36 posts tagged with textiles.
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What is this fabric?

I had a skirt once made of a heavy, cold-feeling, shiny, silk-like material. I can't figure out what it was. [more inside]
posted by blnkfrnk on Jul 13, 2024 - 17 answers

Can I bleach my linen sheets from orange to white?

I'm seeing lots of articles online about how to re-brighten previously white sheets but not as many on how to confidently change a deeply colored sheet to white, and then perhaps to a different color from there. Is this project likely to work? [more inside]
posted by rockyraccoon on Jul 16, 2022 - 7 answers

Searching for a black cardigan

I am searching for The Perfect black cardigan. I want a loose fitting cardigan, ethically made, made from excellent materials, possibly with a pocket, and definitely with large buttons. I think the style I have in mind is somewhere between 'balloon sleeves' and a vintage grandpa cardigan. I have seen babaa sweaters but I didn't know if it was worth the buzz and was also put off by their 'one size fits all' sizing. I am looking for a women's size large. I am willing to spend money to make my cardigan dreams come true.
posted by allthingsconsidered on Nov 15, 2021 - 12 answers

Who buys all the clothing?

I have been trying to update my wardrobe recently, and find myself wondering... who buys all the clothing, especially higher-end and luxury clothing? [more inside]
posted by gemutlichkeit on Nov 13, 2021 - 26 answers

Help me buy the tiniest Pad Eye (or Strap Eye) hardware

I am looking for the tiniest hardware: pad eyes or strap eyes (for a loom modification). The smallest I can find in marine hardware circles is about 1.7” at the widest part of the base, but I am looking for a part that is a maximum of 1”/25mm across the base. Preferably 316 stainless, and smooth enough for soft yarns (ie a round profile vs a stamped strap). Help me, shoppers! I suspect this part exists in tiny-land but maybe under another name.
posted by janell on Mar 30, 2021 - 8 answers

Hanging a tapestry/quilt in an exceptionally sturdy manner

Short version: ugh, cats messing with my interior decoration ideas. Literal cardboard wall, tapestry to hang on it, and the silly felines won't stop pulling it down. Longer version inside. [more inside]
posted by I claim sanctuary on Feb 3, 2021 - 13 answers

How to Be a Clean Person?

You have a home. The household goods, materials, and linens in it are clean, fresh, and not discolored or covered with a fine film of grease, despite your copious cooking and sweating and living. How do you do it? [more inside]
posted by stellaluna on Aug 23, 2019 - 37 answers

Name this sewing stitch?

Howdy MeFites! I’m hoping our resident sewing experts can help me with the name of a basic sewing stitch my mother taught me when I was young. I’d like to research it further online (to determine whether I’m doing it right and when it’s appropriate to use). But to do so, I need to know what it’s called. The closest I have gotten to is a lock stitch but the videos of lock stitching on YouTube do not show this exact method. Description of the stitch is inside. [more inside]
posted by darkstar on Dec 23, 2018 - 10 answers

Identify vintage fabric from Hong Kong?

My mom doesn't sew much anymore which means that all the fabric she's hoarded over the past few decades are available to me. Yay! Today I'm wondering about flannel (picture inside) that my grandfather brought over from Hong Kong 40+ years ago. I'd love ANY more info on it. (Fabric type, pattern, etc.) [more inside]
posted by methroach on Feb 11, 2018 - 6 answers

Antique Textile Appraisal

I was recently handed-down a late 19th Century or early 20th century Kashmiri shawl [more inside]
posted by nikitabot on Oct 11, 2017 - 2 answers

Having a tuft time finding tufting info & supplies

Help me help my wife get into making tufted textiles, with one of those handheld sewing machine guns. I have questions below the fold. [more inside]
posted by a halcyon day on Jul 22, 2017 - 1 answer

Craftfilter: resources for beautiful cross-stitch designs?

I recently got (back) into cross-stitch and made a small sampler in a single color. It looks great and I want to keep going! Can anyone recommend books, websites, blogs, designers, etc that I can browse to find cool patterns? [more inside]
posted by cpatterson on Mar 25, 2017 - 16 answers

Can any crafters help me with my felt beasties?

