How to Purchase Fleece Fabrics?
Fleece fabric or polar fleece is a synthetic fabric made from polyethylene terephthalate, or recycled PET bottles. It is a very light weight material, has a soft nap on either or both sides, does not hold water, lets in air, and is insulating. These qualities make this fabric ideal for lightweight blankets, soft toys, jackets, outdoor sports wear, and so on.
Buying fleece fabrics is easy, and now they are available in online stores too. The fabric comes in different widths and thicknesses, and the price per yard depends upon the quality. It could be as low as $8 per yard or go upwards of $20. You should buy the fabric depending on what you are going to make with it.
To make lightweight baby blankets, the micro fleece would be the best choice. It is very thin, and you can make a double layered blanket if you want. You may buy a plain one or a fabric with embellishments on it. This material is very easy to sew, and there is practically no need to stitch the edges either, since it does not fray. In fact, if you are stitching a vest, you need to attach a binder on the arm hole only if you want to make it look interesting. For beginners, stitching a fleece fabric is relief as the imperfections does not show – they get hidden in the nap.
If you are buying fleece fabric to make sweat pants or outdoor wear, then you need to consider the thickness of the fabric. The colder the climate is the thicker the material should be. Also bear in mind that thicker fleece fabrics are less flexible.
Fleece fabrics do not retain water, and dry very fast. This quality makes them a good choice to make soft toys for babies and children. They would play with these toys in the yard, drag them on the ground and may even put it in their mouth, so it is very important that you should frequently wash them. The earlier soft toys were not made of quick drying material, and they used to lose their sponginess and texture after washing. This does not happen with fleece soft toys. Besides, this material does not shrink – so there is no danger of losing shape after washing.
This material has a right side and wrong side, and before cutting it for sewing you should ensure which side is which. You can understand this by looking at the material from a distance, from the way the nap and design look. There is another way to find out the right side. Cut a small piece across a corner – a bias cut. Stretch the material, and it will curl towards the wrong side.
Another thing to keep in mind while buying fleece fabrics is that they have a tendency to pill. It is very difficult to know beforehand if the material will pill later on. You may try rubbing it against itself, and if the yarn shows a tendency to form balls then it might pill later.
What is Fleece Fabric?
Fleece fabric is a synthetic knitted fabric made from polyethylene terephthalate, more familiar to the public through its abbreviated form PET. The same PET used to make plastic containers for homes is used to make the fiber for fleece. This means that the fabric can be made from recycled plastic bottles, which makes it a ‘green’ fabric that reduces the contamination of earth.
Fleece fabric is an insulated clothing material with a soft pile, much lighter than wool. It is used to make casual jackets, light weight blankets, outdoor clothing, sweatpants, hoodies and hats. Fleece fabric has one or both sides brushed to have the soft nap on it. They have a right side and wrong side, and the right side can be either plain or embellished with designs.
They are available in a range of different thickness, such as micro, hundred, two hundred, and three hundred. The last one is not very flexible and it is the thickest. They are also categorized as heavy weight, medium weight, and micro. The micro is very light weight and is ideal for making a double layered blanket, as it has distinctive right and wrong sides.
Fleece is a breathable fabric – it lets air through, and does not hold water. This quick drying feature makes it ideal for sportswear as it does not absorb perspiration. But this point can be counted as both the advantage and disadvantage of fleece fabric, because it would not be a nice feeling to have the sweat flow on the body during exercise, without getting absorbed. This feature makes it very washable though, as it dries quickly. But it should not be exposed to heat. So it should be washed in cold to lukewarm water, and should not be put in a dryer. Fleece fabrics should not be ironed. They have a very low melting point; the imprint of the iron may become a permanent mark on it.
Fleece material produces static, so there is a tendency to cling to itself and the skin. It also attracts lint and hair, so they should not be washed with towels and socks. But it is an ideal alternative to wool, and those who suffer from wool allergies can use fleece jackets in the cold climate.
