When we think about fabrics, most of the time our minds don’t reach past the aesthetical aspect of the material. We think about the way a fabric looks and feels. We see its color and texture and how it falls on our bodies. We see how we can mold and shape this collection of fibers into a fabulous garment, or recreate the décor of a home into a magical oasis. But how much thought do we give to its beginnings and the many qualities that make these fabrics the wonderfully warm, lightweight, form fitting, washable, durable and absorbent materials that they have portrayed themselves to be?
Well, I took a little time to do just that. And I came up with a few inventions in the fabric world that stood out as some of the coolest thus far.
Here is my list of the Top 10 Coolest Fabric Inventions and a brief explanation why. Maybe you have your own list of fabulous fabrics to share with our viewers too. If so, we’d love to hear from you.
1. Linen Blends
I love linen. I love the look & feel of this natural fabric, as well as its durability and breathability. But like most of us, I could do without all the wrinkles and dry cleaning bills it creates. It seems it can’t always be machine washed & dried without shrinking. But with the blends, the linen is strengthened, it’s washable, more wrinkle resistant, and carries a nicer drape. All without sacrificing the very aesthetics that attracted it to me in the first place.
With the linen blends I don't have to worry about how my outfit will look at the end of the day, or if I am packing for a trip, I can throw one or two versitile pieces in my suitcase and just do a light touch up with the iron before I step out for the night.
2. Cotton Gauze
There is no better fabric for staying cute and cool in the hot summer sun than cotton gauze. This natural & breathable fabric offers a lightweight look, feel and coverage. Because it is essentially cotton, it dries quickly, holds dyes with ease and makes great garments, drapery and lounge wear. These characteristics are appealing when designing carefree garments for a lifestyle that embraces daily living in warm climates.
Poly fleece goes by many different names: polar fleece & winter fleece to name two. Basically it is a man-made, 100% polyester fiber material. It’s been around for some time and it is one of the great inventions for warm winter coverage. Fleece is soft & comfortable, retains heat well, and has an excellent weight-to-insulation ratio, making it light enough for carrying, yet warm enough for cold conditions. The polyester material of fleece helps to pull moisture away and keep you dry at the same time. It also dries quickly and still insulates when wet.
We usually find this material in our coats, slippers, winter hats & gloves. The fabric makes great throws and if it is a top shelf fleece, it can easily be thrown in the wash for good-as-new use time after time. I love that I can snuggle myself up in this wonderful fabric for a warm and restful sleep on those cold winter nights.
I grouped this category together because I love the idea of using naturally occuring, raw materials given to us by mother nature and utilizing it for garmenting our bodies and homes.
The fact that nature-made fibers are more harmonious with our bodies appeals to me on many different levels. Think about it. Wouldn't you want a fabric draped on you or your children to be breathable like your skin, void of synthetics and chemicals. And have that same fabric allow for a fashionable look and feel as well. Is there any question why this would be on my Top 10 List? Cool.
5. Spandex
Spandex was invented in 1959 by Du Pont, and when it hit the fashion market in the 80’s, it hit with a storm. An elastic type fiber that could be stretched many times its length and then spring back to its original length without losing its shape. A material that could hold you in in all the right places, and is more resistant to washing, perspiration and heat than latex. This was the miracle material for full figured women & athletes abound. And it’s still used and sought after today. It is one of the main materials used in foundation garments and hosiery as well.
6. Wool
Wool is a natural material, which is always appealing to me, and can vary from a thick and nappy texture to a soft and lightweight one. Wool will not only return to its original position after being stretched or creased, it will absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. Its unique properties allow shaping and tailoring, making wool the most popular fabric for tailoring fine garments. It is also dirt resistant, flame resistant, and in many weaves, resists wear and tearing. I love the idea of being able to use what mother nature gave us, to create garments and goods to garnish our bodies and homes. View our wool fabrics.
