Quilting and felting
Quilting
Using a running stitch (by hand or machine) through two or more layers of fabric, one of which is wadding. The stitching, once sewn through the layers, creates a padded and decorative effect. is an example of a surface decoration but it is also a type of fabric. A quilted fabric is made up of three layers - an outer lining material holds the middle layer of cotton or polyester wadding. Wadding is made from fibres, very loosely bonded together, and establishes the warmth of the quilt. The middle layer is sandwiched between two woven layers, joined together using stitches. The stitching creates a pattern, which can be highly detailed. As well as having good How something looks., quilting has good insulating properties as the wadding traps air easily. Quilted fabrics are used for bed throws and sleeveless jackets, called gilets.
Felting
The most common felted fabric is made from wool fibres, each of which has a surface made up of scales. These scales, when agitated with warm water, open and interlock, creating a fabric.
Using an Having a pH greater than 7., like soap or detergent, speeds up the felting process, but will need rinsing as it will rot the wool fibres, making the fabric very weak. During this process, the fabric shrinks considerably in size but is made stronger and denser.
As traditional felt fabric is made from wool fibres, it naturally has good insulating properties. Synthetic fibres are also used to produce felt, making the fabric cheaper, but the fibres don鈥檛 have scales so are often glued together to give the same appearance and texture as wool felt. Felted fabrics, like bonded fabric, do not fray and are used a lot for craft projects.