Stitching using fleece fabrics is very easy, especially for beginners, because the imperfections of stitching can get hidden in the nap. The edges can be left as such as they don’t fray. There is no need to pre-wash a fleece fabric before stitching as it does not shrink. Generally speaking, artificial fibers do not shrink when they come in contact with water. But pre-washing is a good idea, as it can give an indication as to whether it would pill in the future. Good quality fleece fabrics pill less.
As fleece fabrics are not wind resistant, they are not good for very cold, windy climates. In such cases fleece jackets that are treated with wind resistant coating can be used, and they should be worn with a shell.
Cool Color-blends for Men’s Sportswear Produced by Organic Fabric for Summer 2011
The Green Movement is finally making everyone aware of the fact that we only have one Earth to live and so we must exert all efforts that will save it from destruction, even with the choice of clothes we will wear this summer.
Summer is a season of bright and well blended set of colors. Both men and women are on the look out for sportswear that produces cool color blends that are not only aesthetically appealing but physically comfortable.
Organic fabric or the so called “Green Fabrics” are the answer to all of these conditions. If in the past, you were made to believe that comfort is comfort and beauty is compromised by these green fabrics, the latest line of men’s sportswear which makes use of organic fabric will definitely change your mind.
Include in the list of fabrics and textiles which are now classified as eco-friendly are Nettle Fiber, Tencel, Organic Wool, Recycled Polyester, Hessian Cloth, Ingeo, Jute, Hemp, Spider Web Fabric, Organic Linen, FORTREL, Soy and Milk Silk and Bamboo Fiber. These green fabric undergoes very minimal, if not none exposure, to chemical and pesticides which may harm the body and the environment.
List of Eco-Friendly Men’s Sportswear
Atayne
This sportswear manufacturer makes use of recycled polyester, mostly from plastic bottles, and Cocona, a fabric made from activated carbon from coconut shells) in the creation of their athletic tops which shows cool blend of summer colors.
The recycled polyester wicks used in the sportswear keeps moisture away from the skin so pretty much like your common synthetic sportswear fiber but with additional health benefits like anti-microbial and hypoallergenic properties which are not found in ordinary sportswear.
Tehama
This sportswear fashion line is founded by Clint Eastwood and Nancy Haley in the late 1990’s in support of the Green Campaign. It caters to golfers and sports enthusiasts who wish to wear quality, environment friendly sportswear. The fabrics used in the production of these clothes are made from recycled polyester, bamboo, coconut, organic cotton and vitamin C.
The unique quality of this organic sportswear is the additional Vitamin C in their fabric which promotes healthy new skin amidst the hot summer season. It even utilizes the benefits of UPF 30 protection and natural hydration for a cooler feel this summer.
Eco Friendly Fabric for Summer 2011
Eco Friendly Fabric for Summer 2011
The Summer Season has once again arrived no wonder the fashion industry is producing new fashion trends that will not only fit this hot season but will only cater to the health needs of their customers. More and more fashion designers are discovering the wonderful benefits of organic fabric and the advantages it will bring not only to the environment but the health and wellness of whoever will start patronizing it.
In New York, hailed as one of the fashion centers of the world, European and American designers and companies like Moral Fervor, Elisa Jimenez, A-Style and Brooklyn Industries have become pioneer promoters of Inego fibers. It is the world’s first man-made fiber and it comes from all natural renewable resources.
What is Inego Fiber?
Inego literally means ingredients from the earth. It is a derivative of corn and costs 10 to 15% more in comparison to cotton. However, the slightly higher price of Inego fiber is worth the health advantages one will get.
Inego fiber combines the comfortable feel of natural fibers like silk, wool and cotton with the specialty performance of synthetics. Thus, it becomes a wonderful fabric even for men’s and women’s sportswear and even for swimsuits this coming summer. The plant starches acquired from corn are broken down into natural plant sugars which are then utilized to create natural polymer called PLA. This PLA polymer rests on basic fermentation and distillation which follows simply polymerization in order to produce what we now know as Inego.
What are the benefits of Inego?
