Piece Goods Manual / Fabrics described; textile, knit goods, weaving terms, etc., explained; with notes on the classification of samples.

by A. E. Blanco

Dyed Leno Brocade.—This term is used to designate a fabric woven in the Leno style, that is to say, in a combination of "gauze weaving" and any other style of weave, and the term Brocade shows that it is a figured fabric having a figure chiefly constructed by weft threads floating on the surface of the material. As in this class of fabric the threads are not dyed prior to weaving, the term "dyed" shows that the material has been dyed after it has left the loom. [See also Lenos].

Dyed Muslins.—Dyed Muslin is an all-cotton fabric of light weight, plain woven, which has been piece-dyed, i.e., impregnated with a uniform colour over its whole surface. There is a difficulty in describing Muslins, for the term Muslin, according to one Government publication, is "a generic term for thin plain-woven cotton cloth. The name, however, is frequently used in conjunction with such names as dotted, fancy, figured, spot, check, Swiss, etc., which in each case would denote some combination weave, or as containing stripes or checks, but the fabric still preserving a light weight." From this, however, it seems clear that a Muslin is a plain non-figured fabric of light weight.

Dyed Plain Cottons.—Under this heading may be grouped all such fabrics which (a) are made of all cotton, (b) have a surface which has not been ornamented by the introduction of any small figures, floral or geometrical designs, whether produced by means of extra threads or by the mode of interlacing the warp and weft threads on the surface of the cloth or by having the pattern or outline of the design impressed or stamped in the fabric, (c) are dyed in any colour, and (d) are not otherwise enumerated. The fabrics coming under this heading include both fabrics which have not been subjected to any special process of finishing and those which have been so treated, irrespective of the style of finish.

Dyed Plain Cotton Italians.—The fabric answering to this description is primarily an all-cotton Italian Cloth whose surface does not show any ornamentation produced either by weaving, printing, embossing, or any other process. The fact that the fabric has been specially finished, to improve its appearance, by being mercerised, schreinered, gassed, silk or electric finished, does not alter its nature of a "plain" cloth. The fabric, being a "dyed" fabric, is one which has been coloured after leaving the loom. As Italian Cloths are generally woven from a black warp and grey weft and, after weaving, dyed in the piece, they are really "cross-dyed."

Dyed Real Turkey Reds.—Turkey Reds are a class of staples whose salient distinctive feature is the fact that the dye used in their manufacture is cochineal dye. Real Turkey Reds are absolutely fast dyed, the colour will not run when washed, and it will not appreciably fade when exposed to the action of the sun.

Turkey Reds are piece-dyed, that is to say, the cotton fabric is woven, generally a twill-faced cloth, and the piece is dyed. It is not woven of yarn previously dyed. There does exist a yarn dyed with turkey red; this, however, is principally used for weaving in to the ends of pieces of White Shirting or Sheeting certain distinguishing red weft threads, markings that are placed there by the manufacturer of the grey goods (1) to facilitate recognition of his goods when they come back from the bleacher, (2) to denominate quality of goods by acting as a distinctive mark, (3) to prevent the piece being cut at either end and the part cut off stolen whilst at the bleachers. This yarn is also used for markings which are to withstand washing without running. The cost of dyeing the grey or white fabric into a Turkey Red is often greater than the original value of the fabric.

Dyed Reps are fabrics which have as a predominant feature a rep or rib running transversely across the face of the cloth from selvedge to selvedge and which have been piece-dyed after leaving the loom. Even without the term "dyed" being used the term Rep by itself would generally be used to designate a dyed plain cotton fabric of the Rep variety. For particulars of weave, see under Rep.

Dyed Ribs.—Fabrics which are either warp or weft ribbed, i.e., having ribs running either from selvedge to selvedge as in warp ribs, or lengthways of the material as in weft ribs, and which have been piece-dyed after leaving the loom. For particulars of distinctive weave, [see under Warp Ribs] and [Weft Ribs].