Where can you find a fabric that tells a story or holds such symbolism as with African printed fabrics. Whether it be on mudcloth, ashoke, kente, kuba cloth or cotton, the uniqueness and creativity is the same. Often times the fabrics were woven & designed by hand, using natural materials. Through ancient tradition, the color, technique and art surrounding the creation and inspiration of the fabrics had a purpose and meaning. Naturally occuring fibers & dyes are often used, offering a harmonious union between flesh and fabric. History continues into the present, and culture continues to be expressed this way. Colorful and lively patterns and prints are not only found in traditional attire, but also on high fashion runways, specialty boutiques and garnishing home interiors furnishings as well.
8. Dorlastan
Dorlastan is the spandex fiber produced by Bayer Inc. It is lightweight and soft, but stronger and more durable than rubber. Dorlastan can be stretched over 500% repeatedly without breaking, and still recover its original length. It provides lightweight freedom of movement in mens, womens and childrens apparel. It’s used in athletic apparel, bathing suits, foundation garments, tights, surgical hose and slacks.
This is a fairly new but widely used material. It’s really cool because it can stretch to such a degree and just bounce back to its original size while still offering a comfortable fit and feel. As a designer and seamstress, this characteristic is appealing when selecting fabric to make one-size fits-all garments and accessories.
Suede cloth is a synthetic made from 100% polyester. It is very resilient, quick drying, resistant to biological damage such as mold and mildew, easy to wash, and able to hold forms well. Suede cloth is a great imitation fabric. It’s also a fun fabric to play with when designing because it allows you to create garments and accessories that have the look and feel of suede, without the animal bi-products.
Like suede cloth, textured vinyl fabric is also a synthetic material. It is pliable, durable and easy to maintain. It is a great imitation fabric that has the look and feel of leather without the animal bi-product. This is another fun fabric to play with when designing garments and accessories for those who are looking for a modern or traditional leathered look. I listed this as one of my top 10 coolest fabrics simply because of the ingenuity of the designer to create a material that mimics actual leather asthetically so well.
So there you have it. My Top 10 Coolest Fabric Inventions. I am sure once you take a look at all we have to offer here at J&O, you'll have a list of your own that is twice as long. With new textiles created everyday, J&O will be your one stop fabric shop for all the latest materials into the next century.
Clothing made from natural fabrics are not only good for our environment, but the body as well. The fibers have a natural give that lets the cloth drape in a way that synthetics just cant do. Plus, natural fabrics just feel good when you wear them. Natural fabrics, created from organically grown cotton and flax, hemp and ramie, or harvested from sheep, silkworms and other animals, are renewable, sustainable resourcesas well. Unlike synthetics, which are largely produced from petroleum and mineral sources, cotton and wool and silk do not deplete the earth of its natural resources either.
Every natural fabric has its own unique advantages and qualities.
Wool, for instance, is a natural insulator. It's naturally water resistant and fire resistant. It also absorbs up to 30% of its own weight in moisture before it even begins to feel damp. There are dozens of varieties of wool, from lightweight challis to thick warm tweed.
Natural cotton breathes with your body. Their fibers are responsible for wicking away perspiration and drying quickly. It's the single most used fabric in today's world both for clothing and for furnishings and accessories. Cotton takes dyes very well, and is very easy to care for. It is also an excellent material for plus sized clothes, with the natural fiber creating a smooth outline and the organic texture helping the skin to breath.
Silk is one of the oldest fabric fibers known to man, and throughout its history, it has been synonymous with luxury. Silk is naturally absorbent, which makes it warm in winter and cool in summer. It has stronger fibers than steel, but its smooth, soft drape makes it a most sensual fabric to wear.
Linen, like silk, has been used for thousands of years. Dating back to Ancient Egypt, it is made from the fibers of the flax plant. Linen is strong and durable, yet lightweight and breathable depending on the weight. Linen goods can last generations, becoming softer and more lustrous as use after use.
Hemp and ramie are made from the stalks of plants, much like linen is. They are strong and durable, and have the same natural sheen as linen. Both fabrics absorb heat and release moisture, making them cool and comfortable to wear.
Please checkout website as we will be carrying a whole line of Organic and Natural Fabrics!!! GO GREEN!!!
