Yesterday, I had the chance to visit The Fabric Store’s 50% off sale (on through tomorrow) with a fellow fabric geek. We were picking the fabrics to stitch a “collection” for a certain upcoming pattern release. I’ve seen this fabric before at TFS and longed to make it mine except I habitually refuse to buy anything for which I do not have an immediate purpose in mind. If I bought everything I liked when I saw it I’d be in debt and surrounded by piles of “stash” fabric.
the color is most accurate in this photo
The tag said dry clean only, but I’ve worked with this kind of fabric before so I shoved it into the machine with like color and a warm wash with normal liquid soap. I also washed this lightweight textured merino in that load- intended for the same collection.
It’s soft and drapey, yet firm. I like textured cottons because they easily wash and wear well. This piece was washed last night, crammed into the dryer and stayed there until after lunch when I pulled it out to take pictures. Not bad, only a little rumpled.
The question is- boucle or piqué? It looks like a basketweave pique, except for the thick-thin quality of the yarns used, which lends a gentle slubbed effect. The slubs and the soft irregularity say “boucle” to me.
Click for wikipedia entry- implies looped yarns…
says stiff- but knit pique is used for polo shirts and it’s soft. I’ve seen many vintage fabrics called pique that were also quite soft…
I can’t decide what to call this lovely fabric! What would you call it? Do link to articles on boucle or pique if you please! (also- what do you think of white, blue and pink together on me?)
I’d say for boucle, but whatever it is, it’s very pretty.
And soft… so soft. Really very much like cotton candy…
Oh this is pretty fabric. I’m having a love affair with these very colours at the moment. I love them together and I think you can wear them with your colouring. Do you have a lipstick tending to pink that works with them? This is the kind of fabric I call a slub weave. I have a real fondness for textured fabrics like this and I’m just making a top in a finer, slightly textured linen. I think this type of fabric is perfect for subtropical summers and it holds up well in humidity. Linen gets damp and droops but I have several summer dresses made in textured cottons and cotton/silk blend that manage to keep their shape. I seem to have drifted away from your original question …
Really? I always picture you in warmer colors. :) Neat.
I do, I have a bright bright pink… I’ll wear it on Monday and let you see on twitter… That’s been fun, tweeting lipsticks. Silly, but fun…
Yes! Yes to everything. Love love love textured cottons…. I think this will suit my purposes pretty well. Pegged skirt with a back flounce, basically.
Have you looked at the Burda pattern I made last weekend? 02-11-103. It would be perfect for this fabric. Now I want one1
Oh! How exciting! Thank you so much.
Re the fabric…I’m tending towards bouclé. It’s so pretty, and I’m sure you could wear those colours together. I think they’ll look amazing. You have such panache with colours!
You haven’t moved since the last time I sent you something, Evie?
Thanks… I am *really* looking forward to the blue for the cooler weather. I used that same sweater knit last year, the color and the fabric are just right for me.. :)
No…still in the same place!
The blue is a stunning colour.
I would call it bouclé, does not look like piqué as I know it. GREAT colour! I love pink!
Me too!
It’s lovely! I’d call it boucle too. Pink, white and blue would be great on you, soft, but still crisp. And enough contrast to work with your high contrast dark hair/light skin combo. Go for it!
