What is gabardine and how is it?

Back in 1879, Thomas Berbury, creating a unique gabardine fabric, could not even think that it would remain popular in a hundred years. Recognition of this fabric has received not only in its homeland - in England, but also in other countries, especially where weather conditions require wearing clothes made of waterproof materials.

Gabardine is a fabric that is obtained by interlacing two threads diagonally, one of which is thinner than the other. Tight weaving looks like a large scar with a slope of about 60 degrees. This type of weave has its own name - twill. Twill weave allows the material to stretch at an angle, which, in turn, allows you to sew comfortable and durable clothing, as well as perform oblique cutting products.

The characteristic of the gabardine web and its description as a natural fabric are based on its composition. Traditionally, this material is made from wool, which is made from merino sheep wool. However, with the improvement of light industry technology, other fibers, such as viscose, cotton, synthetics, silk, are also added to the wool composition of the wool.

The composition of gabardine tissue is directly dependent on the composition of the fibers from which it is made. Currently, gabardine fabric can be made from woolen, artificial and synthetic threads. By composition, it can be classified as follows.

• Woolen. It is made exclusively of natural wool of various density.
• Half woolen Wool threads in gabardine composition are combined with viscose, linen and synthetic (polyester). However, their percentage may be different.
• Cotton. Material with cotton is characterized by lightness and durability. Twisted cotton yarns form a very strong connection.
• Silk. For the manufacture of gabardine with silk threads used rayon, which included viscose and polyester.
• Synthetic. The basic composition is polyester with or without the addition of viscose and wool. Gabardine with a synthetic composition has a high tensile strength.

The composition of gabardine determines its properties that are different from other fabrics.

• Relief pattern. The pattern relief is formed from a characteristic hem. There is a relationship between the composition and severity of relief. The greater the composition of the thread of wool fibers, the more pronounced scar. If synthetic fibers predominate in the fabric, the scar is almost invisible.
• The weight of the canvas. By weight, gabardine is a fairly light fabric and soft to the touch.
• Density. Despite its lightness, gabardine is considered to be a fairly dense fabric.
• Opacity. This property is perfectly used in the manufacture of night curtains, which limit the transmission of sunlight. Gabardine curtains practically do not appear through.
• Excellent breathability. Gabardine is able to "breathe" and passes air well to the skin. This property explains the good hygiene of this material.
• Water repellent properties. In the production process, the canvas is treated with a special water-repellent impregnation. Due to this, during a rain, the fabric pushes away drops of moisture, the clothes do not get wet.

• High crush resistance. This property of gabardine facilitates ironing, since the product is practically not wrinkled from it during wearing and operation.
• Great drape allows you to create beautiful folds in clothing and in the interior.
• Wear resistance and durabilityas well as resistance to mechanical damage. The service life of gabardine is quite long, so that products from it can be worn indefinitely.
• Gabardine good keeps its shape and does not deform during wear and after washing.
• Products from gabardine easy to wash, quickly dried and ironed without problems.
• Quick shedding. This property must be considered when cutting and quickly process cuts.

The composition and properties of modern gabardine depend on its type, the raw materials from which it is made. The use of one or another type of gabardine when sewing products depends on the functional and aesthetic purpose of these products.

Externally, this material is a smooth and thin fabric, characterized by elastic properties. The synthetic threads used in the production of stretch gabardine have a great influence on the improvement of stretching. As a rule, these are elastane threads or lycra. Also included are artificial and natural fibers: viscose and six.

In its composition, this type of gabardine premium quality contains only natural wool, which may differ in physical properties, be of different density and thickness. The coarse yarn is made of dense and warm material, which is used for sewing trench coats and coats. Soft yarn allows you to make a soft and thin fiber, which ideal for tailoring suits and upholstery for sofas and armchairs.

Polyester, flax and viscose are also included in the wool blend. The ratio of raw materials depends on the production technology. On the front side of the fabric with the help of a twill weave, a beautiful scar is formed. Half-woolen gabardine is popular in the production of men's business suits.

"Melange" is a gabardine cloth made from threads of several colors. Most often threads of different shades of one color are used. In this case, the greater the degree of difference of the threads, the more pronounced the effect is obtained. Melange gabardine is used for tailoring of suits and casual dresses.

Staple fabric is made from short fibers using water-repellent impregnation. The finished canvas is less durable, but equally beautiful and has a low cost. Great fit for sewing cloaks and tablecloths.

