B
Batik
Resist mehod of patterning cloth where wax is used as the resist. Molten wax is applied to the cloth, traditionally by a hand process, in a pattern, and the wax is allowed to harden. The waxed cloth is dyed and the wax removed afterwards. The process can be repeated to build up complext patterns. Sometimes the hardened wax is cracked to produce a characteristic veining.Batiste (View Product)
Fine, soft,plain weave fabric traditionally made from linen, now often made with other fibres, especially cotton.Blend
Combination of two or more different staple fibres within the same yarn. Fibres are blended for one or more reasons, e.g. cost, properties, appearance.Buckram
Plain weave fabric, generally of linen or cotton, which is stiffened during finishing with fillers and starches. Uses include interlinings and bookbinding fabrics.C
Calico
General term used for plain cotton fabrics heavier than muslin. These are usually left unbleached, are made in a variety of weights, and are often used for making toiles.Cambric
Lightweight, closely woven, plain weave fabric, usually made from cotton or linen.Canvas
Strong, firm, relatively heavy and rigid, generally plain woven cloth traditionally made from cotton, linen, hemp or jute.Cavalry twill
Firm woven fabric with a steep twill showing double twill lines, traditionally used for riding breeches and jodphurs.Cheesecloth
Open, lightweight, plain weave fabric with a slightly crêpey appearance, usually made from carded cotton yarns with higher than average twist.Chiffon
Originally a very lightweight, sheer, plain weave fabric made from silk. Now can also be used to describe a similar fabric using other fibres.Chintz
Closely woven, lustrous, plain weave cotton fabric, printed or plain, that has been friction calendered or glazed. Much used for curtainings and upholstery.Corduroy
Wove, cut weft-pile fabric where the cut pile runs in vertical cords along the length of the fabric. A number of different types are found, ranging from pincord (very fine cords) to elephant cord (very broad cords).Crepe
Fabric characterised by a crincled or puckered surface, which can be produced by a number of methods.1. woven fabric where short, irregular floats in warp and weft are arranged to give an all-over, random pattern within the weave repeat.2. woven or knitted fabric where the crêpe characteristics are achieved mainly by the use of highly twisted yarns, which in finishing develop the crinkled, puckered appearance of a crêpe.
3. fabric where the crêpe effect is produced in finishing by treatment with embossing rollers, engraved with a crêpe pattern, which impart a crêpe effect onto the fabric through heat and pressure.
Crêpe de chine
Lightweight, plain weave crêpe fabric, made with highly twisted continuous filament yarns in the weft, alternating one S and one Z twist, and with normally twisted filament yarns in the warp. The crêpe effect is relatively unpronounced.Crepe yarn
Spun or filament yarns that are very highly S or Z twisted used for the production of crepe fabrics.D
Delaine
Lightweight, printed, all wool plain weave fabric.Doupion (or Dupion)
Silk-breeding term meaning double cocoon, used to describe the irregular, raw rough silk reeled from double cocoons.Drill
Woven twill fabric with a similar structure to denim, but usually piece-dyed.G
Gauze
Lightweight, open-textured fabric made in plain weave a simple leno weaveGeorgette
Fine, lightweight, plain weave, crêpe fabric, usually having two highly twisted S and two highly twisted Z yarns alternately in both warp and weft.H
Hopsack
Variation on plain weave, where two or more ends and picks weave as one. Sometimes called basket weave.I
Interlining
Fabric used between the inner and outer layers of a garment to improve shape retention, strength, warmth or bulk. Interlinings may be woven, knitted or nonwoven, and can be produced with fusible adhesive on one surface.J
Jacquard fabric
1. A fabric woven on a jacquard loom, where the patterning mechanism allows individual control on any interlacing of up to several hundred warp threads2. A rib-based, double jersey weft-knit structure which shows a figure or design in a different colour or texture. Jacquard fabrics are sub-divided into flat-jacquard and blister fabrics.