Inego is the perfect fabric for summer because it allows the body to effectively regulate skin and body temperature by keeping the wearer warmer during cold season and cooler during the summer. Athletes, golfers, firemen and anyone who wish to enjoy the sun’s heat this summer will love the feel of Inego fabric because it guarantees cooler experience in comparison to synthetic fabric. Moreover, those who are always engaged in sweaty moments like salesmen, lawyers and those who are under blind dates will surely love wearing clothes made of Inego because it helps prevent the occurrence of body odor due to excessive sweating.
Inego Fiber does not absorb much water so it is perfect for anyone who wishes to go to the beach. You can plunge into the sea and find yourself dry in no time after leaving the cool water.
Advantages of Eco-Friendly Upholstery Furniture Fabrics
It is not surprising to find a lot of eco-friendly products sold in the market today. The world has suffered a lot of cruelties and it is high time defenders of the earth fight strong for the preservation of the earth. The challenge is to convince others to do the same thing by converting to eco-friendly products rather than cheaper conventional products full of harmful chemicals.
Eco-friendly upholstery fabric shares in this endeavor and is characterized by upholstery fabric that is recyclable, biodegradable and produced from green manufacturing products that are 100% free of chemical by products.
Why not leather?
Leather is not considered an eco-friendly material for Upholsteries. It is in reality one of the worst choices you can make if you wish to purchase eco-friendly furniture. The following facts from the may help give light to this:
a. The combined land needed in raising livestock, including the crops needed to feed these, is about 50% of the total land mass of the US.
b. At present, 80% of grain products produced by the US go to livestock industry based on the US Environmental Protection Agency.
c. Raising livestock for food, clothing, and furniture releases more greenhouse gas emissions in comparison to the transport sector according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
d. Approximately ten million fishes and one billion fishes in the long term are killed due to animal waste spill contamination due to the dumping of over 25 million gallons of animal urine and excrement.
e. The livestock industry is responsible for the 37% of all pesticides and 50% of all antibiotics used in the US that are both harmful to the wildlife and human health.
Why not Conventional Cotton and Polyesters?
Conventional cotton makes use of 24% of the worlds herbicides and fertilizers which results to soil, water and air pollution. A singe T-Shirt made from conventional cotton alone requires 400 gallons of water which could have been used to quench the thirst of millions of people in Africa.
Polyester on the other hand is made from petroleum-by-products which is directly linked to dirty and energy intensive petroleum industry. If you are not allowed to eat petroleum by products because of the chemical contained in it, why choose it as your furniture’s main material?
The Healthier and Wiser Choice
Synthetic products utilize a great deal of energy and contributes huge amount of pollution due its production processes. If these can be reduced and soon eliminated then the next generation is more likely to breathe in fresher air. So choose earth conscious furniture which is made from organic cotton, wool and organic hemp. These materials offer the same strength and comfort to your furniture without the harmful chemical substances.
The Perfect Places to Shop for Eco-Friendly Upholstery Fabric Furniture
Everyone owes Mother Nature a lot! The least we can do is to help preserve it. Below is a list of eco-friendly upholstery fabric furniture suppliers who are defenders of Mother Earth.
Furnature
The company’s name is not misspelled. It is the name chosen for an upholstery fabric supplier which adheres to environmental sustainability. It carries variety of eco friendly furniture which is made of hemp, organic cotton, wool, untreated cotton, natural blend and mohair.
Bean Products
Furniture from bean products? It is possible!
Bean Products supplies less formal media room and living room furniture that are made from all natural ingredients including beans, particularly soy product. The style and fashion is known for its traditional approach particularly with its mattresses and armchairs.
A Natural Home
This is a wholesale eco-friendly fabric furniture company which caters to natural, organic and sustainable materials produced and crafted by collection of families in Ohio.
Electic Home
The company rests on the principle of green and health. It offers furniture crafted by local artisans and is made from materials that are free from fire retardants, toxic finishes, and other unhealthy ingredients.
Natural Territory
True to its name, the company is a proud supplier of eco-friendly furnishings that are made from eco-friendly products, FSC-certified woods, zero emission paints and other organic materials.
Zola Finishings
The company provides consumers stylish and sustainable furniture that are made from low impact, organic, natural and recyclable materials, thus combining both elegance and nature together.