I was wondering if any Metafilter crafters could help my wife out with a sewing problem she's having? Here's her question: "I make felt animals, usually of the jointed variety. I draw my own patterns and sew by hand, and it's been going fine up till now, but the last two creatures I made have both had a weird bunching at the neck. I've tried altering the width of the necks, the gussets, basting in advance, what-all, but I can't figure out what the problem is... [more inside]
posted by lucien_reeve on Nov 14, 2015 - 20 answers

You better be weave it!

I'm interested in weaving and would like your best resources for absolute beginners. Supplies, books, blogs and websites, etc. [more inside]
posted by WeekendJen on Apr 28, 2015 - 5 answers

Cute, fun textiles that won't break the bank

As springtime arrives, I would like to spruce up my house with some cute, inexpensive textiles. Can you help? [more inside]
posted by sutel on Mar 25, 2015 - 17 answers

Trying to sew two halves of two hats together.

I want to cut two hats in half and sew each half to the other (e.g. one half of the hat will be team A and the other half of the hat will be team B). How can I most effectively do this? [more inside]
posted by defmute on Jan 27, 2015 - 16 answers

How do I clean this vintage beaded purse?

Looking for advice on how, if possible, I might clean a vintage beaded purse. The beadwork was done on a loom; it's not beaded to the fabric underneath. I'm wondering if there's a safe way to clean the beadwork, and am finding contradictory and possibly specious advice online. [more inside]
posted by Mothlight on Nov 25, 2014 - 8 answers

Modern Japanese design shops & studios

My wife and I are visiting Japan soon and would like to visit interesting shops or design studios that specialise in uncommon and/or beautiful products, specifically for homewares, textiles and children’s toys and decor. We’re interested in contemporary design and want to get a feel for the modern Japanese aesthetic. [more inside]
posted by timshel on Sep 9, 2014 - 9 answers

Please educate me on shopping for traditional Indonesian textiles.

A friend of mine is visiting Jakarta and will be taking a shopping trip to Pasaraya Grande as part of his tour. I love fabrics and I particularly love traditional dye work (such as batik) and handwoven cloth. However, I don't know much about the textiles of Indonesia, and I've never been there myself. What kinds of pieces are available at the Pasaraya Grande, and how are they priced? I'd like to give him some money and just tell him to get me something awesome -- what could he get for, say, $100 USD? How about $20 USD? [more inside]
posted by pupstocks on Apr 7, 2014 - 3 answers

Can you help me track down this Italian cotton shirting fabric?

Bought a remnant of this fabric at Nancy's Sewing Basket in Seattle, and was told there was no chance of getting more or finding out any information about it (the bolt with the item and vendor numbers had been discarded.) I need more, and AskMefi has found stranger things. Pictures within. [more inside]
posted by doift on Jan 31, 2014 - 1 answer

What things cannot be made by machine?

For example knitting can be duplicated by machine, but crocheted items can only be made by hand. I'm curious, are there other things that cannot be duplicated by machine?
posted by patheral on Oct 8, 2013 - 24 answers

Why are hotel towels so good at drying? Why are other towels not?

Hotel towels look like the ones I have at home and that are in everyone's bathrooms - terrycloth, etc. - but most of the time they are much more effective at drying. They practically suck the wetness off my skin! Typical bathroom towels, even plush/fancy ones, suck at drying by comparison. So this is really strange: the technology exists for towels to do their job very well, and presumably at relatively low cost (there's no way these hotels are shelling out big bucks for their towels); but as far as I can tell ALL of the commercially-available towels are mediocre at best at doing their job. What is that all about? Why are hotel towels so good at drying? Why are other towels not? Are there commercially-available towels that dry as well as hotel towels? If so, where can I find them?
posted by Mechitar on Oct 3, 2013 - 47 answers

Why don't my 100% cotton shirts all feel the same?