If you are looking for a natural, versitile fabric available in an array of colors, wieghts, and blends...why not try Linen. Linen is a natural fabric made from the fibers of the Flax plant. Once milled, it can be used to create beautiful garments, drapery & upholserty for your home decor.
Below is a list of the linens I have used and some of the characteristics of each:
Raw Linens- If you are looking to create a garment with a textured look & feel to it, this rough & piled material is perfect. While it requires special cleaning to prevent shrinkage, you'll appreciate the uniqueness of its rough yet flexible weaves.
Linen Solids- For those of us who prefer a more refined fabric against our body, linen solids are a wonderful option. Historically worn by the wealthy because of its price & prestige, it is now available to the majority in not only dress, but casual wear as well. While some opt to dry-clean, many linen solids can be washed and air-dried to prevent shrinkage.
Linen-Blends- Out of all the Linens, this one is my prefered choice. It has the desired look & feel of a linen solid, without the hassle of wrinkles and shrinkage. With its breathable fibers and various wieghts, it is great for creating garments that can be worn year round. If you are planning a vacation or going on holiday, and are looking for pieces to pack in your little suitcase that are versitile and ready to wear, look for clothing made from this material. Available in combinations of rayon, polyester or cotton, linen blends are a great solution.
Poly-Lin- Holiday season is coming up and what better fabric to showcase your dinner spread than this blend of polyester and linen. With a look & feel of a medium weight linen, this fabric also provides you with a durability perfect for the wear & tear of hungry hands. Poly-Lin is wrinkle free to allow for convenient wash and lay on that busy day.
Fabric. . . it's just delicious. It's soft, comfy and warm. It can be bright and pretty and draw you to touch it. Stretchy or stiff, snug and homely, here at J&O we just love fabric. At our store in New Jersey, it's literally all over the place. We have huge rolls of decoratives stacked on top of each other, a wall filled with tapestries of all kinds, and additional rolls on the floor display. Not to mention our aisles and aisles of novelty cottons from every manufacturer imaginable.
There's something about seeing rolls of beautiful fabric that signifies potential; a raw material with "sew" many possibilities. Could be a summer dress, a pair of slacks, a quilt, drapes, the possibilities go on and on. Meditating on all the possibilities could make a fabric lover go crazy.
Just think, we spend our whole lives wrapped in some kind of cloth. From the moment we arrive in this world to when our fragile shells deteriorate and become apart of the Earth, fabric is apart of our lives. Cotton, linen, cashmere, wool, silk and including polyester and rayon, fabric can be used for everything from apparel, to sails on a sailboat, to becoming a base for a lamp. Every group of people on this planet use fabric, so it can almost be put on the same level as food and shelter (or maybe not, lol).
From another perspective, if you sew, you're appreciation for fabrics may be on a more conscious level than everyone else. Someone who sews is constantly working, touching, manipulating and shaping fabric. So it's normal for a sewer to absolutely LOVE fabrics. Some sewers walk into our store in New Jersey and become overwhelmed at the amount of fabric we have. Who doesn't adore gorgeous fabric, that not only has an awesome surface but is pleasant to the touch? It's perfectly all right to buy fabric just because you think its gorgeous, without any immediate use in mind.
If you're an avid sewer, building up your very own "fabric stash." is an excellent way to stimulate your creativity. There's just something about looking at neatly folded stacks of beautiful fabric that will provoke a sense of calm and serenity. On a side note, we'll let you in on a little secret. . . the fabric industry is in many ways like the ever-changing fashion industry; styles come and go, prints come and go; items go in and out of style. So, if there's a print you just absolutely love, get it before it's gone and discontinued. Even the most popular prints have a cut off point.
J&O Fabrics is dedicated to doing all we can to keep your sewing possibilities fresh. If you LOVE fabric, celebrate it! Teach someone how to sew, make someone a quilt, or sew your own drapes. Allow yourself to reconnect with something that's very closely woven into our lives.
