It seems the slow economy has inspired many to be creative.  It’s like the old saying, “necessity is the mother of invention” and I find that to be true.  Everyone around me is sewing!  Sewing projects of purses & wallets, aprons, and children’s blankets and bibs seem to be all the hype.  It’s nice to see the creativity and inspiration everyone is coming up with.  And when I think creative I think who else but Martha Stewart.  In Martha’s book Martha Stewart’s Encyclopedia of Sewing and Fabric Crafts: Basic Techniques for Sewing, Applique, Embroidery, Quilting, Dyeing and Printing, plus 15 inspired Projects from A to Z she gives a good description of different types of fabric and what it can be used for in the beginning of the book.  I thought the list could be helpful for all you sewing people and for people like me who didn’t know what chambray was!  Today’s list will include solid cottons only.  Go ahead and read it and learn something new!

1.  Denim  Denim is a coarse twill (see below) used primarily for work clothes, jackets  and jeans.  It’s tight diagonal weave, along with the thickness of its yarn, produces a strong and durable cloth.  Traditionally, the warp, or lengthwise, threads are dyed blue and weft, or crosswise, thread are left natural or white.

2.  Cotton Velvet  Rich and opulent, velvet has long suggested luxury.  It’s soft pile is formed by warp thread that are looped over thin metal rods on a loom.  When the rods are removed, the loops remain.  Sometimes, the loops are cut resulting in cut velvet.  Cotton velvet comes in many weights and is appropriate for upholstery, clothing and decorative accessories; silk, rayon, or blended-fiber velvet is also available.  Clean velvet with a soft, dry brush, or dry clean.  To avoid crushing the pile, steam (do not iron) to remove wrinkles.

3.  Twill - The term “twill” refers to specific type of weave in which the weft threads pass over one and then under two or more warp threads (as opposed to a plain weave, in which the threads interlace evenly); the result is a distinctive diagonal pattern.  Cotton twill is often used to make khaki pants, military wear and work clothes.

4.  Corduroy  Like velvet, corduroy features a lush pile.  It is characterized by vertical pile ridges, which can be wide or narrow.  The width of the ridges is known as the wale; while often referred to as “fine” or “wide” wale can also be denoted by a number that indicates the number of ridges per inch.

5.  Canvas  Also called duck cloth or sailcloth, canvas is extremely tough and is commonly used to make tote bags or outdoor upholstery.  Its thick fibers usually cotton, but sometimes linen or synthetic are tightly woven in a plain weave.

6.  Muslin  An inexpensive plain-weave cotton, muslin is usually undyed.  It is often used as a lining or to make a practice version of a garment or slipcover, to test for fit.

7.  Terry Cloth  Most commonly used to make bath towels and robes, terry cloth is absorbent because of its looped pile of thick cotton yarns.  It can have a pile on one or both sides.

8.  Flannel  Flannel can be made from cotton, wool or a wool blend.  Although it is popular for baby clothes and bedding, it’s softness makes it a nice choice for lining winter garments.

9.  Chambray  Made of cotton or cotton-synthetic blends, chambray is a plain-weave fabric.  The warp threads are dyed and the weft threads are left white, as they are for denim.  It is used for making clothing, especially shirts.

10.  Poplin  Durable cotton poplin has a tightly woven plain weave and slight horizontal ribs.  It is a good choice for childrens and lightweight adult clothing. 

11.  Cotton Voile  Lightweight, sheer cotton voile is perfect for clothing and for breezy curtains.

My apologies for the sarcasm, but the misconception about the fragility of tablecloths drives me wild. Keep in mind, folks, that tablecloths are not only designed to dress up your dinner table, but also to protect your table from stains, scuffs, and scratches. Some gentle ironing isn’t going to hurt it. So iron away, get rid of those creases and enjoy your turkey dinner.

No more cold-water cycle, no more inside-out, no more hand-washing your dark clothes. Next time you peruse the detergent aisle at the grocery store look for the black Woolite bottle with the pink cap: WOOLITE® For All Darks Detergent.

Wow, how I love this stuff! Before WOOLITE All Darks Detergent, I found myself reluctant to wear black shirts or other dark clothing because I always considered the extra effort I would need to put in to washing them. Now my hamper for my dark clothes goes right into the washing machine just like the rest of my laundry.

So, will I give WOOLITE the credit for me cleaning up my act and dressing more like a professional? Not all of the credit. I can’t forget to give a shout-out to my mom and grandmother for their daily criticisms of my wardrobe. I love you guys.

With the sunny days becoming fewer and far between, I thought we’d change our focus a bit. Introducing: Bracing for Fall — our new segment with seasonal advice for the soggy days to come. We’ll try to post one or two of these a week to keep you on your game. Our inaugural “Fall” post:

How to Care for Your Jeans

Put your shorts away and dig out the jeans collection. Or in my case, the single pair of jeans. Hey, jeans are not cheap! It really is a shame that they don’t come with a users manual or a list of proper care instructions (okay, we can all agree that the little tag sewn into the waist is a bit vague). Or maybe it should be mandated that jeans come with a warranty? That’s it, I’m writing my senator.

In the meantime, here are some care instructions that will help you get the most out of your denim investment this fall:

1. Washing jeans. Always turn your jeans inside out before laundering to avoid fading. Doing a jeans-only wash each week can also help with fading and will help avoid pigmentation and other wear-and-tear on other items of clothing.

2. Drying jeans. Only dry your jeans in a dryer machine until they feel damp, then let them air dry the rest of the way. This will prevent shrinkage and keep them feeling soft.

2. Reviving jeans. Wash your older, faded jeans with your newer ones. This way, any pigment that leeches off of the newer jeans is re-appropriated by the older. Simple concept. Sort of a socialistic too: the redistribution of pigment. Oh man, the CIA is gonna be all over this blog post.

