Archive for the ‘ fabrics ’ Category

Horsehair: The Stuff of Early and Modern Luxury Mattresses

Horsehair: The Stuff of Early and Modern Luxury Mattresses With just a slip in pronunciation, "sleeping on air" becomes "sleeping on hair," and is not taken as a joke, because even today horsehair is the stuff (or stuffing) of several luxury mattresses. These include some of the most expensive mattresses in the world, made by high-class names such as ES Kluft and Aireloom, Hypnos, WJ Southard, Hastens, and others. Besides filling, horsehair is also used in the covers or quilting of a few...

Graphite and Diamond Dust: Pencil lead and jewels

Graphite Lump ~~~ Pencil ~~~ Cut Diamond ~~~ Graphite Structure Graphite and Diamond Dust: Pencil Lead and Jewels Several mattresses are described as having foams or fibers infused with graphite or diamond particles. Graphite and diamond are two kinds of carbon crystals. Both are pure carbon, but they differ in the crystalline structure. The structural difference makes diamond extremely hard and graphite relatively soft. Real diamond particles (a.k.a. diamond dust) are very abrasive and...

Natural or Organic?

  Natural or Organic? Many producers and sellers label or describe their merchandise as "natural" or "organic" products. "Organic" and "natural" food, clothing, bedding and many other goods are fashionable. Significant numbers of shoppers now ask, "Is it natural? Is it organic?" Two concerns drive this trend: health and the environment. There is also, for some, a philosophical or religious undertone, a belief that there is an intrinsic value to being as natural or organic as possible....

Nylon

[caption id="attachment_862" align="aligncenter" width="382"] Uses of Nylon[/caption] NYLON Nylon is a thermoplastic amide polymer.* Invented in 1935 by DuPont chemical engineer Wallace Carothers and first used for toothbrush bristles, nylon is the most used synthetic fiber. In 1940 it was introduced as a substitute for silk in stockings. Nylon is very similar to silk, and with Japanese occupation of China the supply of silk was restricted. Then in 1942, nylon replaced silk in parachutes....

Damask

[caption id="attachment_834" align="aligncenter" width="539"] Italian Silk Damask, 14th Century[/caption] Damask Damask is not a fiber, but a style of weaving, named for Damascus, Syria, where silk and linen were woven in this manner in the early Middle Ages. In damask weaving, patterns are created by longer warp threads on top (satin) for the foreground, and longer woof threads (sateen) for the background. This pattern is reversible, meaning the the negative image appears on the back side...

Polyester

[caption id="attachment_565" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Polyester Fiber (Wikipedia Commons [PD]), from photo by Edward Dowlman, taken at Strathclyde University[/caption] Polyester Polyester, sometimes just called “poly,” is a long-chain polymer. According to the Federal Trade Commission, a polymer has to be at least 85% esters to be classified as polyester. There are several kinds of polyester, but the kind abbreviated PET is made into fabrics. PET is also the substance of...

Silk

Silk Many of us have heard of the Silk Road. The name conjures images of adventure, romance, luxury, wealth, conquest and intrigue. It was the route from China to India, Persia, Egypt and Europe by which silk was carried to market. In ancient times, China was known as the Land of Silk. That is where production of silk began some time before 3500 b.c. In fact, our word “silk” came from the Chinese word si. China is still the major producer of silk, producing about 3⅓ times as much as...

Bamboo

Bamboo Bamboo is the only kind of grass listed in tree identification guides. It is the largest and tallest grass, growing to tree-size, and it is woody. Since ancient times in East Asia, bamboo has been an important building material. It has also been used for musical instruments, cooking and eating utensils, hats, mats, ship sails, and many other things, including fabrics. At least 27 manufacturers reviewed on Beds.Org use bamboo, mostly in cover fabrics. Bamboo is touted as a...

Linen

What is linen? Linen is one of the oldest plant fibers used by humans for clothing and bedding. Our word “linen” comes from linon, the Greek word for flax. It is made from fibers in the inner bark of flax stalks. These fibers are separated from the flax by a process called “retting.” In this process, micro-organisms or caustic agents eat away the softer parts. When the retted flax is crushed and washed, the fibers alone are left. The cross-section of linen fibers is irregular....

Cotton

[caption id="attachment_387" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Cotton bolls ready for harvest[/caption]   Cotton is made from fibers in the seedpods of plants in the Gossypium genus of the Mallow family. The name "cotton" comes from goz, Arabic for "soft material." From Arabic comes the Spanish algodon, then English cotton. Cultivation of cotton is as old as civilization in Asia, Africa and Central America. It was introduced into what is now the United States in 1556 in Florida...

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