Corduroy: features, composition and properties

Many people remember how fashionable corduroy trousers were a couple of decades ago. Micro-corduroy pants were considered especially popular. All fashionistas dreamed of wearing such things. Now corduroy has slightly lost its popularity. It was replaced by new materials. But the fabric still has many fans. In addition, it is used not only for sewing good-quality clothes.

Corduroy is a dense fabric that has a velvety texture. Initially, corduroy was made only from cotton fabric, but now such a composition is already rare, since it contains synthetic additives in the form of viscose or polyamide. It can contain only synthetic fibers.

Such fabric is difficult to confuse with any other; it looks rich and noble. The material has longitudinal stripes covered with pile and a pleasant shine that appears between the rows when the light plays. The fabric looks like velvet, but has ribs on the coating, thanks to which the fabric looks attractive and is more resistant to abrasion. From the inside, it looks like a canvas. For dyeing, muted tones are usually used, less often you can find brighter colors of the fabric.

The first mentions of corduroy appeared in the Middle Ages. According to some sources, the country of its origin is France. But the British disagree with this and believe that it was in England that the first fabrics began to be produced.There they still call this fabric "Manchester", considering that corduroy was the first to be produced in Manchester. One can argue for a long time about the origin of the fabric, it is important that it is still very popular.

The fabric was produced using a technology that was kept in strict secrecy for a long time and was passed on from the older generation to the younger. Corduroy was used to sew cloaks for nobles and royals, and the fabric was used to sew chic headdresses for gentlemen. Then the material began to be produced in larger quantities, but the first batches were supplied only to palaces, and curtains were made of them. For nobility and kings, burgundy dresses were sewn. Ordinary people were forbidden to wear clothes made of this expensive material.

In Russia, the material appeared at the end of the 19th century. More often curtains were sewn from it, and textiles were also used for decorative elements. But by the middle of the 20th century, the fabric had become very popular, fashion designers and designers paid special attention to it and began to more often take it for sewing products.

Corduroy is often used to stretch old furniture and in the manufacture of new products. Textiles used for furniture can be from natural or artificial fabrics made by a chemical method, as well as from synthetic materials. All of these materials have their own advantages and disadvantages. Composite fabrics are made by combining different types of fibers.

Furniture textiles must meet certain criteria:

• it must be of good fiber quality;
• persistent colors;
• good breathability;
• high fire safety;
• high strength.

Corduroy is chosen for the manufacture of clothing and other textiles, because the material has a number of advantages.

• Abrasion resistance. Products made from this material are worn for a long time and do not wear out.
• The canvas is quite durable it does not deform or stretch.
• Material pleasant to the body. It has a soft surface on the front and back sides.
• Has high thermal conductivity and density. Good things will keep you warm on a cold day.
• The material is almost not wrinkled. There is no need to iron the garments after washing.

There are few disadvantages of this material. First of all, it is that:

• dust and small debris are attracted to the corduroy;
• if the material contains cotton, then after washing the product may shrink.

Even with its downsides, corduroy is popular. The material is practical, has an affordable price, while it looks rich and sophisticated. He is chosen not only for sewing beautiful clothes. The furniture industry also uses this fabric with success. From such a dense material, chic heavy curtains, sofa cushions are sewn, used as upholstery for upholstered furniture.

Corduroy fabrics vary in length and appearance.

One of the corduroy subspecies is called cord. Cord is a dense cotton or synthetic fabric that has fleecy ribs on the front side. In this case, the width of the rib at the cord is somewhat larger and amounts to about 5 mm. The pile of such fabric is quite high. Many people think that such wide scars look a little old-fashioned, so they prefer materials with scars up to 3 mm.

Products made of cord are more suitable for wearing in the cold season. Things made from it are solid, dense and durable. Cord will go well with other materials as well as with similar fabrics. So, you can pick up a jacket for corded trousers, while it is important that they do not have the same color, otherwise the outfit will look like a jumpsuit.An excellent option for such an outfit would be a combination of darker trousers with a light jacket. It is better to combine things made of cord with shoes made of suede of a similar shade.

