Chenille Fabric – The Tufted Pile Family of Fabrics
Chenille fabric is a member of that family of fabrics called tufted pile. To create chenille, tufts are raised on the surface of the fabric to create a raised design. Tufted fabrics such as chenille are reasonably cheap and easy to sew. Chenille fabric is a soft fuzzy fabric, which can stretch with usage. Some of these fabrics have both sides that look the same and others have a more obvious right and wrong side of the fabric. Some fabrics can also shed, which another good reason to prewash the material before use.
Fabric Characteristics:
• Shrinkage possible so fabric should be washed before cutting • Due to fabric having a pile should be cut with a nap layout • Have a raised tufted surface • Due to raised surface some areas may be bulky • Due to the pattern, the fabric must be positioned properly to reflect the pattern correctly and attractively
Working With These Fabrics Requires:
• Sewing machine needles should be 80/12-90/14 sharp or universal • Hand sewing needles should be sizes 7-9 • Sewing machine settings should be a stitch length of 2-2.5 mm and a looser tension • Sewing machine feet should be the walking foot or the Teflon foot • Thread should be all-purpose cotton, polyester and cotton/polyester blend • The layout should be napped, single layer, with right side up • Tools and equipment required are sharp scissors or rotary cutter, sharp shears, pins, safety pins • Interfacing are rarely used, but if used should be fusible tricot • Seams and Hems should be serged, zigzagged, double stitched or multi-stitched • Closures used should be corded button holes, faced button holes or bound button holes • Pressing should be with a fluffy towel covering the right side of the fabric
These Fabrics Are Suitable For:
Chenille is great for bathrobes and bedspreads. Other uses can be as vests or jackets, big shirts or loose tops. Also good for swimsuit cover-ups, and lounge wear. For information about the notions, tools, and equipment required to complete a sewing project, click here to view the sewing notions home page
For more information about this family of fabrics some great references are:
Claire Shaeffer’s Fabric Sewing Guide
More Fabric Savvy by Sandra Betzina
For more interesting information about Chenille fabric click here on Wikipedia.org
Chiffon Fabric
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