Friday, June 17, 2016

Fiber comparison/information

Fabric type information



Environmental Impact
Ecologically speaking, both cotton and polyester have their drawbacks, although polyester, which is made from petroleum, may have a slight edge. Cotton is the most pesticide-dependent crop in the world, using as many as one-fourth of all pesticides made. It is also a very water intensive crop. Both fabrics involve copious amounts of water, energy, and toxic chemicals during the manufacturing process.

Unlike polyester, cotton is biodegradable so old, discarded clothing will eventually break down into natural compounds. Cotton is also a renewable and sustainable resource, although there are environmental issues associated with the way it is commonly grown.

Fire Hazard
Cotton is more combustible than polyester. It ignites easily and burns rapidly, leaving behind a light ash residue. Polyester resists ignition but once ignited, it melts and causes severe localized burns. The fire hazard is also high with cotton/polyester blends due to the high rate of burning and fabric melting. The safest route is to purchase clothes that are treated with fire retardant materials.




FASCINATING


?IS THIS TRUE????


What I found interesting?


FINDING THE RIGHT FABRIC
Leather furniture The Smith Brothers style #376 sectional Fabric furniture The Smith Brothers style #8143 sectional, from the "Build Your Own" 8000 series
Smith Brothers offers more than 900 different fabrics, which sounds exciting at first... but when you start to dig into all those choices, it can start to get pretty overwhelming! While it's great to have options, you may want a little extra help in finding that perfect fabric for your new furniture—especially considering that there's a lot to fabric beyond what color works best.


Here is a brief guide to choosing fabric for your furniture.
Fabric Content

NATURAL FIBERS

Natural fibers generally feature flat weaves that are ideal for prints. They are softer, and tailor well for upholstered furniture. However, being a natural product they can fade in direct sunlight, and may be susceptible to pilling.

Cotton. Made from the cotton plant, this is soft, absorbent, and fades easily.
Linen. Made from the flax plant, linens tend to have a lot of hard plant fibers and slubs.

Wool. Made from animal hair, wool is warm, and not often used in upholstery.
Silk. Made from the cocoons of silk worms, silk has strong fibers and a natural shine, but can be damaged by sunlight.

Rayon. Also known as viscose, rayon is made from wood pulp and designed to be shiny like silk.


SYNTHETIC FIBERS
Synthetic fibers are made by extruding chemicals into fiber strands. They are more durable and (in general) more resistant to staining and fading than natural fibers. Synthetic fibers are just as likely to be susceptible to pilling, however.

Acrylic. Very durable and often has a texture similar to wool.

Polyester. Very durable and cleanable.

Nylon. Stain resistant and durable.

Olefin. Durable, but can be susceptible to pilling if used in high amounts.

Polypropylene. Related to polyester.


Fabric Types



SINCE I got a staph infection while recuperating from surgery in 2007, this was interesting to me. Since cotton-poly uniforms seemed to be the choice of staff, I was very surprised at the results. The absolute opposite of what I had thought.









Saturday, June 4, 2016

Sun Visor

I used an on-line hat pattern to create a very protective sun visor.  I could not get either link to work.  However, if you google 'SUNNY_SIDE_UP_SUNHAT'  you will easily find it.

http://www.pages01.net/fabriccom/HPSunnySideHat/?cm_re=SL1-_-crhdqtr-_-Sunhat

http://contentm.mkt2178.com/lp/814/2644/HP_fabric.com_SUNNY_SIDE_UP_SUNHAT-1.pdf?cm_re=SL1-_-crhdqtr-_-Sunhat


I have lots of visors and hats.  NONE protect like this one.  I really struggled with the sewing part.  Down loaded the pattern on Monday.  Thought I would complete it in one day.  NOPE.  I had a lot of Life-interruptus + I found the binding on the curved edge a real challenge.  Took 3 tries to get it 'good enough'.  I used a very stiff iron on stabilizer for both the visor and the band.  Huge problem connecting the two pieces.  While it is far from perfect, I'm still very happy with the results.


Front View

This photo, as well as the one below, were done in front of the bathroom mirror so that I could show the 'hidden' view as well.


Side View


View looking down with Visor on my bed


Compare Protection

Compare size with one of my many visors.  All the purchased ones are about the same size and protection.  The pink is the visor lining.