Wool fabric choice

[Matt.S]

I would like to ask the more textile-savvy forumites about types of wool cloth. I'm wanting to make a wool hoodie for general wear, lining the hood, neck and arms with linen. I don't want the hoodie to be too thick/heavy so that I can layer my clothes appropriate to the weather. What would be my best choice?

 

[Shewie]

Ex-army wool blankets any good Matt ?

The german officers are supposed to be good quality.

 

[Toddy]

Fine tweed would be the best, but that's expensive.
If you can contact one of the traders who supply reenactors, links at the end, they will sell you a pure wool cloth, in good colours, that will do fine.
It's softer though, generally not twill woven, and it will ease a little at elbows and pockets. Still very good, and it's a very reasonable price.

http://www.fabric-bazaar.com/
Based in Glasgow, constantly changing range of fabrics, good people, good prices

http://www.calltoarms.com/bolt/
Bernie the Bolt, I kid you not . Excellent range of natural dye coloured wools. Fair prices and he will send you samples, within reason.

http://www.hertsfabrics.co.uk/
Ali the Trader. Excellent range, lots of linen, sells Scottish wool cloth. Again well priced, good colours. Worth contacting.

http://www.hainsworth.co.uk/apparel-fabrics
You don't get better. Not cheap though. They still make the fabrics and hold the colour records for the regiments.

http://www.harristweedshop.com/tweed-index.html
Beautiful, but at £45 a metre, even if it is the ideal fabric, it's hard to justify it on our budgets.

I think for what you want I'd try the first three, but if you win the lottery contact Abimelech Hainsworth.

Hope this helps,
Toddy

 

[Melonfish]

Wool twill is good stuff, thin but warm and sturdy, good for most things, hop along to your local habidasher and see what they have

 

[Barn Owl]

Follow Toddys' advice,
No-one better to keep you right there.

 

[British Red]

I keep wondering if I flutter my eyelashes at Toddy if she will make me something like Fonzies cape shouldered coat from the Victorian Farm. I am in lust with that coat

 

[Barn Owl]

If i may say,

I have an exquisite shirt/tunic for outdoor duties made by Toddy in trade.

Couldn't buy same anywhere....

 

[Toddy]

I haven't seen that one BR. Is it like a coachman's cloak with arms ?

Like this one ?
http://www.cloakedanddaggered.com/coachmans-cloak/

cheers,
M

 

[Toddy]

If i may say,

I have an exquisite shirt/tunic for outdoor duties made by Toddy in trade.

Couldn't buy same anywhere....

Tam I'm delighted you're pleased, I've finally started to fill up my new bag so I am too

atb,
M

 

[British Red]

I haven't seen that one BR. Is it like a coachman's cloak with arms ?

Like this one ?
http://www.cloakedanddaggered.com/coachmans-cloak/

cheers,
M

Yep, Imagine that with arms and you would be very close.

I was thinking in a dark green tweed though

Maybe with a button on hood for foul weather.


And a churchwarden pipe natch!

Red

 

[British Red]

Theres a low res image of it here Toddy

Red

PS sorry MAtt - bad form for the thread hijack there - my apologies!

 

[Toddy]

That's a watch coat with a cape. Sometimes hooded but usually the hat was expected to shed the rain and in those days no one went bareheaded.

BR, I'd say yes, but right now I'm swamped
My order book is going to take me well over a year to clear as it is.
I can help find or make a pattern though, and recommend folk who'd make an excellent garment.........how's your sewing ?

cheers,
M

 

[British Red]

No worries Mary, its a thought I've been idling with for a couple of years at least since watching one too many period dramas

If your order book slows up...give me a shout.

I can't sew for toffee .

BB could do it no doubt - shes up to her oxters in curtain making for the new place right now...and cushions..and well you egt the idea. She has offered though so I may take you up on your pattern offer after moving day!

Red

 

[forestwalker]

I made a hoodie about 10 years ago. I used a fairly heavy wool/light vadmal, no liner, and put thin leather over the shoulders as a yoke and on the elbows (for protection against wear and weather). If I redid it today I would have put buttons or toggles rather than lacing for the closure. And perhaps add one or two pockets.

If you want tweed you could raid the charity shops, it should be possible to make something interesting (but "patchy" in appearance) from a few second hand tweed jackets.

 

[treadlightly]

I keep wondering if I flutter my eyelashes at Toddy if she will make me something like Fonzies cape shouldered coat from the Victorian Farm. I am in lust with that coat

I'm glad someone else shares my views about that coat! I see it made a re-appearance last night looking as good as ever.

 

[Kerne]

I went to a re-enactors' market and picked up some Shetland wool cloth in OG for £10 a metre. To be honest, for someone as inexpert as I, the choice was bewildering, so I went for something that felt a bit like my Bison Bushcraft guide shirt. This fabric is thinner but I want it for summer use so, hopefully, it will be OK. I am quite happy to declare my ignorance to stallholders about fabrics and found them all very helpful. If any of you experts out there want to tell us what all the technical terms mean - melton, twill, tweed etc. - I, for one, would be very grateful. In the meantime, I have preshrunk the fabric and am just plucking up the courage to cut it...

 

[Toddy]

Do you remember school blazers ? Not the barathea ones, the ordinary ones ? Well those are generally made from middling poor quality Melton.
Basically it's a fine tabby woven wool cloth that's been napped on the surface to create a smooth, hard wearing and generally showerproof surface.

Twill is a fabric that's woven like your denims. Instead of over under over under, the weft will go over two under one, over two under one, or maybe over three under one, over three under one, of the warp threads.
Sometimes the weaver will set the looms to create designs using that twill, diamond designs or chevrons, for instance.
More expensive to create, generally good quality fibres.

Tweed should be a specific term for a hand spun, naturally dyed, hand woven twill cloth made in Scotland or the English borders.
Nowadays it covers a multitude of fabrics.
Generally, natural dyed, or man made dyes in that range, colours.
Pure wool, twill woven cloth which has been at least partially fulled (washed and slightly felted so it bonds the yarns together a little).

It can be very coarse, rough and hard wearing, but it can also be the finest quality gents country suiting fabrics.
It's no accident that ghillies wear it

Does that help ?

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Kerne]

Do you remember school blazers ? Not the barathea ones, the ordinary ones ? Well those are generally made from middling poor quality Melton.
Basically it's a fine tabby woven wool cloth that's been napped on the surface to create a smooth, hard wearing and generally showerproof surface.

Twill is a fabric that's woven like your denims. Instead of over under over under, the weft will go over two under one, over two under one, or maybe over three under one, over three under one, of the warp threads.
Sometimes the weaver will set the looms to create designs using that twill, diamond designs or chevrons, for instance.
More expensive to create, generally good quality fibres.

Tweed should be a specific term for a hand spun, naturally dyed, hand woven twill cloth made in Scotland or the English borders.
Nowadays it covers a multitude of fabrics.
Generally, natural dyed, or man made dyes in that range, colours.
Pure wool, twill woven cloth which has been at least partially fulled (washed and slightly felted so it bonds the yarns together a little).

It can be very coarse, rough and hard wearing, but it can also be the finest quality gents country suiting fabrics.
It's no accident that ghillies wear it

Does that help ?

cheers,
Toddy

Thanks, Toddy.

 

[andybysea]

Would wool serge (the stuff they used to make military battledress out of) do its tough,warm,and a nice brown colour i think hainsworths sell it, speaking of them i got a couple of nice wool blankets from them and im impressed by the quality and warmth.