Tuesday 26 March 2013

The Different Types Of Jersey Fabric


I love working with fabric and Jersey is my favourite so I thought I’d write my first blog post about it’s origins and variations and see where it takes me!
The Jersey Fabric, which is commonly used to design shirts, is made from cotton or a combination of cotton and synthetic by the process of knitting. The fabric gets its name Jersey from the famous Jersey Island, which is the largest island on the congregation of Channel Islands situated between England and France. 

About Jersey Dress Fabric
The jersey fabric, like any other common dress fabric, has a wrong and a right side used to design clothes. The right side is symbolised by numerous small vertical lines and the wrong side imbibes a horizontal grain pattern. Any garment made out from the jersey fabric is sewn with the help of a knitting machine to create minute and even stitches to support the dress fabric. Jersey fabric is basically very soft and has a stretchable quality, and this is what makes it absolutely comfortable to wear. Since it is made from cotton, it is advisable that it be washed before sewing. The reason behind this is that all the knits generally shrink on being washed and washing before sewing eradicates any shrinking later on. 

Types of Jersey Fabric
There is a large variety of fabrics when it comes to Jersey Fabric, which is used popularly to design T-shirt but is also increasingly used to make dresses, skirts, trousers and the like. Here are the different varieties of Jersey Fabrics:
1. Cotton Jersey – As the name suggests, Cotton Jersey is 100% cotton and has a two way stretch capability. It is extremely light weight, comfortable and easy- going. It also displays a complete matte finish look, which is quite appealing. There is a wide range of colour variety in Cotton Jersey fabric. It is commonly used for making T-shirts, dresses and blouses. 

2. Viscose Jersey – Viscose Jersey has a 4 way stretch and therefore drapes beautifully and is perfect for party dresses, tops and skirts. It is made from 100% viscose and its touch is fantastically soft. A lot of leggings are also made from viscose jersey fabric, which are absolutely comfortable and a great value for money.

3. Lycra Jersey – Lycra Jersey is crafted with 80% polyester and 20% Lycra. It comes in 150 cm and is perfect for a beautiful flow dress and fits great on the body. It portrays great finishing and comes in variety of colours.
4. Double Knit Jersey – A double knit jersey can have a mix of spandex, polyester or viscose. It is basically heavy in weight and is perfect for winter wear due to its thickness and warmth. It is a body hugging material and can look really fascinating. Cardigans, jumpers, jackets, trousers and stylish tops are crafted from the double knit jersey fabric because of its unique feel and stylish outlook.

Jersey dress fabric is one of the most popular fabrics among designers whether it is used as a basic fabric or synthesized with a variety of other fabrics. It renders a lot of comfort, soft touch and is easy going which is why I love it.
x

2 comments:

  1. Hi Eliza,
    Thanks for such an informative post.
    I'm currently obsessed ith tshirt yarn for crochet, do you kniw which is the best jersey material to use to make it?

    Thanks em x

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  2. Hi Em

    Sorry for the late reply I've been without the internet for a month while moving house but finally the nightmare is over!

    I'd go with dmc hooked Zpagetti, that's always worked for me in the past!

    Eliza
    x

    ReplyDelete