If you want to know more about the fabric of different products at Cherryellie Designs you’re in the right place. Here we have an overview of all the fabrics we stock. In addition we have advice on measuring for curtains, choosing the right cushions and our sofa and bed throws and making the right selection.
When measuring for a track measure the outside width and depth of the window recess. The window will look taller if the track is positioned one inch above the window frame. Likewise the window will look wider if the track runs slightly beyond the outside width of the window.
For full length curtains measure the full length of the track or pole and then the measurement from the track or pole to the floor. An easier way is to measure from the track to the sill and then measure from the sill to the floor and add the two together.
In general sill length curtains look more informal than floor length curtains
When measuring for curtain headings allow the following:-
If it is standard 1.5 times the width of the track.
With pencil pleat you will need 2.5 times, triple pleat 2.5 times, slot 2-3 times, box pleat 3 times and scalloped 0.5 times.
For a puff ball style heading you will need 2-3 times.
A fixed pelmet is usually made from plywood covered in wadding before curtain material applied.
Add length of track including any returns ie. When the rail bends back towards the wall or measure pole add 8cm (3 in) for each return plus the same amount for overlap.
Calculate the number of widths required 2.5 - 3 times track length then divide by the width of the fabric add 20 cm (8in) to drop measurement for turnings and hem.
Multiply the complete drop measurement by the number of widths required to give the total amount of fabric needed.
With regard to curtains look at what you are trying to achieve. Is it insulation, control of light, camouflaging an ugly view, privacy or simply decoration?
If you have a stunning view through the window - emphasise this by dressing the window appropriately to size of room. Either make window seat, have window boxes on an outside ledge or a small table in front of the window. Make sure the window is not blocked by a large piece of furniture.
A GUIDE TO DECORATIVE SOFA AND BED THROWS
Cherryellie Designs’ Throws as sofa or bed throws perform a multitude of tasks, because they are so flexible they can be used almost anywhere in the house.
At their most practical, throws cover and protect furniture from exposure to sunlight, general wear and tear or use by over enthusiastic children and pets. Our cotton throws will be the most useful in this situation as those without trimmings are very easily machine washable on a regular basis. The cotton throws which are lined - most of them are, will also be warm due to the nature of their lining.
Another of the decorative throw’s more practical uses is as a personal throw over as a sofa throw, chair throw or bed throw to keep you cosy and as good quality throws our chenille, cotton, velvet and silk throws succeed in keeping you as warm as a duvet or quilt would.
Our throws come in a number of different fabrics including cotton, linen, chenille, velvet and silk.
Chenille throws can be made in a huge variety of colours and weaves and as chenille is a substantial fabric, chenille throws will have a good weight and usually have a substantial and tactile feel. Most of our chenille throws are machine washable although those with trimmings will need to be hand washed with care or dry cleaned.
Velvet throws, like chenille throws can be made in a huge variety of colours and have a good weight to them. In addition, as velvet has such a luxurious feel velvet throws will work well as either sofa or bed throws. As with our chenille throws those velvet throws with trimmings will need to be hand washed with care or dry cleaned.
Linen and Cotton throws although a practical and easily washable fabric cotton and linen are generally light fabrics and as mentioned above they can easily be turned into more substantial throws.
Similarly silk throws also need a substantial lining to create that cosy warm feeling of a quilt or duvet. Silk throws really shine in the bedroom where they add that touch of fabulous luxury to the bed and with matching cushions, the finishing touches to the bedroom scheme. Although silk is an extremely hard wearing natural fabric, silk will not stand up well to snagging or scratches so is best suited to an environment where it is not going to take a lot of traffic. All our silk throws are hand washable with care.
Decorative throws can be made to match other furnishings in your living room or bedroom including cushions, curtains, seats or bedding, but will also provide great accent colour to compliment any room colour and as its name suggests provides great decoration for the room but unlike other room decorations decorative throws have many practical uses.
Cushions in a home are as important as the furniture they and you sit on. The ideal cushion will support your back, neck and shoulders as well as being an attractive finish to your sofa, chair or bed.
Cherryellie Designs has a wealth of cushions to choose from now including pretty heart cushions which make a great decorative finish to your colour scheme but aren’t for everyday use. The standard square cushion with the right filling are perfect and practical. Our bolster cushions also make perfect lumbar support cushions. Our large cushions also make great floor cushions as well as providing extra support on a sofa or bed.
Cushions can be made from any number of different materials including leather and even vinyl but the most popular fabrics are cotton, linen, chenille, velvet and silk because they are not only very attractive and comfortable and breathable but also washable. Cotton fabric includes chenille, linen and velvet Most cottons can retain their shape when wet and can withstand high temperatures. The tactile and soft feel of velvet and chenille cottons are created using different weaves. Cherryellie’s chenille and cotton cushions are mostly machine washable except where they have trimmings in which case they would need to be hand washed or dry cleaned.
