In most aspects of the theatre world, having a firm knowledge of what fabrics to use and what fabrics not to use or to stay away from is vital.
Batiste fabric
Batiste is the softest of the lightweight, opaque fabrics and is a sheer, plain weave that is a woven cotton or a cotton blend. Due to the softness and how light it is, batiste is often used to line garments as well as its uses for lingerie and scarves. The fabric often gets snagged on the feet of sewing machines and care should be taken when sewing it as well as when washing clothes made of this fabric. It is advised that when washing batiste fabric, or clothes made with it, it is put on a medium strength cleaning cycle and without bleach.
Banjo Cloth Fabric
Banjo Cloth is often used for convention/fashion show drapes as it is inexpensive, lightweight, flame retardant, and made with an open weave. The purpose of the open weave allows light to filter through the fabric. It comes in a variety of colours, even custom colours of Banjo Cloth are available, and is able to withstand machine washing as long as it is done in cold water with a small amount of detergent and it is either drip dried or done with low heat.
Beaver Fabric
Beaver fabric is an overcoating that is heavily milled and one side of the fabric is sheared with a nap elevated to finish. It also comes in different weights due to different uses of backed and double weaves.
Bengaline Fabric
Bengaline is often used for draperies as it is a heavy ribbed silk warp with cotton or worsted filling. When it is cut into ribbons, it is called grosgrain. Bengaline is commonly used for dresses, hats, jackets, coats and ribbons and can be made out of materials such as rayon, nylon, cotton, wool or silk but its more common to have it made out of only two of the aforementioned materials. The materials that is blended to make bengaline fabric can also affect the weight of it.
Bobbinet Fabric
Bobbinet is a light cotton gause with a hexagonal shaped weave that allows it to give the illusion of distance when placed on the backdrop of a set. The fabric is also used in bridalware, lingerie, embroidery (used as the base net) and base nets for high quality wigs.
Boucle Fabric
Boucle is a textured yarn that gets its textured look from loose threads, a popular kind of boucle fabric is known as “poodle fabric”. Two different threads are spun together, with one strand being considerably tenser than the other, while the looser end acts as a sort of anchor to keep the fabric together. The fabric doesn’t crease or wrinkle easily but has a tendency to pill and sag.
Broadcloth Fabric
Broadcloth is commonly either a woven cotton or a cotton blend that has a fine, ribbed texture. This fabric is mostly used for shirts, furniture and upholstery though some older and luxury cars have broadcloth interior.
Brocade Fabric
Brocade is a satin-weave made from different multi-coloured yarns. A pattern is usually created in the fabric with the background design and the actual pattern having different textures. This fabric has a habit of fraying or creeping when it is stitched, to prevent this from happening, hold the fabric tightly and use a roller fit. It’s also best to use a new needle in case the brocade you are using has metallic threads in it. Try to avoid topstitching this fabric and hemming it too deeply, as the end result will look unsatisfactory.
Buckram Fabric
Buckram is a stiff fabric commonly used in the bindings of books though it is also used to stiffen clothes as well as to make hats keep their shape. Most of the time buckram is hardened by soaking in a chemical compound (pyroxylin) that also fills the holes in the fabric.
Burlap Fabric
Burlap has a texture that tends to be coarse, scratchy, rough and stiff. Burlap can be make of either hemp, cotton or jute and can also be called gunny. It was traditionally used as a foundation for linoleum, rugs and carpets though the fabric is also used for scenic backdrops in theatre. Of course, there are many other uses for burlap such as for bags or sacks, furniture, drapery, wall coverings and some clothing. However, burlap is flammable and caution should be used no matter what use you may have for the fabric.
Calico Fabric
Calico is a designated term for any plain fabric that weighs more than muslin fabric or a distinctive print on cotton. This fabric is also less coarse and thick than denim or canvas but because of it’s still not fully finished appearance it is relatively cheap.
Cambric Fabric
Cambric is a very fine linen from France that is usually used in cloth handkerchiefs, linens and shirt collars. It can either be a pure linen or a cotton linen blend. When looking for cambric fabric to use in a project buyers should look for a tight weave, a stiff texture, crisp texture and a glossy upper side.
Canvas Fabric
Canvas is an open weave linen fabric that is usually used for scenic designs on sets, which is also similar to duck and sailcloth fabrics. This fabric is generally used when a sturdy fabric is required, such as sails, tents or backpacks. The material is also fireproof, can be waterproof to an extent, and is ordered by numerical designation.
Cashmere Fabric
Cashmere is often woven with a mixture of cotton or cotton and wool weft, the texture being one that is soft, light, and soft. It also has a unique property that allows it to gather and shed heat easily. Any garments made out of cashmere must be hand washed in cold water with a mild soap to avoid causing shrinking or damage to the cloth. If the garments are woven from cashmere or a mixture of cashmere and another material they should be hung dry. After wearing any article of clothing made of cashmere, either before or after washing, waiting at least a day before wearing it again allows the material to regain its shape. Stains must be treated immediately with cold water because hot water may set the stain in the fabric.
Challis Fabric
Challis is often a rayon wool blend and is lightweight, has a plain weave, semi-fluid to the touch and usually has a printed design on it.
the backstage world 