The Interior Fabric Guide: From Fiber to Home

Hello everyone! The curtain hanging in your window, and the fabric lying on your bed are built on a simple yet ancient technology of interlocking threads. In this article we will discover the types of fabrics used at home.

Fabrics can be woven, knitted, or non-woven. Understanding these can be a challenge, so we have created this guide to help you find the perfect textiles for your lovely rooms.

The Foundation of Fabric

• Knitted Fabrics: Usually elastic and soft, these are often used in throws or blankets due to their flexibility.
• Non-Woven Fabrics: Typically inexpensive and lacking drape, these are ideal for hidden components like dust covers or upholstery backings.
• Woven Fabrics: For the essential, long-lasting structure of curtains and linens, we focus on woven fabrics!

How a Plain Weave is Made

A plain weave is the most reliable "base" for home textiles. Each warp is an individual single end of a distinct yarn, and each weft is a single yarn traveling horizontally. And they look like below:

Source: peggyosterkamp.com

In each iteration, half the warps move up (by skipping every other warp) and the rest move down, creating an opening called the "shed." A weft yarn is then propelled across this opening by a precise burst of air. The warps then switch positions, locking the weft in place. This vertical (up and down) and horizontal (left to right) dance creates a solid, sturdy structure. Because they don't stretch much, woven fabrics are ideal for bedding and curtains.

Beyond the Plain Weave

While the plain weave is our "reliable base," we can use more complex methods to create different textures and functions:

Twill Weave (The Herringbone Secret): You might recognize the diagonal "ribs" of twill from your favorite denim jeans. In home decor, twill is the secret behind the elegant Herringbone pattern. By reversing those diagonals, we create an iconic "V" shape. In a sheer curtain, this adds a sophisticated texture that plays beautifully with incoming sunlight.

Experience this weave here: DEMFIRAT Silver-White Herringbone

Sateen Weave (The Luxury Choice): Often confused with "Satin," Sateen is a specific weave usually made from high-quality cotton. It allows threads to "float" over one another, creating a surface so smooth it glides against the skin. For the ultimate luxury, we use silk yarns—natural filaments from silkworm cocoons—to create a silk-sateen that is as breathable as it is shiny.

Silk yarns are natural and made from silkworms. Silkworms are farmed and their cocoons are then used in making silk fibers, which then turns into fabrics.

The Science of the Yarn: From Raw Bale to Spinning

The journey starts with raw materials like cotton, flax, or polyester. We begin with carding and combing the bale, which cleans the raw material and turns it into a thick, untwisted rope called a sliver.

Source: weihighpsf.com

To thin out the sliver, it goes through drawing, where it is pulled and straightened.

Source: youtube.com/watch?v=zLLtzHqbxgY

Finally, we move to spinning.

Spinning (Creating the "Singles")

When a machine (like a ring spinner or a rotor) takes raw fibers and turns them into a single strand of yarn, this is called Spinning.

• The Twist: During this process, the machine must spin the fibers in one direction—either clockwise or counter-clockwise.
• The "Fashion": In industrial manufacturing, Z-twist (clockwise) is the standard "fashion" for single yarns. If you hold a piece of single-ply thread vertically, the fibers will slant diagonally like the middle bar of the letter Z.

Source: yarnsub.com/articles/twist

There are two main methods of spinning:

1. Ring-Spun (The Pencil): This traditional method produces yarn that is softer and finer. Like a pencil, it has high tensile strength (hard to pull apart from the ends), but it is less "tough" against surface rubbing. This makes it ideal for the soft drape of curtains and bedding.
2. Rotor-Spun (The Rubber): This modern, faster method creates a bulkier yarn. Like a rubber eraser, it might be easier to pull apart than a pencil, but it is a "tough" warrior that absorbs a beating. This high abrasion resistance makes it the perfect choice for upholstery that needs to survive the daily wear of a sofa.

The Martindale Test: How We Measure "Toughness"

Remember our Pencil vs. Rubber analogy? In the textile lab, we don't just guess which yarn is tougher; we use the Martindale Rub Test.

This machine takes a piece of fabric and rubs it against a standard wool surface in a constant figure-eight motion. We count the "rubs" until the fibers start to break.