Green Sage Store
It holds several furniture that makes use of sustainable fabrics like hemp blended fabric, organic cotton and hemp. It is one of the best eco-friendly companies that could assist you in your home decorations.
There is a wealth of options for eco-friendly furniture suppliers which gives you a wider range of selections. Just make sure the furniture you buy contains the following characteristics:
a. Recyclable
b. Biodegradable
c. Produced using green manufacturing processes without chemical byproducts
Keep all of these things in mind and be one in helping preserve our beloved Mother Earth!
ABC-themed arts and craft projects for children
‘Now I know my ABCs, next time won’t you sing with me?’ is one of the first songs most preschoolers learn. But why just sing the ABCs? Why not also sew them, paint them, cut them and paste them? The alphabet with its distinctly shaped characters ready to tie into any theme or topic – A for apple, ant or auto, B for banana, bear or bus – can be used in a variety of arts and craft projects. The possibilities for materials and colors are endless and the letters and numbers can be used to be the key motif of decorative or functional items meant for almost anyone.
From sheets of magnet stickers and an assortment of happily colored fabrics of playful patterns, you can create your very own alphabet magnets. The sizes, colors and styles of the letter magnets are up to you, lost magnet letters can be easily replaced. They can be the perfect gift for grandparents and other family members. You can even hum the little alphabet song when presenting the gift to them.:)
Creating an ABC-themed lampshade is a similarly flexible project: you can keep it really simple so that even a young preschooler can participate in the execution or you can come up with a more sophisticated design combining materials and themes. The simplest solution is to decorate a simple white shade with boldly colored, neatly drawn letters. In more elaborate designs you could use fabrics or other materials to create letter-shaped and related cut-outs to glue or affix to the shade. Remember: A for apple, B for banana?
As most children just never tire of the As, Bs and Cs at a certain age, creating something that can provide letter-based entertainment and fun for a long time is a good idea. An alphabet-based matching game is both easy to create and can be used again and again for at least as much fun as the expensive, store bought games and toys of similar nature provide. All you need is a few wooden tiles available in arts and craft stores or for an even cheaper solution a few dozen juice caps or can lids (of the largest possible size), paper, colorful markers and maybe a few images that you can print from the Internet. Then you create a series of tiles or can lids with beautifully drawn and colored big letters and another series with neat, playful images: Airplane, Bus, Car etc.
The letters and numbers can also provide great inspiration for textile projects. With smaller kids, you can select a colorful ABC fabric or number fabric with strong, bold, large characters, cut it to the desired size, glue it to a piece of cardboard and frame it for a simple wall decoration. With bigger children, you can design and sew alphanumerically patterned pillow cases, bed spreads or quilts. Quilting and arts and craft stores offer an amazingly wide selection of ABC fabrics. As alphabet fabrics come in a variety of colors, patterns, gauges and quality, they are ideal for all sorts of decorative textiles projects. Apart from bedding and curtains, you can create your very own ABC tablecloth, dish clothes, table runners, place mats, chair covers or other upholstery or even towels.
ABC nursery for the ‘kid of letters’ alphabet fabric
As development and learning experts and educators are starting to emphasize more early childhood development, parents are also making a conscious effort at providing their children from the earliest ages with stimulating and development-enhancing toys, books, CD’s and shaping their environments in ways that provide the young kids with ample opportunities to explore and enjoy exciting images, colors, shapes, sights and sounds. Accordingly, ABC and number-themed nurseries and kids’ rooms are becoming increasingly popular, as well.
Designing an alphabet-themed nursery is not just for the super-ambitious parents set on nurturing the new Einsteins of the 21st century. A kid room featuring colorful letters and numbers can be real fun and exciting. Numbers and letters can be combined with an endless number of themes such images of animals, flowers, toys, foods to create eye-pleasing and inspiring decors. Unlike most other themes, letters and numbers place no constraints on the colors. You can choose a palette dominated by pink, white and gray for a vintage look, primary colors for the quintessential, playful kid room look or the traditional baby colors of soft blues and pinks.
