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#221
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OT word of the day
Epitropic Fibre
Epitropic fibers are fibers that have particles on their surface that modify some of the properties of the fiber. The most common example would be polyester or nylon that is coated in graphite to change it from a fiber that generates a static charge into one that dissipates a static charge. When these particular carbon coated fibers are woven into a nylon or polyester fabricalong with regular fibers, the result is a nearly static free fabric. -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
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#222
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OT word of the day
Sometimes one gets a glimmer of manufacturing techniques, through the
ether; but I have never even been vaguely aware about the coating of fibres for anti-static properties. Fascinating. I doubt I'll remember the detail, but I'm chuffed to know that it exists. Thanks Nightmist - again! .. In message , NightMist writes Epitropic Fibre Epitropic fibers are fibers that have particles on their surface that modify some of the properties of the fiber. The most common example would be polyester or nylon that is coated in graphite to change it from a fiber that generates a static charge into one that dissipates a static charge. When these particular carbon coated fibers are woven into a nylon or polyester fabricalong with regular fibers, the result is a nearly static free fabric. -- Best Regards pat on the hill |
#223
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OT word of the day
Turkey Work
Smyrna Stitch I hold turkey work to be a distinct thing on it's own and entirely seperate from candlewicking, though the two may be combined in a single piece. I am saying this straight out because I know a good many people use the two terms interchangeably. I have also seen redwork called turkey work, my best guess there is that the color has something to do with the mislabling. Turkey work is a needlecraft that gives a piled, or even fuzzy effect. It has been used for any number of things over the years from rugs to bedspreads to upholstry to toys and so on. It has been around since at least the seventeenth century, and has had periodic fads over the centuries. While some of the original turkish stitches involved useing a cluster of threads to make individual tufts on the surface of the fabric, modern turkey work is primarily makeing loops and cutting them to create the piled effect. It can be worked on almost any fabric with a distinct weave, and with nearly any decorative thread. It is most commonly done at this point in history by needlepointers, so the majority of readily available instructions call for needlepoint canvas and wool. I have used it on cushion covers with common embroidery thread and pearl cotton, and found it easy enough to do on embroidery linen or canvas duck. When done with wool or knitting yarns it is often brushed to make it fuzzy, a nice effect for animal fur or teddy bears and what have you. Here is a picture of a simple bit. The squirrels tail was made in this stitch, obviously cutting the loops to leave the threads rather longish: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...34088454pyGQat Here are two different sets of instructions for doing this stitch, one standard, one modified: http://www.heritageshoppe.com/herita...es/turkey.html http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfT...h/2006/aug.php -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
#224
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OT word of the day
I can't tell you how interesting I find these daily nuggets of information,
Nightmist. Thankyou so much! (And I'm also very impressed by your personal breadth of knowledge and practical experience!) Cheers for now Tutu Cape Town, South Africa "NightMist" wrote in message ... Turkey Work Smyrna Stitch I hold turkey work to be a distinct thing on it's own and entirely seperate from candlewicking, though the two may be combined in a single piece. I am saying this straight out because I know a good many people use the two terms interchangeably. I have also seen redwork called turkey work, my best guess there is that the color has something to do with the mislabling. |
#225
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OT word of the day
I've used this stitch to make hair on Raggedy Ann dolls. It also makes