I've a variety of 100% cotton shirts in my closet with a variety of different feelings and textures! How can this be? Some of them are rough and stiff feeling while others are light and soft. I've seen terms such as "thread count", "knit", and "weight" but I don't know how they relate to what I'm wearing. Also those variables don't appear to be listed on the shirt tag anywhere! I often shop online and it'd be nice if I could have some idea of what any given shirt is going to feel like before I order it.
posted by TheGuyWhoSucks on May 20, 2013 - 9 answers

The cheapo shirt that keeps it's shape

I have a T-shirt made from a kind of fabric I've not seen since, I'd like to get more. It's supposedly 100% cotton, but I'm not sure if that's true. [more inside]
posted by Lynx on Dec 14, 2012 - 7 answers

eBay Fabric Criteria?

What brands of tank tops have high-quality fabric? [more inside]
posted by alice_curiouse on Jul 4, 2012 - 23 answers

Cheap, bulk mens underwear in synthetic fabrics. For cycling. Aesthetics less-than-crucial.

Cheap men's synthetic underwear: nylon/spandex/polyester/etc. Would like approx 12 pair for bicycling. Flexible on style/aesthetics. Priority: inexpensive. [more inside]
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj on Apr 12, 2012 - 7 answers

How long would the yarn supn from a single sheep's wool be?

This is a Fermi Question, I only need an approximate answer: How long would the yarn spun from a single sheep's wool be? Is 2 miles reasonable? What's a good lower bound? [more inside]
posted by ch3cooh on Nov 4, 2011 - 10 answers

How to get technology to work in a sewing class?

How can ICT be better used in Home Economics (or if you like, with the economics and management of the home and community) also known in some places as family and consumer sciences? [more inside]
posted by b33j on Nov 29, 2010 - 8 answers

Looking for a guide to sewing men's clothing

I'm interested in learning to make clothing. I'm looking for a book that goes from basic sewing skills to basic garments. Difficulty: for men. [more inside]
posted by usonian on Sep 1, 2010 - 8 answers

John Robshaw on the cheap

I love John Robshaw textiles, but they're way out of my price range. Do you know anyone who's knocking them off, or doing similar designs, for cheaper?
posted by Ollie on Feb 12, 2010 - 7 answers

I need help identifying blanket with Arabic writing on it.

I have a blanket with Islamic (Arabic) writing (maybe parts of the Quran, Koran?) woven around it that I found and need help identifying it? [more inside]
posted by Listening on Apr 6, 2009 - 12 answers

Help me play by no laundry rules but my own...

Laundry Filter: often when shopping for clothes the dealbreaker is something about the washing instructions such as dryclean only, hand wash, lay flat to dry, etc. But I know that sometimes these recommendations can be ignored. The question is, how do I know when? [more inside]
posted by dino terror on Sep 24, 2007 - 9 answers

Where do I find mexican oilcloth on the cheap in San Francisco?

San FranciscoFilter: Where in San Francisco can I find Mexican Oilcloth like this? [more inside]
posted by echolalia67 on Feb 2, 2007 - 6 answers

Baa baa black sheep, have you any environmentally friendly wool?

I'm looking for a custom textile manufacturer, either in the United States or Canada. [more inside]
posted by discokitty on Apr 4, 2006 - 3 answers

antique fabric preservation

Preserving and protecting a textile: I have an old theater backdrop painted on muslin. It is a little water damaged but otherwise in good condition, except for fraying around the edges. How can I repair the edges and protect from future damage while displaying it? The archival sites mainly talk about storage and don't really deal with home diy ideas or tips.
posted by gingembre on Sep 19, 2005 - 2 answers

Why do porous objects appear darker when wet?

Why do porous objects (wood, textile, hair, etc) appear darker when wet then when dry? A googling gave me this ("surface reflection and refraction"), but that doesn't sound entirely reasonable, as it merely talks of light being scattered, but the light in question is already diffuse. This also gives some suggestions, but nothing conclusive. Any chem/physics MeFiers know this?
posted by fvw on Dec 12, 2003 - 7 answers

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