Silk as a fabric is a little more fragile to abrasion and can be weakened by sunlight and perspiration. On a more positive note silk cushions not only have a luxurious and soft feel but are attractive to look at and all our silk cushions as well as being from top quality Italian silk are hand washable. In addition silk has the enviable reputation of being the strongest natural fabric in the world.
Cherryellie also offers personal cushions where you can immortalise your favourite person or pet on a hand washable cotton or silk cushion using a digital photo supplied by you.
No cushion would be complete without the inner cushion pad. Care should be taken when selecting your cushion pad as this will make or break the cushion’s support and appearance.
All our cushion pads are either hollow fibre, polyester, micro fibre or duck feather.
Hollow fibre or micro fibre cushion pads have a cotton cover and are superior to polyester in that they have an excellent bounce back and are longer lasting as well as being machine washable and a great choice for allergy sufferers.
Duck feather cushion pads, combine softness with being long lasting. They are the heaviest cushion pads and will need plumping up to retain their shape.
INFORMATION ON FABRICS
COTTON
Cotton is a very versatile natural fabric, cool, soft and comfortable as well as breathable and easy care. The cotton fibre is from the cotton plant’s seed pod. "Absorbent" cotton will retain 24-27 times its own weight in water and is stronger when wet than dry. This fibre absorbs and releases perspiration quickly, thus allowing the fabric to "breathe". Cotton can stand high temperatures and takes dyes easily.
There are a number of different types of cotton fabric and these include:-
Corduroy cotton has distinct vertical rows of soft pile.
Sheeting cotton is a smooth flat and closely woven fabric. The quality is indicated by its thread count.
Velvet is a popular cotton for throws and cushions. It is woven on a loom that weaves two pieces of fibre at the same time giving velvet a soft and luxurious feel.
Chintz cotton is a fabric we use a lot for the reverse of products or the linings of our handbags. It is a plain, closely woven cotton fabric available in a variety of colours and prints. A glazed finish provides the surface shine and the crisp feel.
Chenille is very popular cotton for throws due to its soft yet thick texture woven in a soft tufted cotton fibre.
Velour feels like a more elastic version of velvet in a mix of smooth and ribbed textures.
Voile is a crisp, sheer, and lightweight fabric.
SILK
Silk comes from the larvae of a silkworm. Silk fabric is known for its softness, lustre, beauty and luxurious look. It is one of the higher grade fabrics, which gives the wearer comfort in all types of weather. It keeps the body cool in summer and warm in winter. It is the strongest natural fabric in the world.
It is said that silk was discovered during 2640 B.C. in China. Chinese Empress, Hsi Ling Shi studied the silkworm and learned the art of unwinding the silk from the cocoon and made silk fabric from it. This was the beginning of silk industry in China. Today it holds over 50% of the silk production in the world. Japan ranks second followed by Brazil and India.
Indian silk textiles are popular worldwide because of its sheer variety of designs, weaving and quality. Thai silk is one of the most valued fabrics in the world. and France and Italy are the leading manufacturers of high value sophisticated silk fabrics in Europe.
Weaving is the process by which the fabric is created from interlacing the warp yarns and the weft yarns. It is either done by machines or hand. Hand woven fabric is better than the machine woven. It can make delicate designs with different coloured thread. Modern machines use lances, projectiles, a jet of compressed air to shoot the weft-yarn between the warp-yarns. It leads to greater yield and productivity.
A good quality of silk begins with a warp of approximately 2,000 threads for one metre width. 1,600 threads or 1,800 threads are considered to be poor quality fabric. Loosely woven fabrics are difficult to sew.
There are two main types of silk fabrics. One which is yarn-dyed or dyed-woven, like taffeta, duchess satin and many pattern-woven fabrics. The other type is piece-dyed fabrics, which is carried out after weaving, like crepes, twills, etc. The dyeing process gives the silk different shades.
Printing is giving pattern to the fabric. It is either done by block-printing method, roller-printing method or screen printing. Screen printing is widely used in silk fabrics.
Silk fabric in soft furnishings give the room a luxurious look. Since silk is not a good resistant to abrasion, extra care should be taken. Most silks are hand washable. When washing silk, do not wring but roll in a towel. Silk dries quickly but should not be put in an automatic dryer. Silk may yellow and fade with the use of a high iron setting. Press cloths and a steam iron are recommended. Silk is also weakened by sunlight and perspiration
WOOL
Wool fabric gives warmth and an attractive appearance. It is soft, yet strong and very durable. It provides warmth when it is cold and keeps the wearer cool when it is hot drawing away perspiration, it will absorb up to 30% of its weight in moisture without feeling damp. It does not wrinkle easily and is a resistant to dirt and wear and tear. The fabric never burns over a flame but only smoulders.