The Corduroy Appreciation Club, an organization of lovers of corduroy fabric, still exists in New York. Members of this society adhere to special rules. At the same time, each of the lovers of corduroy should have in their wardrobe at least two things, sewn from cord. Every year on November 11, they celebrate Corduroy Day, broadcasting to the whole world about their love for this material. The date 11.11 was not chosen by chance, because the numbers look like scars on this fabric. Bags, outerwear are sewn from cord, the material is chosen for furniture upholstery.

This type of corduroy has a similar feel to velvet. It is very soft, with short villi and a medium-sized scar 1-3 mm wide. The scar is considered the most functional fabric; it is used to sew children's clothes and clothes for adults. This material can be used to sew beautiful, delicate items. The fabric is produced with a pattern or with a plain-dyed surface.

In this type of corduroy, the pile is cut so that original patterns resembling jacquard are obtained on the front side of the canvas. It is used for sewing clothes and home textiles. Heavy curtains and curtains are sewn from shaped corduroy. It is an ideal fabric for sewing decorative pillows, bedspreads.

Micro-corduroy can be distinguished into a separate category. The material has a small rib up to 1.5 mm. The fabric looks very nice, while the products have high strength and are not subject to quick wear. Women's handbags are sewn from micro-corduroy, fabric is used for sewing children's and adult clothes.

Many new varieties of corduroy are currently being produced.

1. This and velveton, also called "monkey skin". It is a material with a thick pile, pleasant to the touch. It is used in the manufacture of sportswear for adults.
2. And also new materials include corduroy stretch. It contains synthetic fibers, thanks to which it stretches. Products made from this material are especially popular; they are used to sew clothes for babies and adults. Due to the elasticity, the products fit well on the figure, emphasizing the dignity.
3. Diagonal corduroy. This fabric has a diagonal scar. Thanks to this, products made from it look more impressive and expressive.
4. For furniture upholstery, they are more often used corduroy suite. The fabric contains polyester, thanks to which the material is more durable, with increased wear resistance. The canvas has moisture-repellent properties, the material is less prone to contamination.

Corduroy can be called a versatile material. It is used in various fields.

• For sewing clothes. Corduroy is used to sew clothes for children and adults. The material is used for sewing outerwear, as well as suits, trousers, skirts and jackets.
• For sewing curtains and curtains.
• Use corduroy for upholstery of covers, furniture.

Corduroy is a very comfortable material, it hardly wrinkles or deforms. But with improper care of products made of this material, they can lose their shape, become less attractive in appearance, and change color. Such material requires delicate handling. If you do not follow the rules for caring for corduroy fabric, the material may shrink or deform.

After purchasing the product, you should pay attention to the label indicating how to care for corduroy products. On it you can find information on how and at what temperature to wash and iron products, in what form to dry clothes.

Corduroy items can be dry-cleaned or self-washed. So that the material does not lose its qualities, you should wash products from it by hand.

Corduroy items are placed in a container with detergent and wrinkled a little. Do not rub them hard, squeeze, twist and squeeze. If there are stains on things, they are removed with a brush or sponge. To remove stains, a brush is carried over the fabric along the strips. Particular attention is paid to the processing of cuffs, collar, as well as pockets and places on the elbows and knees.

In the event that the products are heavily soiled, it is better to soak them in soapy water. Things are kept in this solution for about 20 minutes, then washed with soap or other detergent.

Products after washing are well rinsed. In this case, they should be turned inside out and rinsed in cold water. Do this several times to get rid of streaks after the powder. When rinsing the products, it is recommended to add vinegar to the water in a ratio of 1 tbsp. l. table vinegar per liter of water.

Corduroy products are not recommended to be washed in a washing machine, since the structure of the fabric may be damaged during the washing process. In this case, the products may deform.

If the label indicates that the product can be washed in the washing machine, then they are washed in a delicate mode. In the machine, things can be washed at a low temperature (no more than 40 degrees) without spinning. During washing, it is recommended to add a little vinegar, for this, pour 4-5 tbsp into the conditioner cell. l. acid. You can also use conditioner instead of vinegar.

