The dream of any housewife is a beautiful, soft and durable fabric that does not need to be ironed. Many textures and colors of very soft fabrics based on polyester fibers are combined under the name "soft" and are of interest not only among hostesses and seamstresses, but also among well-known fashion designers, decorators, as well as interior designers.
What it is?
The software is the most delicate synthetic matter that looks like velor. There are many varieties of this material - from delicate translucent fabrics to heavy opaque portiera canvas.
Often this fabric is double-sided: one side is covered with a nap (short or long, with glitter or without or with thermal printing), and the second is matte and smooth.
When choosing a material, you need to carefully choose the material: soft is mainly produced in Turkey and China, so be sure to ask the seller for a quality certificate and carefully read the description of the composition and address of the manufacturer.
Also, due to the increased demand for such material, there are many fakes, and you can only distinguish them by toxic smell or colored matter.
Application area
Soft fabrics are very pleasant to the touch, dense, keep their shape well, perfectly withstand repeated washing, retaining their color and texture, so they are used in the manufacture of a variety of things and clothes.
From such fabrics sew:
- bed linen and pajamas for the whole family;
- children's textiles;
- home and casual dresses;
- costumes;
- mattress toppers;
- furniture covers and cushions, upholstery for upholstered furniture;
- bedspreads and rugs;
- curtains and drapes.
Everyone likes this material: tailors are attracted by the ease of working with him, housewives by the simple care of products, kids love the pleasant texture of the softest fibers, and fashionistas are attracted by the variety of colors and textures.
Composition
The basis of any kind of software is polyester fiber, which can be either in pure form or with various impurities.
- Elastane used to give the material elasticity for the manufacture of tight and at the same time not constraining the movement of clothing (mainly sports suits).
- Cotton or viscose added to synthetic fabrics to eliminate the electrification of fibers, improve air permeability and increase the hygroscopicity of matter.
- Nylon It is added to the soft-fabric to obtain fire-resistant fabric, which is mainly used as curtains in kindergarten and draperies in banquet halls.
Properties
All types of software have similar characteristics and properties.
Curtain fabrics are resistant to dirt due to a special dirt-repellent impregnation, but dust can accumulate on the fabric side of the fabric, which can be easily removed at home. Polyester fibers are also resistant to mold, odors, moths, fungus and dust due to special processing, but at the same time they are safe for health and hypoallergenic.
Soft fabric for furniture upholstery has high strength, wear resistance, but at the same time it is easily draped due to its pliable structure.
Any soft-matter keeps its shape well, does not fade and has a low degree of shrinkage of the fibers during washing, but it should be noted that it is necessary to wash it in warm water. Polyester fabrics stretch well and easily return to their original condition due to the addition of elastic fibers.
Drawing on them remains clear and bright over the years, the fabric is resistant not only to washing powders and gels, but also to ultraviolet rays, which prevents fading even 3D printing.
It is possible to cut software both on a share and on a transverse thread, which significantly saves money (for sewing curtains, one and a half or two fabrics are enough instead of the usual triple stock to produce beautiful folds) and time - the fabric does not fray any time and keeps it supple.
Another undoubted advantage of polyester fabrics is that iron does not need to be smoothed.
Kinds
Conventionally, the software can be divided into 2 groups:
- textiles for tailoring (these are fabrics with additions of elastane, cotton, lycra or viscose);
- interior textiles (canvases that have undergone special treatment with various impregnations).
It is customary to distinguish many types of software, some of them in the composition have 100% polyester, but they are obtained in different ways and differ in texture and properties.
- Velsoft It is a fluffy comfortable knitwear material with a medium length nap for sewing home clothes, which in its appearance remotely resembles a maher. It can be painted in pastel colors, but it is also found brightly colored.
- Extrasoft - This is a light fluffy fabric with a short, dense enough pile, used in the manufacture of pillows, blankets and home dresses.
- Super soft (the so-called crepe-viscose) is a dense, wear-resistant canvas, has a velvety embossed texture. Used for sewing furniture covers and upholstery.
- Termozhakkard - it is a velvety soft canvas with thermal printing (used as upholstery of furniture).
- Soft silk It is a glossy fabric. Ideal for sewing curtains. Drawing drawing by means of 3D printing is possible.
There is also software with various impurities.
- Ultrasoft (polyester 94%; elastane 6%) - it is the most delicate fabric with an inconspicuous pile and jacquard pattern for sewing blankets, pillows, dressing gowns and blankets.
- Intersoft (polyester 30%; cotton 70%) - it is a blended fabric, has high strength and elasticity, is used for sewing trousers, sweatshirts, as well as clothing for outdoor activities.
- Niagara (polyester 97%; spandex 3%) It is a light flowing fabric resembling artificial silk, but with reduced creasing and increased durability. Such material is suitable for sewing not only blouses, but also evening dresses.
- Soft satin (polyester 10%; cotton 10%) material, very pleasant to a body, for tailoring of bed linen, shirts and children's textiles.
- Baby-soft (polyester fibers 20%; cotton 20%) - it is a double-sided fabric, from the front side it is a knitwear, from the seamy side - pleasant to the touch artificial fur (intended for sewing outerwear: jackets, cardigans, vests).
- Stretch soft (contains from 1% to 30% elastic fibers) is a fabric resembling velvet, but has a high stretch and has a much lower price. This material is well suited for sewing dresses, sports and home wear.
Blackout is different from all types of soft fabrics - it is a heavy three-layer drape fabric:
- seamy side consists of a light dense fiber without gloss;
- then comes a layer of black polyester fibers;
- The front side of acrylic fibers can be glitter, embossed or patterned.
It is worth noting that the blackout has a very high ability to trap the sun's rays (up to 90 percent), suppresses the noise coming from the street when the window is open, perfectly suppresses the heat in the summer heat due to the increased density of the material. The variety of textures and colors allows you to choose functional and stylish curtains for any interior.
Care Tips
Bed linen (as well as clothes) from soft fabrics is recommended to be washed in a manual or delicate wash mode in a machine at a temperature not higher than 40 degrees.Do not use bleach and aggressive detergents.
In no case should this material be dried in drying machines, since the structure of the fibers will be affected by exposure to elevated temperatures and the material will lose its properties.
Curtains and curtains can be cleaned with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner, not necessarily wash frequently. After washing there is no need to iron them, just press in the washing machine at 800 rpm and hang to dry directly on the eaves, straightening the width of the desired wavelength.
It is enough to dry the clothes from such material in the straightened form and it is not necessary to iron it with iron, but if wrinkles are formed as a result of pressing at high speeds (1200 rpm), you can iron it with a slightly warm iron.
Spots from such material are easily removed with soapy water.
Fabrics of software amaze with their diversity, they give room for imagination and creativity, at the same time they are extremely functional and, with proper care, retain their properties for many years.
Description of the quality of the fabric software and supersoft, see the following video.