I believe I will. That shirting will be quite nice to wear, fingers crossed my dickey works with it… ;)
It looks Boucle like to me? It’s a gorgeous colour too…
I’m really pleased I can use the fabric… And such a fun color, you’re right. :)
I would say boucle, but i’m far from an expert. (Unless it could be both by definition? like the example that: all thumbs can be categorized as fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs. could something be categorized as a pique, but also fall under the definition of boucle? or are the two categories exclusive?) here are a few links that i found that had good info: http://www.springscreative.com/site/fabric-dictionary/
http://www.fabriclink.com/dictionaries/textile.cfm
http://www.learningseed.com/_guides/1166_Understanding_Fabrics_Guide.pdf
that last pdf has a lot of interesting fabric info
okay 2 more links and i’ll stop, you can zoom in on these images to compare (first is boucle, second is pique):
http://www.moodfabrics.com/index.php?file=productdetail&iprod_id=15796&icat_id=2&icatidntr=2&icatidwtr=&icatidwbt=&icatidwnewtr=&icatidwac=&shortdes=&passtype=&vcolor='Pink'&vpattern=&vapplication=&pricerange=&onsale=&newarrival=&custfav=&closeout=&wholesale=&pagelimit=24&page=1&keyword=&topmatmsvalms=305_2_type&vbrand=
http://www.moodfabrics.com/index.php?file=productdetail&iprod_id=20531&icat_id=2,1,3,12,29,23&icatidntr=&icatidwtr=&icatidwbt=&icatidwnewtr=&icatidwac=&shortdes=&passtype=&vcolor=&vpattern=&vapplication=&pricerange=&onsale=&newarrival=&custfav=&closeout=&wholesale=&pagelimit=24&page=1&keyword=pique&topmatmsvalms=&vbrand=
Oh wow, thanks for all the links! The terms have rather fluid meanings, don’t they?
Boucle feels right to me. It’s a lovely fabric, can’t wait to see what it is going to be.
I’m inclined to call it boucle, too…
sorry! not bouclé, not piqué. it is “panama”
a have the same in red, made a 50´s suit with a circle skirt……….
BEATE! I knew you were clever and smart, thanks for setting me straight on this one. I just googled that and I think you are 100% correct. It’s Pink Panama Fabric. Exactly! http://en.texsite.info/Panama-like_fabric_%28derived_plain_weave%29
I’d say it’s bouclé too. Pique, I think, has a more regular pattern and the fiber/yarns are all the same thickness. I have a vague memory of some stiff pique, kind of canvas like, as well as softer versions. I think the key thing about pique is that it has uniform little indentures.
Yes, I’d say that’s a definite hallmark of pique, too.. regularity.
I’d call it lucious! Loving the blue, bright pink and white and think it would suit you very well.
luscious!
Thanks, Ginny.. When I put the colors together in the shop I thought “ooooooooooh yes!” immediately which is usually a good sign… ;)
No idea what it’s properly called, I’d refer to it as a ‘slubby woven’. It’s a glorious colour though.
With your very striking colouring I think you would look fab in any strongly contrasting colours, so yes to the pink/blue/white combo!.
Beate gave me a clue, it’s called Panama fabric…
Oh thanks for the “permission”… I’m never sure if my color choices are a bit too out there, but the blue and pink make me smile… ;)
I’d say it’s bouclé. Almost looks like Osnaburg, but that’s generally undyed. A piqué typically has its heavily puckered texturing imprinted mechanically by heat and pressure, if it is not woven into place (seersucker is a subcategory of piqué, in which some of the stripes are flat and some are wavy — an effect of weaving.) Except, I always think of bouclé yarn as having loops.
Almost… Osnaburg is stiff and rough and thin, this is fat and squishy and soft and drapey. Not at all like, though I can see it does look a bit similar…
I’ve seen pique that was woven, maybe I was mistaken but I think it can be woven or imprinted…
Yes, I always think of boucle as loopy, too, I wasn’t quite happy with either term but Beate mentioned Panama… I think that’s right.
Yum! Our Global is also 50% off…sooo tempting… From looking at it I’d say Boucle; pique is characterised by that diamond pattern and is much finer. :)
So tempting. So so so tempting. I’m tempted to go back today for the last day and pick up a few more bits and pieces I’m thinking I’ll need later. So tempting…
So, I think we can agree it is tempting? ;-)
I call it luscious lol I’m not help at all am I.
But you did get the email of 50% sale extended till the 17th ;) just sayin….. I’ll be there as little miss needs winter PJ’s and has declared that the merino jersey is soft and cuddly and can I make jammies out of that! Nothing like expensive taste in fabric from a 4yr old!
I think those colors would look great on you!
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