If there’s one thing about washing your vintage clothing that you always remember, it’s this:

ONLY WASH IT BY HAND!

Of course, different fabrics have different methods, but never consider throwing your vintage in the washing machine. Here are a couple key tips we picked up on Fashion-Era.com:

• Rayon is best dry cleaned, as is any vintage fabric that obviously rustles or looks as if it has a special finish like watermark moiré.
• Certain wools and silks will wash, but many will not.
• Don’t hang white or creamy wools or silks in the sun as they are easily yellowed by direct sunlight
• If light ironing is out of the question consider whether direct steaming would work, or whether non invasive steaming such as hanging the garment in a steamy shower room would be better.
• Dry cleaning would add to the cost, but remember your time is money so weigh up whether trying for hours to improve the look of a garment would be better achieved by a professional cleaner.

Alright, all you fitness freaks, athletes and casual gym-goers, we’ve got a new product that will keep your athletic wear smell fresher and last longer. Our new ProWash activewear detergent thoroughly cleans your performance garments (made of materials like CoolMax, GoreTex, DryFit, etc. Click here for a full list) without ruining the fabric.

ProWash is available at select WalMart stores and will soon be available online at Amazon.com and Drugstore.com.

Nano technology has opened new doors in fashion, giving clothing manufacturers the ability to make stain resistant clothing. Even some of the most well-known brands (Old Navy, Brooks Brothers) and leading designers (Hugo Boss and Tommy) have taken advantage of the technology. But, does it actually keep you stain free? Susan Koeppen of CBS’ The Early Show put some stain resistant clothes to the test.

Test #1: 
Koeppen spilled coffee all over her trenchcoat, and orange juice all over her suit. Both wiped right off without soiling the fabric. PASS

Test #2:
Koeppen smeared mustard, ketchup, chocolate ice cream, juice, paint, pizza grease, yougurt and paint all over the clothes. Most of it wiped away without stains, but some items (namely the mustard and the ketchup) caused stains that couldn’t even come out in the way. FAIL

The verdict is that stain resistant fabric does a great job at repelling liquids, but doesn’t seem to handle heavy dyes or oil-based substances any better than other materials. Still, stain resistant clothing may be worth the extra coin if you’re looking for some relief from everyday stains.

Believe it or not, swim suits require a different method of cleaning than regular clothing. You’d think because they’re made for the water that they’d be relatively resilient to regular washing! Well, because they’re made from unique fabrics they can easily be damaged by harsh detergents.

We found this great step-by-step guide to washing your swimsuit on HowToCleanStuff.net that explains the process in detail so you can safely wash your summer gear.

Supplies

• Sink or small tub
• Detergent made for swimwear, or gentle liquid hand soap such as Dove or Neutrogena
• Towels
• Flat surface

The Process

1. Always read the tag on your bathing suit first, and if the manufacturer’s recommendations for washing/drying contradict anything in this article, opt for following the manufacturer’s directions.
2. Rinse your bathing suit thoroughly in the sink or tub with cool water.
3. Fill sink or tub with cold water and add amount of swimwear detergent indicated on the product package. If using hand soap, add about a teaspoon per gallon of water.
4. Place bathing suit in the sudsy water and gently massage with your hands (DO NOT wring or twist bathing suit as doing so may damage the material).
5. Remove bathing suit, drain sudsy water from sink or tub and refill with fresh cool water.
6. Place bathing suit in the fresh water and gently massage to rinse out soap residue. Again, DO NOT twist or wring the suit as this may cause damage.
7. Repeat steps 4 and 5 until no soap remains in the bathing suit and the water stays clear.
8. Remove bathing suit from the water, gently squeeze excess water (again, never twist or wring the bathing suit)
9. Lay a towel out on a flat surface and lay the bathing suit flat on top of the towel to air dry. DO NOT place the bathing suit in the sun as this may cause fading.

Believe it or not, there’s an art to wearing white, and the CW, Kansas has quite a bit to say about it. Here’s an excerpt from their article that focuses on how to wear white button downs:

Although traditionally a staple of men’s clothing, a crisp white button down shirt is a must have for any stylish woman. Since most men’s shirts have a very boxy shape, look specifically for one that is designed for a woman, tailored with darts or extra seams to give shape through the body. Choose a shirt made from crisp cotton. A good quality fabric will give longevity to the garment and help keep its shape.

For a more casual summer look, opt for a shirt that is made from a linen or linen-like fabric. Choose a less fitted style that still has shape through the body, which can be worn open over a t-shirt or camisole with the sleeves rolled up.

It is important to make sure that your shirt fits properly. The easiest way to do this is to close all the buttons and make sure they lay in a straight line. If any of the buttons are pulling horizontally and creating gaps between the buttons, that means the shirt is too small. Pay attention to the collar. Since most women wear their collars open, check that the shirt falls nicely from the neck with the first couple of buttons open.

Look for interesting details taken from men’s tuxedo shirts like French cuffs or vertical pintucks. These will give life to the shirt. Wear a colorful scarf at the neck or decorative cufflinks that express your personal style.

For those of you planning a European backpacking trip this weekend, make sure to pack a towel. Not every hostel supplies towels, and surely you don’t wanna have to dry off using your dirty clothes.

Before you say “Oh man, a towel will take up way too much space in my pack,” consider this—buy a lightweight, quick drying, low-profile backpacking towel! Yes, such a thing exists, and it looks like this:

This particular backpacking towel is made by MSR and sells for about $30. It dries soaks up water like a sponge, dries quickly, and packs incredibly small, making it a perfect addition to your travels this summer.