
blends such as silk/wool or cotton/wool add
shine and breathability to this classic material.
Wool fabric works well in skirts, shirts, pants,
coats, hats and other winter accessories, as well
as industrial uses such as insulation and
commercial carpeting. Wool may also be used for
blankets and, when treated with lanolin, resists
odor, water seepage, and bacteria. Wool can also
be harvested organically, which reduces the
chances for wool allergies and any adverse
reactions to chemicals. Wool fabric's soft feel,
great features, and fabulous drape make for a
very pleasant experience.

TULLE FABRIC INFORMATION

TULLE FABRIC INFORMATION
Tulle fabric is a delicate, lightweight net fabric,
made from rayon, nylon, silk, and sometimes
cotton, which is often starched to add structure.
Tulle fabric is named after the French town of
Tulle, pronounced "tool", where it most likely
originated during the 18th century. Most tulle
fabric is machine-made using a bobbinet
structure, a hexagonal design that uses tension in
the threads to retain shape. The result is a
surprisingly strong fabric, light in weight and
delicate in appearance only.
Tulle is typically found as an accent in garments
that call for a sheer, lace look, such as wedding
gowns, veils, evening wear pieces and tutus. Tulle
can add significant volume to a dress or gown if
layered underneath, providing strong support with
relatively little fabric weight. Other uses for tulle
include insect netting, gift wrap and
scrapbooking. Tulle should be machine washed in
cold water, or hand washed, and laid flat to dry.

SPANDEX FABRIC INFORMATION

SPANDEX FABRIC INFORMATION
Nylon and polyester spandex fabrics have come
to prominence in the last several decades as the
premier fabrics for athletic wear, uniforms,
swimwear, and workout clothing.
Spandex fabric - also known as elastane or Lycra
- is a modern synthetic fiber known for its
exceptional elasticity, hence its prevalence in
athletic attire as well as in apparel designed for
comfort or to flatter the figure. The material is
extremely comfortable, lightweight, supple and
dyes easily. It is a key stretchy fabric in active-
wear garments and in an ever growing array of
other stylish attire, such as dancewear and club
wear.
Spandex was developed in 1959 by DuPont
scientist Joseph Shivers, the culmination of nearly
a decade of research. The material is a long-
chain synthetic polymeric fiber, consisting of a
rubbery segment for stretch and recovery as well
as a rigid segment for strength and durability.
Spandex is always blended with another fiber
such as cotton or linen, and does not lose
integrity with exposure to lotions or the body's
natural oils, unlike rubber thread.
Its generic "spandex" name is a clever (reverse)
word play on the fact that the fabric is rather
uniquely "ex-pandable", and thus ideal for a range
of active lifestyle garments and applications.
DuPont's brand of spandex, Lycra, began its foray
into the fashion world during the 1960's in
women's pantyhose and undergarments. The
material was soon cropping up elsewhere, though,
in uniforms, swimwear and athletic attire.
Spandex leggings were all the rage in aerobics
classes throughout the 1980's, and many
entertainers began incorporating the material into
their stage costumes. Spandex remains widely
used for a multitude of applications, ranging from
traditional uses in clothing to practical bedding
and automotive paneling. Spandex is a truly
remarkable textile that has altered the form and
function of fashion.

FLEECE FABRIC INFORMATION

FLEECE FABRIC INFORMATION
Natural fleece is an organic, marvelously soft,
amazingly resilient fabric that has been used in
textiles since the domestication of sheep. Fleece
is sheared humanely from specially-fed lambs and
then spun into textiles. Fleece fabric is all-natural
and reacts well to dyeing, thus making it
especially appropriate for bedding, winter clothing,
baby garments, and outerwear. In addition to soft
cotton, fleece is one of the best fabrics to use
against delicate skin. Those with allergies to
synthetic fabrics will appreciate fleece's hypo-
allergic, organic fibers. However, because it is an
organic fabric, care must be taken during
washing. Hand wash fleece and air-dry it; avoid
the dryer as this can shrink the garment down to
70% of its original size. For a more economical
alternative to natural fleece, polyester-based
polar fleece is widely available and shares many
of the benefits of organic fleece. Polar fleece, first
created in 1973 by the firm now known as
Polartec, is soft, warm, water resistant, and very
breathable much like natural fleece, with the
addition of being machine washable. For those
who are allergic or sensitive to wool, polar fleece
is a great alternative, and for a synthetic fabric,
the material is quite environmentally friendly as it
can be made entirely from recycled plastic
bottles. Polyester fleece is somewhat flammable,
though, and should not be washed or dried on
high heat settings. Due to fleece's fantastic
ability as an insulator, it is not recommended for
use in summer garments. However, fleece
performs beautifully during fall and winter, when
its lightweight yet powerful pile allows for
maximum warmth. It is also great for use in
crafting; fleece fabric makes fantastic quilts, yarn,
and is suitable for all types of imaginative sewing
projects. It is perfect for outerwear, shirts, socks,
mittens, and any other soft, winter items.

