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UNDERSTANDING
THE FABRIC TERMS
U.S. - Muslin = English - Calico
U.S. - Calico
= English - Printed Cotton (often a tiny print)
U.S. - Cheesecloth = English - Muslin
CHOOSING FABRICS
All fabrics have a certain amount of "give" - across and/or down the
selvedge. The differences in some are slight and will hardly be noticeable -
but anything knitted will stretch more than the cottons.
In addition, the direction of the stretch can affect the outcome. For
instance the first Challenge doll I made up in both doesuede and Roc-lon™
cotton - the doesuede doll came out a full inch taller!
(Please see instructions at the bottom of the page on how to make your own
comparisons)
Living in South Africa, we don't have the fabrics available to doll-makers
in the States - but I ordered a sample of certain fabrics to try out - these
were the results:
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| KNITS: |
Guilford Mills Doesuede (US) - 2" = 2 1/2" across
and 2 1/4" down (no longer available as far as I know) The yardstick
by which doll-makers judged doesuede in general. The smooth knit
side is normally used, rather than the peach fuzz side. |
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Doesuede
A
fluffy surfaced, knit backed polyester fabric with a small amount of stretch - a fine version of the brushed nylon used
for nightgowns in the Seventies and Eighties. The smooth knit side is
usually used as the right side of the fabric.
In South Africa
it is used by the underwear industry as the backing for hook and loop
straps on bras.
The one we get here is a thinner variety than the
Guilford Mills one, but lovely for dolls - I have used it to make Mary Tressler's child doll
(pictured left) which is 8" tall with hands half an inch across!
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Robe Velour - 2" = 2 1/2" across and 2
1/4" down - thicker and "spongier"
than the doe-suede, it is fine for larger dolls
but not so
good for
smaller (less than 12" dolls) as it is difficult
to turn the fingers. Some version may have enormous stretch - avoid them! |
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Cotton T-shirt knits - can be difficult because the
stretch is often
huge in one direction compared to the other.
I have
backed these with
a fine poly-cotton which helps to keep the shape, but it
is double the work, because each piece of knit has to be hand or
machine basted
to the backing.
A soft cuddly doll will work in a heavier
knit, but
needs to be lightly stuffed otherwise it will just get
larger and larger! |
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Cotton Lycras - since they can stretch endlessly, these
fabrics also need to go over a firm backing. Pam Grose uses this fabric in her patterns, but only as a final
skin over a cotton base made up separately to which she stitches additions to the features before
needle-sculpting. |
| COTTONS: |
Southern Belle (USA)
- 2" = 2 1/8" across and
2" down (firm, has the closest weave 200 threads to 1") but,
in my experience,
difficult to
needle-sculpt. |
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Roc-Lon (USA) - 2" = 2 1/4" across and 2" down
(soft and fairly thin - shows
the cellulite more than Southern Belle)
Pin marks
sometimes show in the fabric when lifting the stuffing into
place, so be careful. |
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Kona (USA) - 2" = 2 3/8" across and 2" down
(medium weight)
I haven't tried this out yet but I believe it works well. |
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Seedcloth(SA) - 2" = 2 1/4" across and 2 1/8"
down
A basic muslin/calico which may or may not have tiny flecks of
the seed from the cotton embedded in the cloth - usually around 72 threads
to 1".
I use this
for painted dolls - but the surface must sealed or gesso-ed
(pronounced "jessowed") otherwise the paints tend
to run. |
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If you don't have these "name" fabrics -
take a couple of straight
pins and a ruler when you go to your favourite fabric
shop. The
assistant will usually understand...
1) Pin at least 2" in from the selvedge along the cut
edge, (so that you can
get a grip)
2) Then insert another pin 2" in from the first pin.
3) Grip the
fabric on either side
of the pins and measure against the ruler.
4) Do the same
down the selvedge.
This will help in deciding what fabric will suit the
pattern.
 Unfortunately, not
all patterns tell you which direction of the grain to
follow - usually
the direction of most stretch will travel across, not
down, the legs and arms.
For the face, when placed on the bias, the most
stretch passes from back crown to chin - this helps when stuffing and
shaping the nose.
If the face is placed on the straight grain,
the stretch runs
from crown to chin.
Please feel free to email me to comment or add to this - other's experiences
may differ!!
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