How is woven fabric made?
Woven fabric is made by weaving or knitting yarns, this is the way that most fabrics are made. Non-woven fabrics are made by bonding or felting fibres together. Woven fabrics are made up of a weft (going across the fabric) and a warp (going down the length of the fabric). The side of the fabric where the wefts are double-backed to form a non-fraying edge is called the selvedge.
What are the types of woven fabric?
There are three types of woven fabric, the first is plain weave fabric where the warp and weft form a simple criss-cross pattern. This type of weave is strong and hardwearing. The second type is twill weave fabric, the weft and warp are offset to give a diagonal pattern. The third type is satin weave fabric and is a complex arrangement of warp and weft threads - these weave variations form fabrics such as jacquards and damasks.
Woven fabric can be lightweight or heavyweight depending on the yarn used. For example, lightweight sheer fabric to heavy weight jacquard and velvet fabrics.
Make curtains using woven fabric
The majority of curtain fabric is made from woven fabrics. Woven fabrics can be printed onto to give a wonderful array of different designs, patterns and colours. There are various methods of printing including screen printing and digital printing.
When planning your new curtains the best way to ensure that the curtain fabric you choose co-ordinates with your existing décor is to obtain some fabric samples either in store or by simply ordering online. You can then see if the fabrics suits your existing colour scheme and will work well for the intended use and expensive mistakes can be avoided.
Use woven fabric for upholstery
Woven fabric is also ideal as upholstery fabric. It can be used for fixed upholstery or for loose covers. If necessary it can also be treated to make it fire retardant. Tartan wool fabric is a popular woven fabric used for covering chairs and sofas, it comes in a variety of colours from traditional reds and greens to contemporary colours such as hot pink and turquoise. Wool fabric is great for upholstery as it is inherently fire retardant.
Other woven fabrics such as jacquard and damask fabric are also hard wearing so ideal for recovering a tired chair or sofa. Other items such as headboards and pelmets can also be upholstered using woven fabric.