the mane on the donkey on the "Adoration" wall quilt I'm making Julia in MN NightMist wrote: Turkey Work Smyrna Stitch I hold turkey work to be a distinct thing on it's own and entirely seperate from candlewicking, though the two may be combined in a single piece. I am saying this straight out because I know a good many people use the two terms interchangeably. I have also seen redwork called turkey work, my best guess there is that the color has something to do with the mislabling. Turkey work is a needlecraft that gives a piled, or even fuzzy effect. It has been used for any number of things over the years from rugs to bedspreads to upholstry to toys and so on. It has been around since at least the seventeenth century, and has had periodic fads over the centuries. While some of the original turkish stitches involved useing a cluster of threads to make individual tufts on the surface of the fabric, modern turkey work is primarily makeing loops and cutting them to create the piled effect. It can be worked on almost any fabric with a distinct weave, and with nearly any decorative thread. It is most commonly done at this point in history by needlepointers, so the majority of readily available instructions call for needlepoint canvas and wool. I have used it on cushion covers with common embroidery thread and pearl cotton, and found it easy enough to do on embroidery linen or canvas duck. When done with wool or knitting yarns it is often brushed to make it fuzzy, a nice effect for animal fur or teddy bears and what have you. Here is a picture of a simple bit. The squirrels tail was made in this stitch, obviously cutting the loops to leave the threads rather longish: http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/...34088454pyGQat Here are two different sets of instructions for doing this stitch, one standard, one modified: http://www.heritageshoppe.com/herita...es/turkey.html http://www.needlepoint.org/StitchOfT...h/2006/aug.php -- ----------- This message has been scanned for viruses by Norton Anti-Virus http://webpages.charter.net/jaccola/default ----------- |
#226
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OT word of the day
Candlewicking Candlewicking is really nothing more than whitework done with a heavier thread. It is generally believed that candlewicking came about back when embroidery was mostly done in silk, and embroidery silks were considerably more expensive than today's standard skein of floss. So those who wished to embroider but could not afford the costly silks improvised with less expensive threads. Whether candle wicking was ever actually used is a matter for debate. There are some basic differences in technique between embroidery and candlewicking. Candlewicking uses a single thread doubled for almost everything, as opposed to varying numbers of fine strands. There is usually much more couching in candlewicking. While there are often many knots in the work, those knots are much more often colonial knots (figure eight knots, Quilter's Knots) than they are french knots. Candlewicking is also traditionally worked on un-shrunk fabric, most commonly plain muslin. Like most embroidery candlewicking eschews final knots (tying off knots). Washing the work to make the ground shrink after the work is done also "fluffs" the thread, and thus between the shrinking of the ground and the expanding of the worked threads the work is more secure. Between this and the heavier thread used, candlewicking is considered to be one of the sturdiest forms of decorative work. This has led to its frequent use in bedclothes, cushions, and other household items that see much use and frequent laundering. -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
#227
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OT word of the day
Flax
One of the oldest cultivated plant fibers, a bast fiber from the plant of the same name. Flax is the fiber linen is woven of. There are two basic types of flax, "long flax" is the variety that fiber and much of the oil crop is gotten from. Flax oil, linseed oil, is harvested from the fully mature seed, while the fiber is gotten from the slightly green stem. Since the seed is fully mature when the plant is completely dry and brown, you may only efficently harvest one or the other from a single plant. Flax is the strongest of the common plant fibers. It is two to three times stronger than cotton. Because of the natural waxes in the fiber it is very smooth and lint free. When fabric is made of flax it may be stiff for the first several years of its life, but will soften with repeated laundering. Boiling or repeated laundering are often used to soften new linen, as this removes some of the natural waxes. However this stiffness is usually maintained in threads for specialty applications as the waxes will add years to the durabilty of it. Traditionally flax is the thread of choice for lacemaking, leatherworking, and a number of other skilled crafts. In addition to linen and thread, flax fiber is made into a variety of products. It is used in rope, paper, packing materials, sculptural composites, and etc. Some of these products are made from the straw left over after the seed is harvested, however there is actually quite a demand for the superior quality fibers in many of these applications. Paper money in many countries for instance, contains quite a bit of cloth quality flax fiber. The unspun fiber makes excellent doll hair, and has the advantage of being completely washable with no special steps. Since flax dyes extremely well and is _very_ colorfast after dying, the fiber both spun and unspun is useful in a number of crafts. -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
#228
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OT word of the day
Also the name of one of my favorite clothing companies.