• Decorative Curtains: Usually need about 10,000 to 15,000 rubs.
• General Domestic Upholstery: Needs 20,000 rubs.
• Heavy-Duty Upholstery: Our Rotor-Spun fabrics are designed to withstand over 50,000 rubs.

When you buy a DEMFIRAT fabric for your sofa, that "toughness" isn't just a feeling—it's a laboratory-verified number. It means your sofa can handle years of kids, pets, and movie nights without the fabric thinning out or "pilling" (those annoying little balls of fuzz).

Twisting and Density

When you take two or more of those finished "singles" and twist them together to make a thicker, stronger yarn, this is called Twisting or Plying.

• The Rule of Opposites: To keep the yarn from kinking or untwisting itself, you almost always twist in the opposite direction of the original spin.
• The "Fashion": Since the single yarns were likely spun in a Z-twist, they are typically plied together in an S-twist (anti-clockwise). This "locks" the strands together and creates a balanced, stable yarn that lies flat.

To explain simply, if the spinning was done in s-twist then the twisting should be done in z-twist, so basically you twist in the opposite direction of the spinning direction to ensure each strand is locked in together safely.

These yarns are then fed into our machines to dictate the fabric's function.

The Art of "Napping" and Thermal Comfort

If you have ever touched a fabric that felt "fuzzy" or "warm," you were likely feeling a napped finish. After weaving, some of our denser fabrics pass over giant rollers covered in tiny wire brushes. These brushes gently lift the ends of the fibers.

This creates a "loft" that traps tiny pockets of air. This air acts as a natural insulator, much like the feathers on a bird. This is why a brushed sateen or a flannel feels instantly warm to the touch, whereas a smooth silk feels cool. It's a mechanical way to change the "climate" of your bed without using any chemicals.

Designing for Your Environment: Light vs. Heat

Beyond these specialized finishes, we also use the loom itself to dictate how a fabric interacts with your room. By adjusting the thickness of the yarn and the spacing of the weave, we can create two very different environments:

• Sheer Fabrics (Light & Air): To create our signature sheers, we use ultra-thin yarns and maintain a wider distance between the weft yarns. This "open" structure allows sunlight to glow through and air to circulate, making your room feel spacious and breezy.
• Thermal & Privacy Fabrics (Warmth & Quiet): Conversely, for heavier drapes, we use thicker yarns and a much denser weave. Whether it is a plush velvet or a heavy sateen, these fabrics provide a physical barrier. By combining a dense weave with the napping process mentioned above, we create "Winter Curtains" that provide privacy, dampen outside noise, and keep your heat inside during cold months.

Protecting Your Investment: Maintenance and Care

Understanding how a fabric is made is the first step; knowing how to care for it ensures it lasts a lifetime. Because we use diverse methods like Sateen weaves and Napped finishes, each fabric requires a specific touch.

• For Sateen and Silk: These fabrics feature "floats"—long strands of yarn that sit on the surface to create shine. Because these are exposed, you should never use harsh scrub brushes or abrasive cleaners. Instead, blot spills immediately with a soft, damp cloth to prevent the liquid from soaking into the core of the fibers.
• For Napped and Thermal Fabrics (Flannel): The "fuzzy" surface that keeps you warm can also trap dust. We recommend a light vacuuming with a soft brush attachment once a month. This prevents dust from "matting down" the fibers, keeping the air pockets open and your insulation high.
• The Golden Rule of Sunlight: Even the most colorfast yarn-dyed fabrics can eventually fade under the harsh UV rays. If you have south-facing windows, consider adding a protective woven lining to your drapes. This acts as a sacrificial layer, absorbing the sun's energy and protecting the vibrant colors of your face fabric for years to come.

A Meticulous Journey

The journey of a single thread—from a raw fiber to a sophisticated woven piece—is a meticulous process. At DEMFIRAT, we take pride in understanding these detailed nuances of fiber, spin, and weave. We know that a fabric guide for curtains and linens is more than just a lesson in textiles—it's a guide to creating a better home.

By selecting the right fabrics with the right structure, you ensure your linens provide softness, your curtains offer the perfect balance of light and privacy, and your home textiles last for years to come.

I will see you in the next article.