Sometimes when we learn more about something, we see more of why it’s so special. At One Small Child, we take special care in selecting each fabric to be used in our designs. We know what makes a great material. Today, we wanted to share some of our knowledge with you. This fabric information is good to know when designing, constructing and purchasing clothing for yourself and anyone else. So, without further ado, here’s a little background information on some of our most popular fabrics…
Cotton: The cotton (upper left) we use most is a broadcloth weave cotton. A broadcloth is a fine, tightly woven plain weave with a faint rib. Usually of cotton or cotton blend, but can be made with any fiber. Our cotton broadcloth is made from 100% cotton. Many of our boy’s outfits are made from cotton broadcloth, including the Daniel Outfit.
Satin: Our matte satin is a bridal quality textile. Satin is a weaving process that causes light to reflect off diagonally “floating” yarns, rather than being absorbed by the regular perpendicular intersections of yarns found in a plain weave. Satin can be made from any fiber, is smooth and tightly woven, and comes in many weights and degrees of shine. Our matte satin is a mid-to-heavy weight pure white polyester product with a “de-lustered” surface. That means it has a soft, rich glow rather than a glaring shine. Our Olivia Gown is a gorgeous display of satin.
Netting/Lace: Netting (lower left) or Lace (lower right) is a very delicate, open, and light fabric. It’s created by twisting, knotting, or weaving threads together at regular intervals. Our Memory and Lillian gowns are made from gorgeous embroidered netting. Our Lucy Gown is made from the pretty floral print lace that is pictured above.
Organza: Organza is a plain weave fabric made of tightly twisted yarns in a sheer, light weight. It has a crisp finish and can be constructed of any number of textile fibers. Ours is 100% polyester and has a soft luster. Our Clarice Dress is made from organza.
Shantung: Shantung is woven in the same manner as dupioni (see silk dupioni description below), creating the same overall textured effect of the silk product, but utilizing man-made polyester fibers rather than natural silk yarns. Our shantung is bright, pure white in color. It’s a medium weight, and has a soft luster on the surface. For example, the Jonathan Outfit is made from shantung.
Silk: We use a silk called dupioni. It’s a subtly textured fabric woven from a double strand of silk yarn in a plain weave pattern. The yarn is uneven and varies in width, creating a series of natural horizontal “slubs”, which should not be considered flaws, as they make up the unique character of the textile. Our silk dupioni is “pearl white” in color (a shade between white and ivory), is light to medium weight, and has a crisp finish with an understated sheen for an overall luxurious appearance. The Francis Romper is an example of our silk outfits.
Tulle: Tulle is a sheer net in a hexagonal mesh pattern (see netting description above). It has a light to medium stiffness and is often made from silk, rayon, cotton or nylon fibers. Tulle is most commonly used in formal wear, veils and costuming. If you love the look of tulle, you’ll love our Shanna Gown.
Cotton Piques: Above are the two pique fabrics we use. A pique is a textured weave, available in many different patterns: vertical, horizontal or diagonal rib, birdseye (small diamonds), waffle (small squares), honeycomb, or wave. Usually tightly woven and constructed of cotton or cotton blend fibers. The waffle pique (above left) is used in our Austin Outfit.
You can learn more about all of our fabrics in this article on our website. Now that you have more fabric information, you can choose from our high-quality selection based on your personal preference! Happy shopping!