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a

ANTI-STAIN: Anti-stain usually refers to a treatment that makes fabrics water and dirt proof, and easy to care for. This treatment is an aftercare treatment and its resistant attribute is reduced after each wash. A popular product with such water and dirt proof attributes is Teflon.

b

BIAS BINDING: A diagonally cut strip of fabric, both sides of which are weaved inwards. This type of strip is flexible and as such suitable for round seams and finishing off frayed edges.
BINDING: Interplay between the warp and weft threads in a fabric where there is a weaving pattern. Examples of binding are satin and twilled binding.
BLEACHING: The treatment of natural fibres and vegetable based materials stripped of their natural dyes and becoming practically white.

c

CHAIR COVER: Chair decoration in various colours and finishes.
CHENILLE: A fancy yarn with thread ends that stick out due to a special weaving or knitting technique. The Chenille yarn looks like a caterpillar. Likewise, Chenille looks like a fabric with ends sticking out, like with Chenille bedspreads.
COATING: A synthetic material applied to fabrics as a fibre buffer.
CONSTRUCTION: Interplay between the warp and weft threads in a fabric where a weaving pattern arises. Examples of binding are the satin and twilled binding.
COTTON: A vegetable based fibre that occurs as seed hair in the fruit of a cotton plant. The cotton fibres, measuring between 1-4 cm, are still attached to the cotton seeds upon plucking. Once deseeded, the cotton is ready to be spun. The extraction and processing of cotton into a fibre ready for spinning is simple, resulting in the price of this raw material being low compared to that of wool, silk and linen. Of all textile fibres cotton is the most popular, in part due to a number of superior attributes: it is highly absorbent, strong and resistant to heat, caustics, chlorine, sunlight and moths.
COTTONISATION: The comprehensive removal of pectin so that the technical fibres of the flax plant disintegrate in the elementary fibres (see Linen).

d

DAMASK: Generic designation for fabrics of Jacquard woven pattern obtained by alternating the warp and weft satin or warp and weft twill. Typical of Damask are the large patterns, often with bowed lines or geometric figures.
DENIER: A unit that indicates yarn thickness. The lower the number, the thinner the yarn.
DESIGN: Image/pattern in jersey and non-woven fabrics.
DOWN: The finest waterfowl feathers from animals not killed. The volume ratio which is made up of a minimum of 65% down and 35% feathers may be referred to as down.
DUVET: A cover of very lightly woven fabric filled with down, hair or synthetic material. To keep the filling in place, the duvet is either quilted or partitioned.
DUVET COVER: A cover that keeps the duvet clean and also decorates a room.
DYED YARN: Dyed yarn fabrics are woven using yarn types that get a particular colour having been spun in a dye bath.

f

FILAMENT: An infinite fibre. The thread does not have short fibres, as with cotton thread. Silk and synthetic raw materials occur as filaments.
FITTED SHEET: A sheet used to cover a mattress. A fitted sheet usually has elastic corners.
FLANALETTE: Rough, thick cotton fabric; roughened on both sides.
FLANNEL: A cotton fabric in either twill or plain weave with a down-like layer obtained by roughening the fabric slightly on one or both sides.
FLAP ENCLOSURE: Finish to a duvet cover. It has a hanging duvet flap that is placed under the mattress. Another finish is the hotel enclosure.
FLOCK PRINT: Textile printing technique where an adhesive strip is applied to the fabric during the first process by means of screen printing. During the second process, perpendicular ‘flock fibres’ (polyamide) are ‘shot’ into the adhesive strip in an electric field. Upon drying the fibres are strongly anchored in the adhesive strip and felt optic fibres occur.
FOUR SEASON DUVET: A combination of two duvets of varying weight of stuffing which are joined together either by Velcro, zip fastener or push buttons.

g

GRAND FOULARD: A Grand Foulard is a decorative item that can be placed over a seat. The possibilities and finishes are endless.

h

HALF DOWN: Volume ration indication 15 -30% down and 85-70% feathers.
HALF PANAMA: A thick weft thread is usually employed with the Half Panama binding; one which keeps spanning two warp threads.
HEALTHGUARD: Fabric treatment that protects against viruses, house dust mites, fungi, midges and bacteria.
HOTEL ENCLOSURE: Duvet cover finish; a button opening at the bottom  (See ‘flap enclosure’)

i

ITEM-DYED: Item-dyed products are the counterparts of dyed yarn items. They are woven with undyed yarn and submerged in a dye bath at a later stage of the fabric or finished product production process.

j

JACQUARD FABRIC: Generic designation for fabrics usually with large patterns woven in them.
JERSEY: English designation for jersey fabric.