-- Kathyl (KJ) remove "nospam" before mchsi http://community.webshots.com/user/kathylquiltz "NightMist" wrote in message ... Flax One of the oldest cultivated plant fibers, a bast fiber from the plant of the same name. Flax is the fiber linen is woven of. There are two basic types of flax, "long flax" is the variety that fiber and much of the oil crop is gotten from. Flax oil, linseed oil, is harvested from the fully mature seed, while the fiber is gotten from the slightly green stem. Since the seed is fully mature when the plant is completely dry and brown, you may only efficently harvest one or the other from a single plant. Flax is the strongest of the common plant fibers. It is two to three times stronger than cotton. Because of the natural waxes in the fiber it is very smooth and lint free. When fabric is made of flax it may be stiff for the first several years of its life, but will soften with repeated laundering. Boiling or repeated laundering are often used to soften new linen, as this removes some of the natural waxes. However this stiffness is usually maintained in threads for specialty applications as the waxes will add years to the durabilty of it. Traditionally flax is the thread of choice for lacemaking, leatherworking, and a number of other skilled crafts. In addition to linen and thread, flax fiber is made into a variety of products. It is used in rope, paper, packing materials, sculptural composites, and etc. Some of these products are made from the straw left over after the seed is harvested, however there is actually quite a demand for the superior quality fibers in many of these applications. Paper money in many countries for instance, contains quite a bit of cloth quality flax fiber. The unspun fiber makes excellent doll hair, and has the advantage of being completely washable with no special steps. Since flax dyes extremely well and is _very_ colorfast after dying, the fiber both spun and unspun is useful in a number of crafts. -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
#229
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OT word of the day
Linen
As flax is one of the oldest known cultivated textile fibers, it stands to reason that linen is one of the oldest known woven textiles. A clothing standard for many years, the use of linen in garments fell steadily as the the use of cotton increased. Preparing flax for spinning is both labor and time intensive, and it is more difficult to weave than cotton because it is less elastic thus, making cotton a notably cheaper cloth. At some point in the 1970's linen reached an all time low in that of the fabric produced less than 10% was used by the garment industry. It was however still in much demand for bed and table linens, and by crafters as a ground for assorted needlecrafts. While there has been an apparent upsurge in the popularity of linen in clothing, much of this in the form of cheaper blends, and suspect imports from east and southeast Asia. Linen is still a standard of quality in household linens, as may be noted by the double meaning of the word.(G) It is also considered a superior support for paintings. Its archival qualities are without question, as there are perfectly preserved examples of linen from ancient tombs that have been dated as being several millennia old. It once was much used for assorted industrial applications, mostly due to its strength and durability. A minor example would be the timing belt on my Pfaff 130, it is nearly 60 years old and still in perfect condition. In heavier applications it was often layered with leather or rubber to make machine belts, or used in laminating surfaces that would come under stress. "Linen weave" fabrics are fabrics made of fibers other than flax, that have been woven to resemble linen. Many different linen blends are cropping up these days, most likely a cost measure, though the standard 55-45 cotton-linen blend is still the most common. Linen is highly absorbent, yet dries quickly, and conducts body heat well, making it an excellent choice for summer garments. It wears like iron, dyes well and is extremely colorfast. The major drawback for most people is that it is better by far for the fabric to press it dry than to tumble it. Linen is rather well known for wrinkling easily, however it also presses easily particularly when damp. So not tossing it in the dryer and instead ironing it dry immediately after washing, or hanging it out and bringing it in to press when still damp is only logical. If one reads any of the plethora of books on household management from the latter nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, one will find a number of methods just for keeping linen damp so it may be ironed easily. Repeated pressing of folds and creases in linen clothing may eventually break the fibers and cause them to fray. Fraying at the collar, cuffs, and hem are the commonest damage to well loved linen clothing. Thus it is advisable to make such garments using techniques that allow for easy replacement or mending of the weak points. When such repairs are possible, a linen garment will give many years of good wear. Many people believe that flattened slubs in linen fabric are a sign that it is genuine. In actuality it is a sign that it was cheaply made. Good linen should be perfectly smooth with no slubs and evenly matched threads. Most of Europe, and Japan as well, have rules about linen and linen labeling, Ireland and Japan for example have trade guilds that regulate production in their respective countries quite firmly. Imports from other places are less regulated and more prone to adulteration. -- Nothing has been the same since that house fell on my sister. |
#230
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flax OT
I just had to put my .02 in here (sorry, couldn't figure out how to make it
say 2 cents on my 'puter.) Flax, is one of the new "must have" things in our diet. Flax seeds are ok but putting flax seed meal in your baking is really good for you. And, it can replace some of the fat you regularly use. Another thing, believe it or not, is hemp seeds. Unfortunately not the smoke-em kind, are good on cereal, yogurt etc. Don't know if y'all want to know this stuff, but I believe in passing on good info... That said, I believe I'' have a piece of 854% cocoa chocolate, which isn't as bad as it sounds |
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