New fabric

[frualeydis]

My mother visited today and brought with her a box filled with fabric. It's my aunt who buys old curtains at flea markets etc where she lives. She's not very good at judging what I can use, if it's shiny and patterned or velvet she buys it, but most of it can be used for something. Today's box contained this wonderful brocade (actually I think it's a jacquard technically) in dark gold yellow rayon (or some other cellulose fiber). The pattern has fairly long "loose" threads and is slightly raised. It's so beautiful. It wasn't very much of it, but my plan is to use it on the front of a loose kirtle, like the one on page 109 in PoF. I had already planned to make a kirtle, but couldn't decide which fabric to use. I didn't really want to use any of the damasks that I have a lot of for such a small piece. What would I have done with the rest then?
There was also some pieces of a pale green and brown damask with a bigger pattern. This I will probably use for a forepart and sleeves later, when my body has decided which shape it wants to have after the baby is born.
Then it was some pink cotton/polyester satin and pink cotton velvet. Last month I also got some pink cotton velvet from her, it is apparently a popular choice for curtains.
I'm not to keen on using polyester because I don't like how it feels and that it get so hot, but I have no moral doubts about using rayon. I know people say that's because it's a man-made fiber it doesn't breathe, but I've never experienced that. It still is a natural fiber and a lot of summer clothing is made of viscose, another reconstitued cellulose fibre and I find it rather cool.
I've never tried rayon velvet (which really looks more like modern silk velvet than cotton velvet does, but not like the real thing), because mostly you find either cotton velvet or polyester velvet in shops here. The latter is really horrible, stiff and definitely hot.
But I'm for some reason not very fond of velvet at all these days. Mostly because I make clothes mainly from the 12th - 14th century, but I think there's something about wool, it just makes me happy.

Eva

Comments

[guyelfkin.livejournal.com]

Cotton velvet is one of my favourites. it feels lovely, it's washable (provided you preshrink it beofre you cut and sew it), it can be dyed if your curtain isn't the colour you want or has faded in places, it has a lovely drape to it and looks rich and oppulent.

Pink velvet is popular here for curtains too, particularly a slightly dusky shade - and I hate paqle opinks and dusky pinks, but it makes a great base colour for over-dying all sorts of shades of red and brown.

Teddy