Bedding, curtain and floor covering choices should come first. Many vendors offer crib and youth bedding sets from ABC fabrics in a variety of colors, featuring letters of all sizes, font types and styles. Parents trying to get something truly unique for their little ones can create their own bedding or bedding quilts from the many types of alphabet fabrics available online or in arts and craft stores. Sewing your own bedding from your chosen ABC or numbers fabric allows you to create matching curtains and other decorative pieces for the room., such as wall quilts or framed prints and collages created from the perfect alphabet fabric. For a finishing touch, you can select a letter-themed rug for spaces with hardwood flooring. If rugs are not your thing, you can stock the room with a few simple cushions which you can cover in a case made from ABC patterned fabric or some special colored fabric that you can adorn with sewn felt letters or ABC embroidery.
Once the room’s basic tone is defined by the carefully selected ABC fabrics and numbers textiles, completing the letters ‘look and feel’ with similarly themed accents should be easy and fun. You can really let your fantasy and creativity run free.
Purchase simple, white lampshades and decorate them with colorful, funky letters or numbers. Create a cool and exciting garland or ‘waterfall’ for the wall from funny, edgy or classically themed alphabet cards. You can also purchase neatly colored wall letters made from soft wood materials and cut into traditional or playfully modern shapes. Using the letters you can spell out your child’s name or short simple words such as ‘car’ or ‘red’.
The toy chest and the bookshelf can easily be dressed up and showcased in ways to reflect and reinforce the letter theme. The traditional, must-have alphabet toys such as alphabet blocks, magnets and even ABC books can double as toys and as integrated pieces of the room’s decor. You can purchase ABC-themed bookends to further highlight the letters in the room.
Decorating with letters and numbers is really easy and allows creative parents to use many simple and inexpensive materials and objects that are a staple in toy stores, bookstores or arts and crafts shops. At the same time, the alphabet theme can ‘grow’ with the child or the family for many years, well into grade school. As it is less restrictive and can be easily combined with other themes at little cost, it can be easily updated or complemented with new themes of interest to the room’s growing, developing owner.
Recent trends in home decoration
Patterns, patterns, patterns
Since the early cavemen, humans have been consciously trying to make the interiors of their dwellings not just functional, but comfortable and attractive, as well. Across the centuries, they have used all types of materials and have come up with all sorts of ideas to create beautiful and comforting living spaces.
Home decoration is a little bit like fashion for interior living spaces. While traditional fashion in clothing and accessories can change fast, almost with the seasons and in general it is easier to keep up with, home decorating trends evolve, take root and mature somewhat slower as the overall style of a home is at least partially defined by the architectural design of the space, as well as the big, defining pieces of furnishing. Both of those are more difficult to modify.
So while interior and furniture design trends certainly contribute to defining what is the best and most popular in home decor, trends in colours, fabrics, materials, accents and art for the home become increasingly important. They are also easier to emulate and can be tried at a much lower cost and risk. After all, despite trends and fads, your home should really be about you and what you like.
Over the last few years, patterns have emerged as one of the most consistent and biggest trend in home fabrics, textiles, and upholstery and wall decoration. Since the 1990s, the dominant colour trends emphasized solid colours: soft browns or beige sofa covers, either complementary or contrasting with the solid colours of the walls and other pieces. Now patterns are making a come-back, especially in textile and fabric design. Patterns in design come in two basic forms: representational and non-representational or abstract. Representational patterns depict identifiable forms and shapes: animals, plants, humans and other motifs. Abstract patterns play around with motifs that provide rhythm and structure, but cannot be tied to identifiable objects. Abstract patterns have been widely used in wall arts, as well as home textile design. Abstract fabric and abstract upholstery fabric designs can be broken down into two basic categories: geometric and floral.
Exquisite abstract floral fabrics were features in all of the top home design and fabric shows in 2010 and 2011. Their sophisticated look – which can be played up with bolder colours and sizes or smartly toned down in paler colours and more intricate and intimate shapes – can define a unique living room.
Geometric abstract prints may be less risky for people experimenting with abstract patterns for the first time. As with the abstract floral fabrics, abstract geometric home textiles and upholstery fabrics are available in a wide selection including bravely complex patterns and more timid, less intrusive shapes that easily blend in with other styles.
