Denim6 min read
The thread choice that changes a denim repair
A stronger thread can still leave worn denim to tear beside it. Match thread size, stretch and stitch path to the cloth that remains, then test the mend where it moves.
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Mending7 min read
Where a patch needs to extend beyond the hole
The visible hole is often smaller than the weak fabric around it. A lasting patch has to reach sound cloth, suit the garment's movement, and secure the worn area between.
Textiles5 min read
The Colors and Supports Behind a Historical Tapestry
Brighter reverses, weakened yarns, and carefully designed mounts complicate the wish to restore every historical textile to its original color.
Textiles7 min read
Why a fabric wears through at the fold
A fold puts the same narrow strip of cloth through repeated bending and exposes its ridge to rubbing. Fiber, yarn, weave and care decide how that wear develops.
Textiles7 min read
The stretch that comes from knitting
A knit can lengthen as its loops change shape, before much of the yarn itself stretches. Stitch pattern, direction, friction and yarn decide how it returns.
Textiles7 min read
What indigo leaves on the surface of a fibre
Indigo enters a vat in one chemical form and leaves the air as another. The depth at which its blue settles helps explain denim's colour, wool's different response, and the marks of wear.
Weaving6 min read
How a woven edge holds together
A woven cloth has an edge made by the path of its threads. Follow a shuttle’s return, then the different ways a shuttleless loom secures each cut weft, and the small allowance of slack that keeps the edge straight.
Yarn5 min read
The twist inside a strong thread
A spun thread holds together because its short fibers grip one another. Twist increases that grip, but too much turns the fibers away from the line of a pull. The strongest yarn balances both effects.
Wool5 min read
Why wool changes shape in water
A damp wool garment can swell, relax, or felt. The three changes happen at different scales and for different reasons, so the shape you see after washing tells only part of the story.