POLYESTER FABRIC INFORMATION

POLYESTER FABRIC
INFORMATION
Polyester is a very popular synthetic fabric, often
found in combination with natural fibers to
provide strength and resistance to both wrinkles
and the elements. The material commonly known
as polyester, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is
actually only one of a group of polymers that
contain the ester functional group in their
chemical composition, and is derived chiefly from
petroleum. PET, henceforth referred to as
polyester, was patented in 1941 by British
chemists John Whinfield and James Dickson while
employed by the Calico Printer's Association of
Manchester, England. The pair developed
polyester based on the early research of Wallace
Carothers, the inventor of nylon. While DuPont
decided to focus solely on the development of
nylon in the 1930's and 40's, Whinfield and
Dickson created the first polyester fiber, Terylene.
DuPont soon purchased the U.S. rights to
Terylene and resumed its research into polyester,
introducing its own version, Dacron, in 1950. Due
to the source of polyester, petroleum, being so
widely available and inexpensive in the mid
1900's, use of the fabric gained in popularity.
However, polyester was regarded as being rather
uncomfortable and retaining heat, and the
proliferation of cheap polyester suits and shirts
with massive lapels started to hurt the image of
the fabric for garment use. Recently, polyester
has experienced resurgence with the advent of
microfibers. A great increase in softness and
wearability has been paired with marketing
campaigns aimed to promote polyester as a wash
and go fabric, as opposed to simply being
inexpensive. Polyester fabric can be found in
high-quality, wrinkle resistant shirts, pants, and
costumes, as well as in bedding and home décor.
Polyester fleece is popular in wetsuits and other
garments that require heat retention and
insulation, and the fabric is immensely popular in
outdoor applications, such as overcoats, sleeping
bags and climbing suits. Polyester's uses go
beyond clothing, as it can be found in plastic
bottles, ropes, even fancy balloons. Polyester
fabric is a truly remarkable material which lends
strength, warmth and durability to any project.

NYLON FABRIC INFORMATION

NYLON FABRIC INFORMATION
While silk, cotton, wool, and linen are all derived
from plants or animals, nylon is an entirely
synthetic fabric. Originally intended to be a man-
made replacement for silk, nylon has extended its
reach into a vast array of applications, from
stockings to carpets to guitar strings. The term
“nylon” is a generic descriptor for the family of
synthetic polymers known as polyamides. First
developed in 1938 by DuPont scientist Wallace
Carothers, the invention of nylon was a direct
result of World War II, during which the United
States could no longer import silk and cotton
from Asia. Before the war, silk was the sole fabric
used in parachutes, and upon the onset of
hostilities, American manufacturers began
scrambling for a substitute. The DuPont
Company, acting on the advice of the government
to use plastic instead of metal whenever possible,
began experimenting with plastic fibers. By 1938,
nylon was being used commercially in hairbrushes
and by 1940, women were wearing nylon
stockings. However, though American women
were quick to fall in love with the new nylon
hosiery which was much cheaper than silk and
resisted tears and holes, by 1941 America had
relegated all nylon fabric to the war effort and the
price of nylon stockings went from $1.25 a pair to
$10 a pair on the black market. After the war,
nylon was once again allowed to be used in
hosiery production. Thousands of women flocked
to New York department stores to buy what they
now called “nylons”. When washing machines
began to gain acceptance among the general
public, nylon and nylon blends were touted for
their amazing “wash and wear” qualities, meaning
they could be washed and worn without ironing.
Nylon fabric has a low absorbency rate, which
makes it ideal for swimwear and sportswear.
Nylon is often combined with other fibers, such as
spandex and PVC, and can be woven into any
pattern. It is often used in bridal wear and, unlike
polyester and acetate, can be easily dyed. Nylon's
uses are incredibly vast: it can be found in flags,
toothbrush bristles, racket strings, machine parts
and even sutures. Characteristics that have made
nylon and nylon fabric in particular so popular
include:
Rugged durability
Stretch and elasticity
Resistant to tears and abrasions
Resistant to heat and water
Resistant to molds, mildew, and chemical
damage
Melts instead of catching fire
Due to the fact that nylon is a synthetic fiber
derived from widely available ingredients, it is one
of the most cost effective fabrics, making it ideal
for beginning sewers or anyone who wishes to
explore thriftier clothing options. And, because
nylon fabrics come in all degrees of stretch and
are great at wicking away moisture, they are
perfect for leotards, jerseys, shorts, and any other
situation requiring the freedom of movement.
Nylon fabric is cool, durable, and extremely low-
maintenance, which has lead to its meteoric rise
in popularity over the past 70 years.