LINEN: Natural fibre obtained from the bark of the flax plant. This fixed fibre is expensive due to the amount of treatment it requires. Its long fibre structure and high content of waxy component parts provide linen with a lovely shine that does not fade when washed. Linen is very strong, highly absorbent and is highly resistant to heat, caustics and moths.

m

MAKO: The term ‘Mako’ refers to all contemporary shiny cotton satin fabrics
MATTRESS PROTECTOR: A mattress protector against dirt and dampness that also has insulation and absorbent attributes. The simplest form is the rough cotton flannelette under sheet.

n

NAPKIN: A cloth to wipe fingers and mouthes at mealtimes. A napkin is a component part of table linen. A napkin measures 50x50 or 60x60 and is sold as an accessory to tablecloths.
NON-WOVEN: A fabric comprising natural and/or synthetic fibres/filaments that are linked chemically, thermally or mechanically.

o

OPEN-WORK: This is a weaving technique where small, decorative openings are woven into the fabric in a certain pattern. The slow production process means it is a relatively expensive weaving technique.
ORGANZA: A fabric that looks like cambric and is made using synthetic yarns.
OVERLOCK STITCH: A stitch with one or more threads for elastic stitching used for finishing frayed edges and in ornamental stitching.

p

PANAMA: The Panama binding or Java binding (2 up, 2 down) is a simple variation to the plain weave (1 up, 1 down).
PERCALE: A very thickly plain woven cotton. This exceptional quality is used for down duvets and duvet covers.
PICOTINE: Narrow edge decoration.
PILLOWCASE: A pillow cover usually manufactured using the hotel fastening, with a 20 cm flap on the inside.
PIPING: The sewing of piping around the edge of a fabric, usually a satin band, to prevent edges fraying.
PLACEMAT: A small placemat used instead of a table/breakfast cloth. Placemats are made using various materials.
PLAID: Smaller, thinner and less hairy version of a blanket, in pure wool.
PLATEAU: Flat part of a mattress protector with four elastic components.
POLYAMIDE: A synthetic raw material that became known as ‘nylon’ and became a generic name over and above a brand name.
POLYESTER: A synthetic material that compared to nylon is more resistant to light and is more stable, resulting in increased shape retention.
PRINTS: The addition of patterns and designs onto designs in one or more colours.

q

QUALITY CONTROL: Check on both raw materials and finished products. Undertaken by in-house personnel and lab technicians alike.

s

SANFORISED: Cotton fabrics that have been made shrink resistant.
SANITISED: Brand name of a bacteria resistant remedy.
SATIN: Brand name for thickly woven fabrics in satin weave.
SATIN BINDING: A binding whereby the warp and weft threads cross each other at least four by one down or four by one up. The warp or weft satin obtained this way shows no discernible lines and is smoother than plain or twill woven fabrics. It always varies in appearance on the front and reverse sides.
SEAT COVER: Seat cover decoration in various colours, finishes and dimensions.
SHEARING: A treatment removing the fibre ends sticking out of a fabric.
SILK: An animal fibre spun by the silk caterpillar. The caterpillar spins two threads, filaments simultaneously. Silk is highly, and quickly, absorbent and is the strongest natural fibre as well as being very resilient.
SUEDE: A type of leather where the flesh side of the hide is finished to give a velvety appearance.

t

TABLE LINEN: Collective name for a tablecloth, table runner and napkins.
TEFLON: When a fabric is treated with Teflon it becomes water and dirt-proof. This fabric is best ironed on the reverse side.
TERRY TOWELLING: A cotton-type fabric with loops sticking out on one or both sides. Upon weaving an extra warp method is used – the loop method. Terry towelling also comes in jersey fabric and is known as loop tricot.
TRICOT: A generic designation for jersey fabric.

u

UNICOLOURED: Fabrics made up of one colour.

v

VOILE: A thin, open, transparent plain woven fabric made up of highly twisted yarn.

WARP: The thread that runs vertically across the fabric during the weaving process.

c

WASHABLE: Our latest tablecloth, the EASY CLEAN, is made so that it no longer requires machine wash. It can simply be cleaned using a sponge.
WEFT: The yarn system that runs horizontally across the fabric during the weaving process.
WOOL: Animal textile fibre deriving from the sheep’s fleece. Wool is highly yet slowly absorbent. The fibre has limited tensile strength although it has much elasticity and shape retention. Wool insulates well.

y

YARN: A twisted or twined collection of fibres or filaments. A spun thread that is used for weaving, knitting, sewing and embroidering. The diversity of yarn is great.
YARN NUMBER: System used to indicate yarn thickness. The higher the yarn number, the thinner the yarn.
YARN SYSTEM: A system of yarns/threads with which a fabric is made. Each fabric has at least two yarn systems: the warp and weft threads.