What Makes Fabric “High Quality”

With so many different fabrics available and the variety of shops to purchase from, how is a consumer to know what exactly to buy. Every shop owner or business manager will boast about the quality of the fabric they are selling, but how can the layman know if what they are hearing is the same as they are seeing.

According to an article at Fabrics.net, the number of yarns per inch of fabric is one way to tell the quality of the piece. Yarns per inch, or thread count, is determined by the number of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric. The linen industry has taken this measurement and marketed it. When shopping for new sheets the labels and advertisements all brag about their thread count; the higher the thread count the more expensive the product. Unfortunately, that doesn’t tell the whole story of quality. When you compare linens purchased at the local discount store to ones from a high end shop; most of the time you can feel and see the difference, even if the thread count is the same.

Another point to consider is the thread itself. Some manufactures take 2 or more stands of thread and twist them together before they weave the fabric. This practice makes the threads stronger and increases the quality of the material. If two strands are twisted together, this is referred to as “2-ply”. Each stand is added to the thread count; therefore if you are looking at a 300 thread count piece that is 2-ply, you will only see 150 threads.
So what is the best thread count to use? Ideally, the higher the count the better. According to an article at Quiltbug.com most quality fabric is 68×68 thread count and Batik fabrics can be up to 200 thread count.

Most people cannot look at a fabric and count the threads and, unfortunately, the thread count is usually not advertised on the bolt. So what is the meticulous quilter to do? How are we supposed to pick out the best fabric to put our hard work into? Well there are a few tricks that even the occasionally sewer can use.

• Check the weave – use your nail and see if you can move the threads. If the weave is loose, you probably have a low thread count and the fabric will likely deteriorate with use.
• Can you see through it – if you put your hand behind it, can you see the outline of your hand? If so, this is a good example of lower quality threads; they are probably thinner. This fabric may be good for some uses, but not for a project you want to last a lifetime.
• Find a bolt of expensive, obvious high quality fabric and use that a baseline to compare other fabric too – carry it around the store with you and hold it up to the fabric you are considering buying.
• Magnifying glass – count the threads.

Roxanne International out of Lathrop, Ca. has created a perfect tool for hunting down thread counts. The R.O.S.E Thread Counter will tell you the thread count of your fabric and help you match grain lines in piecing, choose a fabric that won’t fray during appliqué, or manipulate the drape in wearable arts. The product sells on their website for $12.99.
Quality fabric is the foundation of any good piece of fabric art. It is well worth the time and effort to examine your choice before you make the purchase or sew the first stitch.

Tags: Fabric, High Quality, Material, Quilting, Sewing