LEATHER INFORMATION

LEATHER INFORMATION
History of Leather: From early settlers to modern
day people Leather has been used as a durable
and flexible material serving countless purposes.
Early settlers in America found the native peoples
were skilled in the art of leather tanning especially
buckskin which is exceptionally soft and water-
resistant. The technique was to pile the skins
until they began to decay; the decay loosened the
hair which was removed by hand along with the
flesh from the underside. Oil and animal brains
were pounded into the skins, following which they
were often smoked. During colonial times, leather
enjoyed a range of uses including door hinges, fire
buckets, tableware and coach springs. The oak-
bark method from thousands of years before was
used until the end of the 18th century when
people learned that bark from hemlock, chestnut
trees and other plant substances could also be
used for tanning leather.
Come the end of the 19th century, an American
chemist discovered that chromium salts used on
hides produced a different kind of raw hide
leather, than produced by the traditional bark-
tanning method. The new procedure required the
resulting leather to be treated with soaps and oils
and has become the leading modern method for
producing leather. Chrome tanning produced
softer more supple leather than vegetable tanning,
suitable for the increasing demand for lightweight
and fashionable footwear and reflecting our new
way of living after the invention of the
automobile. The process begins in rotating drums
with a bath in a chemical containing trivalent
chrome. It usually takes eight hours for the
chrome to penetrate all the way into the hide.
Once this has been achieved the chrome is “fixed”
by adding an alkaline chemical such as sodium
carbonate or bicarbonate. After this treatment the
hide is considered tanned. Chrome tanning is
used in 90% of leather manufacture today.
Vegetable tanning is still used in shoe soles,
luggage, saddlery, belt leathers and some
upholstery. The process is slower than chrome
tanning and involves the chemical substance
tannin, or tannic acid, which is extracted from the
barks of trees. This process is normally
performed in drums taking two to four days.
After tanning, wringing lowers the moisture
content of the hide in preparation for splitting.
Depending on the end use of the leather product,
the hides are split into sheets of the required
thickness and processed further through a
shaving machine for added quality. Around the
end of the 19th century, Americans also invented
machinery to make the job of leather production
easier, including one which could split leather to
any desired thickness, thereby increasing output.
Machines were also invented that would speed up
de-hairing, fleshing and cleaning. After shaving,
chrome tanned hides are again placed in rotating
drums with hot water, dyes and synthetic tanning
materials to obtain the desired color. They are
then lubricated with natural fat or synthetic fatty
type chemicals, or a combination of both to
obtain the softness required by the final product.
The next process is setting, which is the removal
of excess water and spreading the hide out prior
to drying. Upholstery leather is normally toggle
dried (spreading the leather over expanding
frames held by “toggles” or clips) hence the clip
marks around the entire hide. Staking is the
mechanical softening of the leather after drying.
The hides may also be softened by milling which
is dry tumbling with atomized moisture injected
into the tumbler. Finishing consists of placing a
series of coatings on the surface of the leather.
These coatings are designed to protect the
leather and produce surface effects pleasing to
the eye and hand. Some finishing processes apply
plastics such as acrylic and urethane resins.
Others coat with vinyl, wax, nitrocellulose, or dye.
Various mechanical operations are necessary to
obtain the desired effect. Hydraulic presses,
printing, embossing machines, automatic spray
applicators and vacuum driers are a few of the
machines used in the finishing process. Patent
Leather In 1818, Seth Boyden of Newark, New
Jersey, invented patent leather after investigating
ways to treat leather that would render it dressier
than the classic form while retaining its durability.
Althouth Seth's process employed a linseed-oil
based lacquer coating to give the leather its shiny
finish, today patent leather is usually coated in
plastic. Patent leather is an eye-catching, water-
resistant material reserved for fashion items such
as wallets and handbags, shoes, and trench
coats.
Dyeing leather holds dye well due to its porous
nature. Before the mid-1800s, all dyes were
created from vegetable matter. Since then, dyes
have been produced using coal-tar or petroleum.
Traditionally seen in only black or brown, leather
jackets today are dyed in every color imaginable .
Types of leather: Steer hide is pebbly and crinkly
in texture and very pliable. It comes in natural or
two-toned colors. Cowhide is versatile and
natural in color with a smooth grain. Sheep is
medium-weight and not as durable as other
leathers. Morocco goat is used for linings,
billfolds, and book bindings and comes in several
colors. Pigskin is durable, comes in a natural
color and varies in weight. Suede is a type of
finish which is generally made on sheep skins.
Suede is available in many colors, and is popular
for garments as well as linings.
Leather as a fashion statement . Today, at least
half of leather is used in footwear, one-quarter in
clothing, only 15% in upholstery, and the
remainder in small leather goods. Leather is also
used in cars, planes, and equestrian saddles. The
leather jacket, used in the military and by aviators
(called “bomber jackets”) during World War Two,
became a fashion item in the 1950s. After Marlon
Brando wore one in The Wild One in 1953, the
black leather jacket took on iconic status,
representing rebellion and everything “cool”. The
leather jacket worn by Fonzie in the Happy Days
sitcom became so famous that it now enjoys
pride of place at the Smithsonian Institute in
Washington. Toward the end of the 20th century,
the iconic bomber jacket was joined by the
leather coat worn by Arnold Schwarzenegger in
the Terminator franchise and Keanu Reeves'
leather trench in The Matrix.

DESIGNER FABRIC INFORMATION

DESIGNER FABRIC INFORMATION
Designer fabrics display an assertiveness of style,
the pinnacle of craftsmanship and a joie de vivre
which clearly lift them above the ordinary.
Projects incorporating designer fabrics possess
distinct advantages in both aesthetics and
quality. From innovative synthetics, to artistic
prints, to the finest cottons and silks, designer
fabrics earn their premium reputation with
reliability, durability and beauty.