Wool fabric does not only come from sheep. Widely used cashmere sweaters are made from goats originated in Kashmir (India). Mohair wool fabric is obtained from angora goat and angora wool fabric from angora rabbit. The name angora has been derived from the place Angora (Ankara) in Turkey, where these animals originate. Alpaca wool fabric comes from the hair of alpaca animal, a member of the camel family.
Wool, as clothing is being used for over twelve thousand years. The first wool factory was established in Winchester (England) in 50 A.D. by the Romans. In 1797, thirteen merino sheep were sent to Australia by the British to start merino sheep industry. Today, Australia is the leading producer of wool fabric.
There are two different processes used in wool production. Woollen fabrics have a soft feel and fuzzy surface, very little shine or sheen, will not hold creases, and are heavier and bulkier than worsteds. Blankets, scarves, coating, and some fabrics are considered woollens. Worsted wool is smoother than woollen, does not sag, holds a crease well, is lighter and less bulky, and wears longer than woollen. Worsted wool’s require a greater number of processes, during which fibres are arranged parallel to each other. The smoother, harder-surface worsted yarns produce smoother fabrics with a minimum of fuzziness and nap.
LINEN
Linen symbolising comfort and elegance is also widely known for its antibacterial and antifungi properties. As well as being cool and comfortable, linen is completely biodegradable and waste less. It will not cause irritation or allergies when worn and gives protection against UV radiation.
Linen is the strongest of the vegetable fibres and has 2 to 3 times the strength of cotton. Not only is linen fibre strong, it is smooth, making the finished fabric lint free. Fine china, silver and candles are enhanced by the lustre of linen which only gets softer and finer the more it is washed.
Linen is from flax, a bast fibre taken from the stalk of the plant. The lustre is from the natural wax content. Creamy white to light tan, this fibre can be easily dyed and the colour does not fade when washed. Linen does wrinkle easily but also presses easily. Linen, like cotton, can also be boiled without damaging the fibre.
POLYESTER
Polyester fabric is a versatile and man-made fabric resistant to wrinkles, stretching, shrinking and is quick to dry. It requires minimum care and is easily washable.
Polyester is a polymer produced from the coal, air, water, and petroleum products. It was first commercially produced in 1953 by E. I. Du Pont de Nemours & Company, Inc.
Polyester fabric is manufactured in many weights and it is used as fiberfill in pillows and upholstery. In upholstery, polyester is generally blended with wool to eliminate crushing and reduce fading.
Polyester is also used in casement curtains, floor coverings, throws, bedding, and as a cushioning or insulating material.
EMBROIDERED FABRIC
Embroidered fabric is made by stitching strands to a fabric to give a decorative designs and patterns.
Most embroidery is done by using thread or wool stitched onto a woven fabric. Traditionally embroidery was done by hand but now it is also machine embroidered. Machine embroidery can be used for both, creative work on individual pieces as well as for mass produced clothing products. Literally any evenly woven fabric can be embroidered.
The use of embroidered fabric dates back to 3000 BC in Egypt. Since then different nationalities have contributed their unique designs and techniques.
PRINTED FABRICS
A printed fabric has a pattern printed on it either with ink or dye. It is usually a flat fabric woven from a variety of threads such as acrylics, nylons, cottons and polyesters cotton. The fabric is tightly woven with rich woven designs and patterns. It adds colour and glamour to the fabrics.
Printed fabric is the mainstay of the garment and soft furnishings industries.
Types of Printing
Block printing first developed in China, the carvers carve fine work on wooden block and then cover it with ink. The wood is pressed upon the fabric to create duplicate pattern of the original.
Roller printing the fabric is fed into a giant set of rollers where a one of the rollers continually imparted a design on the fabric as it rolled past. Usually vertical lines are created on the fabric by this process.
Pigment printing This is the process where pigment is used for printing.
Copperplate printing This process was used on silk which is a pattern printed by disposition. New technique use paper that is run through an inkjet printer and then ironed on to fabric.
Dye sublimation An image is digitally printed in reverse with a special type of dye sublimation toners or inks onto regular media. The image is placed on top of polyester. In scientific terms, a material is directly converted into a gaseous state from solid dying the threads.
Direct printing - This is a type of digital printing to fabric which accepts the ink from inkjet coated printer similar to inkjet paper.
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