J&O Fabrics. . . sew many possibilities _______________________________________
If you're in the area, visit our store in Pennsauken, New Jersey, right outside of Philadelphia. The size of a supermarket, we have the largest selection of fabrics in New Jersey! Everything we carry is not on our website, so if you're in the area, check us out and browse our fabric aisles.
J&O Fabric Center 9401 Route 130 South Where Rt.73 and 130 meet Pennsauken, New Jersey 08110 info@jandofabrics.com
Occasionally, fabrics that are called classic are really just outdated, and fabrics qualified as "modern" may have overbearing designs. Unlike either of those possibilities, Bonetti Velvet Flock Linen is a fabric that both modern and classic in the best senses of those words.
Bonetti has a classic design in the sense of timeless elegance. It would be difficult to imagine a time when this design fabric would be considered anything less than beautiful. The timeless quality of Bonetti is also the key to understanding its modernity. This is a decorator fabric that - though it possess a classic design - can seemingly adapt to any fabric trends.
The very design of Bonetti is an intriguing combination of two very disparate elements: velvet and linen. While velvet has always been considered a sumptuous fabric of the highest order, linen has a decidedly more rustic appeal. Nevertheless, Bonetti successfully combines those qualities into one incredible fabric.
This most luxurious designer fabric is particularly suited to more formal areas of your home such as living rooms, dining rooms, studies, libraries and offices. However, it will look splendid in kitchens, family rooms and in other more casual surroundings. Furthermore, rather than detracting from your furniture Bonetti will accent and highlight it.
Bonetti Velvet Flock Linen is just one of the hundreds of decorative fabrics we carry on our online fabric store. There are many other fantastic fabrics that you can browse through in our Decorative Fabrics category. Here you will find some of the finest and most popular fabrics we carry. Regardless of what you are looking for you will find it here, from futuristic designs to the stateliest patterns.
If you would like to see the rest of our Linen Decorative Fabrics, click here.
If you would enjoy browsing our Velvet Upholstery section, click here.
'Tis the season andJ&O is having a sale!!! Don't miss out on this rare event. Starting Now through December 31st, receive 10% off on select fabrics.
Avoid those other run of the mill fabric stores with their long lines to get fabric cut. Sit back on your computer and order fabric at your leisure, shopping right here atwww.JANDOFABRICS.com!
Just in time for the holidays, J&O is putting entire sections of our Novelty Prints on sale! That's right, 10% OFF. Right now our entire section of Holiday fabric along with all our Religious Printsand Calico Fabric are on sale. Start on your holiday projects and gifts right away. Or, be smart and stock up now to save.
J&O has all the fabric to decorate your home for the holidays. Playful Tulle in assorted colors, Luxurious Satins of various weights and all our lovely Linens are ON SALE! So, instead of just decking your halls with boughs of holly, deck your halls, windows, and staircases with yards of Rouge L'Amour Satin from J&O!
J & O Fabrics is a leader in online fabric stores with hundreds of discount fabrics including: upholstery, quilt, quilting, drapery fabric, fleece, decorator, felt, retro, upholstery fabrics and more!
When we think about fabrics, most of the time our minds don’t reach past the aesthetical aspect of the material. We think about the way a fabric looks and feels. We see its color and texture and how it falls on our bodies. We see how we can mold and shape this collection of fibers into a fabulous garment, or recreate the décor of a home into a magical oasis. But how much thought do we give to its beginnings and the many qualities that make these fabrics the wonderfully warm, lightweight, form fitting, washable, durable and absorbent materials that they have portrayed themselves to be?
1. Linen Blends 
3. Poly-Fleece
7. African Prints 
onger and more durable than rubber. Dorlastan can be stretched over 500% repeatedly without breaking, and still recover its original length. It provides lightweight freedom of movement in mens, womens and childrens apparel. It’s used in athletic apparel, bathing suits, foundation garments, tights, surgical hose and slacks.
onger and more durable than rubber. Dorlastan can be stretched over 500% repeatedly without breaking, and still recover its original length. It provides lightweight freedom of movement in mens, womens and childrens apparel. It’s used in athletic apparel, bathing suits, foundation garments, tights, surgical hose and slacks.
