textile collectionsamples 46-50

dimitymonk’s clothhair canvasherringbonehoundstooth

sample 46dimity

fiber content: cotton, blends

yarn:spun yarn

fabric construction:plain weave with occasional heavier warp yarns which makes it one of the rare plain weave lengthwise rib fabrics; sometimes heavier warp & weft yarns creating a crossbar dimity

weights, uses:top or bottom weight for dresses, shirts, skirts, slacks, suits, coats, accessories and curtains

names: Greek dimitos, meaning of double thread

sample 47monk’s cloth

fiber content: cotton, flax, blends

yarn:carded yarn only

fabric construction:exaggerated basket version of a plain weave—4x4 or more; made in a natural oatmeal color

weights, uses:used for furniture covers and curtains, but is so loose it tends to sag

names: may have been the rough, coarse sackcloth worn for penitence in monasteries

sample 48hair canvas

fiber content: better quality still made of wool, plus a stiff wiry fiber in the weft—mohair or horsehair

yarn:carded only yarns, wiry fiber in weft yarns

fabric construction:fairly close plain weave, narrow fabric (27 inches)

weights, uses:interfacing in tailored suits and coats, especially for the lapels; weight suitable to main fabric

names: canvas probably from the Latin cannabis, meaning hemp; hair refers to mohair or horsehair

sample 49herringbone

fiber content: any, often wool and blends

yarn:any, usually spun

fabric construction:2/2 twill weave, line of wales reversing at regular intervals; may be differently colored yarns where the twill lines reverse, to make a striped herringbone

weights, uses:any, often bottom weight to heavy, used especially for suits, coats

names: resembles the backbone of a fish (herring) thus herringbone

sample 50houndstooth

fiber content: any, often wool or blends

yarn:carded or combed yarns, warp and weft the same

fabric construction:woven in a 2/2 even right-hand twill, with the same numbers and order of dyed and undyed yarns used in warp and weft in almost every case

four dark then four light yarns, producing the familiar pointed extension of the solid dark block that looks like a four-pointed star or the tip of a canine tooth

weights, uses:usually bottom weight to heavy, but can also be made in top weight; used for suits, slacks, skirts, jackets, dresses, coats, scarves, blankets, and countless other applications

name: looks like the tip of a canine (hound) tooth, smaller version sometimes called puppytooth