With the use of cotton, the fabric is lighter in weight, but it does not suffer wear resistance. Cotton fibers have a twisted structure, so The fabric is very durable. Trousers, skirts, dresses, shirts, and medical uniforms are made of this fabric.

For the manufacture of silk gabardine used artificial silk fibers. The appearance and properties of the material depends on the twisting of silk threads. If it is dense, it turns out the softest canvas with silk shine. If the twist is weak, then the surface of the fabric is matte with the effect of satin. Silk gabardine is great for sewing evening dresses and curtains.

The main part of this fabric - polyester, which is unpretentious in the care and has excellent wear-resistant properties. Synthetic gabardine sew clothing, which is often exposed to contamination and wear.

Nonflammable gabardine consists of 100% polyester. When ignited, the fabric slowly smolders and then completely fades. Curtains are made of such material, furniture upholstery mainly for public institutions.

This is a mixed material. The main thing for the mixed material is the scar weaving characteristic of gabardines. In this case, gabardine is a way of weaving threads.

Blackout has very strong sunscreen properties.And if you compare it on this basis with gabardine, the blackout absorbs light rays by 99%, and gabardine is only 70%. To be more precise, the blackout does not let in not only the rays of the sun, but also the light of car headlights and neon light. Also, the blackout is able to lower the noise volume by 30% and, if necessary, they can zone the space in the room.

The satin fabric, in contrast to the gabardine fabric, is made of pure cotton threads or with the addition of synthetics, viscose and silk. Wool dominates the production of gabardine. The use of a special weave with the elongation of filament overlaps creates the effect of a smooth surface on one side and a roughness on the other. Depending on the type and composition of satin, bed linen, clothes or curtains are sewn. In general, satin is lighter than gabardine and is not suitable for products with a high wear rate. Of all the types of satin 3D satin is allocated. Special weaving adds volume to the details of the pattern. Externally, products with this effect look very beautiful.

From a gabardine cloth, you can sew things of a very large range: from underwear to work clothes and uniforms. Also, this material is widely used for sewing textile interior items or its elements. The overalls from this material possess the increased properties of wear resistance. It is not wrinkled, perfectly erased and has a long service life. Plus, it looks pretty decent for clothes of this kind.

For outerwear, impermeability properties, protection from wind and rain, and heat saving are important. Gabardine fabric is used for sewing coats and raincoats. Casual and evening dresses are appreciated for softness, beauty, comfort and versatility. Evening dresses look very elegant due to soft drapery, bows, the prevalence of simple silhouettes and brevity.

Decor objects of gabardine canvas do not change shape when mechanically applied. In addition, they are very easy to care for. For example, night curtains can last indefinitely, protecting a room from light rays. Also, gabardine is used to make tablecloths, napkins, bedspreads, pillowcases for sofa cushions and capes on chairs and upholstered furniture. Curtains from this material are used in the theater as background. Gabardine cloths are used in the advertising business. A dense white canvas is selected for this sphere, advertising posters and shield structures are created. In this case, the relief material is used for applying paint.

Depending on the composition of the product from gabardine require different care. For example, in order not to spoil wool products, it is better to dry-clean them. Especially, it concerns a coat, a short coat and business suits. If you wash your woolen clothes yourself, you need to do it. at a temperature of 30 degrees, choosing a special mode of washing and a special means for washing wool. Synthetic things are perfectly erased in the machine with washing powder or washing gel. If there is a choice, then it is better to use the gel, as it is better rinsed.

When washing in a car, it is advisable to turn things inside out. But if it is, for example, an evening dress, then you need to choose a more gentle wash mode. Also, things from gabardine with the addition of synthetics are perfectly extended by hand.Dresses, skirts, tablecloths and other products made of synthetic gabardine with the addition of cotton are recommended to be washed at 40 degrees.

Ironing gabardine products is recommended to produce a warm iron. If you still need "hot ironing", then between the smoothing thing and the iron must be placed wet gauze or other suitable matter. Also for gabardine products recommend the use of purl ironing. The temperature regime for ironing must be indicated in the product labeling.

When washing gabardine products can not use bleach, as you can spoil the color of the fabric. White material can easily turn into yellow. It is also not recommended to remove stains on color and black products from this fabric.

How to choose gabardine fabric, see the following video.