Those trying the abstract theme for the first time do not have to commit to a new set of living room furniture clothed in vividly colored geometric upholstery right away. Accent pillows in abstract print covers, a dining room tablecloth with a geometric or abstract floral pattern or a strategically placed piece of abstract wall art should be a good starting point to discover if the rhythmical, yet random series of unidentifiable shapes, forms and patterns adds a splash of inspirational puzzle and mystery to your home or just creates an unwelcome, loud distraction in your space.
Alphabet Fabric : The bedding of your dreams
I am going to be honest here: I have not spent a lot of effort or money on creating a nursery for either one of my two children. I bought the necessary furniture and some decoration, of course, trying to find nice, affordable and mostly functional pieces, but did not dream up elaborate themes and designs. Partly because I hardly had time as I continued to work full-time and go to school, partly because I, myself did not have a sophisticated nursery and partly because I was more into exploring the baby clothing, toy and book selections.
So my older son was wrapped into a relatively simple white blanket adorned with long-eared puppies as a young baby, while my younger one was swaddled in a baby duvet sewn into a blue cover which features a huge cheerful, sitting teddy bear. When they outgrew their first baby blankets, they both ended up using the same Winnie the Pooh-themed toddler blankets as I always considered that book the best in children’s literature. The older one was happy with it, carried the set’s pale green pillow with the big, smiling Pooh on it back and forth between his preschool and our home every day. But the younger one got tired of it pretty quickly.
One night when he was around 5 years old, he said: ‘I hate this blanket. It is itchy, And anyway, Winnie, the Pooh is stupid and is for babies, only. I want to have what Aaron has.’
Aaron, his much older brother had something special and unique by then. He picked it for himself. One year they made hand-stuffed and -sewn pillows from alphabet fabric at school. His choice of ABC fabric from the local quilting store’s selection proved to be a real winner: instead of choosing one of the many designs featuring larger or smaller block letters or colorful and playful letter and image combinations, he opted for a much simpler and cleaner fabric. It was dark blue with relatively small black and white letters printed on it in what seemed to be words, but turned out to be meaningless strings of smartly organized characters arranged for eye-pleasing symmetry and variety of shapes. It perfectly reflected his no-fuss, introspective and individualistic personality. After completing the pillow, he asked for a matching duvet cover and promptly received it.
So now Adam, the younger one also wanted to have his special bedding. I felt a bit guilty for not giving enough thought to such decor issues. As Adam sulked a bit, I suddenly remembered my first ‘big girl’ bedding set, too. It was nothing special, mainly white with little yellow ducks or chicks thrown all over it pecking away at brownish-reddish seeds. I think everyone remembers their first childhood sheets and covers. Although I did not particularly liked my ducks, every time I was forced to sleep in the ‘spare’, spinach green bedding that I used when my ducks were in the laundry, I missed them. The pillow case had one duck on it – one from the fifty or so that covered each side – that had one of its legs left off somehow. Every night I touched that one-legged duck before going to sleep.
But my memories of my duck-covered bed did not resolve Adam’s bedding issue. So we went to explore the fabric store the next day. He was set on looking for ‘what Aaron has’ and indeed found a variety of alphabet fabrics: letters on blue for boys, slim letters on pink for girls, chunky ABCs interspersed with funny animals, dotted, striped, checkered and flowery letters floating and tumbling all over. But letters were not really for him, he never liked to look at books or listen to stories from my carefully selected children’s library. He was ready to give up his quest for the special bedding when he suddenly remembered: numbers. Even at the age of 5, he was already fascinated by numbers, could add and subtract, even multiple digit numbers. So we asked for numbers fabric. Unfortunately, the store did not have any in stock, but from the internet we ordered Adam’s special bedding fabric: stretchy vintage numbers jersey, with chunky, somewhat irregularly printed numbers that almost melted into each other and were separated and differentiated only by thin black lines and each number’s unique, bright color. This became Adam’s bedding of choice.
Three years later I still tuck them into their special letters and numbers blankets every night wishing them sweet dreams.