To prevent corduroy items from deforming after washing, they are dried horizontally or hung on a hanger. Let's take a closer look at the drying process.

To dry the products, they are first laid out on a towel or sheet and wrapped in a roll.

Then the corduroy things are laid out horizontally on a table or other surface, and you can also hang them on a hanger to dry. While the products are drying, it is recommended to straighten them, giving the desired shape.

It is recommended to iron the washed corduroy products. To do this correctly, you need to hang the product on a hanger and straighten it well. Then, using an iron and choosing steam treatment, walk over the entire surface, being careful not to touch it.

Iron the material from the wrong side. This is done at a temperature of no more than 100 degrees or in accordance with the recommendations on the product label. When ironing, cover them with gauze or cotton cloth. Then the things are turned inside out to process the pile from the front side with a brush. This will give the product its original appearance.

You can replace the iron with a steam generator. With its help, you can even get rid of strong creases on the fabric without damaging the canvas. During processing, the products are hung on hangers and carried out with a generator with water heated to the required temperature. Things are steamed, starting with larger parts, and then collars, sleeves, belts and other small parts are steamed.

Take care of corduroy products:

• using dry cleaning;
• by hand washing things and then steaming.

With proper and regular care of corduroy products, they will retain their shape for a long time and will not change color.

Before washing the product, it should be cleaned. In many cases, you can get rid of the dirt simply by cleaning it without washing the product.

During washing, deformation of the product is possible, things can shrink, therefore dry methods for cleaning the material will be preferable.

• First of all, you should clean the product from dust particles, lint, threads and other debris. Remove it with a special roller or brush, brushing them over the surface.
• To restore the appearance of the product, it is recommended to dip it into an ammonia solution. To make a solution, you need to drip a couple of drops of ammonia into 5 liters of water. Things made of velveteen are placed in the prepared solution for 10-15 minutes, then washed by hand.
• Salmon is also used to remove stains on heavily soiled trousers, dresses, and home textiles. To get rid of stains, it is not recommended to use bleach and aggressive powders, detergents.

If stains appear on corduroy fabrics that are difficult or impossible to remove, they can be tinted with paint or a special fabric dye can be used, which is selected according to the type of fabric.

When choosing a dye, it is important to find out the composition of the material. Therefore, it is worthwhile to study the label in advance and choose a dye intended for this material. So, for cotton material, they take paint intended for cotton and so on.

It is difficult to restore the original color to products, especially if they are not taken care of in time. Therefore, the washing of products should be carried out in accordance with the parameters indicated on the tag. For dark fabrics, you can purchase special detergents and conditioners that help restore color and preserve the resulting shade for a long time.

To remove stains, it is better to choose an enzyme powder or gel, because they will be able to cope with dirt even at low temperatures, and will also return shape to corduroy things.

You can return the product to its previous color by staining. But with chemical dyeing, fiber thinning is possible and, as a result, acceleration of material wear.

Other methods can be used to restore faded black fabric.

• To restore the black color, a tobacco solution is used. To prepare it, take 20 g of tobacco and dissolve it in 1.5 liters of water. This solution is used to treat the product with a brush.
• This tool is also suitable for restoring brown things.
• For dyeing products yellow, coffee is suitable; it is added while rinsing things.
• To return the lost black color, a solution is prepared consisting of water and crushed walnut shells. To prepare it, add 30 g of shells to 1.5 liters of water and boil for half an hour. After that, the solution is filtered, then the products are wiped with a brush.

If things have lost their former color, baking soda can be added when dyeing into liquid. When rinsing products, 1 tbsp is added to the water. l. table vinegar.

Dyeing at home does not always meet expectations, so it is better to hand over things to special workshops. Experienced craftsmen will be able to quickly update the color of products, they will do it quickly, efficiently, without harming the material.

For information on how to sew a corduroy skirt in an hour, see the next video.