Material Discussions
Posted: August 17th, 2024, 7:21 am
I am fascinated by our many attempts to describe the materials that make up the lovely rainwear that we desire. Although images can portray colour and shine, the are terrible at weight, stiffness and of course aroma. For such a tactile thing it is a shame that we sometimes struggle to get across what we really mean, often resorting to “like this” photos or metaphors like “as thin as cling film (saran wrap)”. Does this add to the fun of trying to communicate with fellow rainwear enthusiasts? Or should we start a new set of internationally recognised codes for specific attributes of material so that everyone knows exactly what we mean?
After being made single I dabbled with making PVC clothes using my wife’s sewing machine (until it disappeared as part of the breakup). I found that all sites selling any kind of fabric seem to have the same issue. Unlike a shop you can’t feel it, so how do you sell something accurately so people don’t return it “that was not what I expected”. From those sites I learnt new terms which I had never considered as attributes of fabric such as bias, two-way and four-way stretch.
I did learn that making your own clothes is easy, but making them fit and look good is nearly impossible! Also that you spend more time swearing at a sewing machine than actually sewing anything, and that unbacked plastic that is just sewn tears in no time without some other form of seam attachment like welding or glueing.
Cherie x
After being made single I dabbled with making PVC clothes using my wife’s sewing machine (until it disappeared as part of the breakup). I found that all sites selling any kind of fabric seem to have the same issue. Unlike a shop you can’t feel it, so how do you sell something accurately so people don’t return it “that was not what I expected”. From those sites I learnt new terms which I had never considered as attributes of fabric such as bias, two-way and four-way stretch.
I did learn that making your own clothes is easy, but making them fit and look good is nearly impossible! Also that you spend more time swearing at a sewing machine than actually sewing anything, and that unbacked plastic that is just sewn tears in no time without some other form of seam attachment like welding or glueing.
Cherie x