Tips for Testing Fabric Content

Here's how to determine if your cotton or silk fabric is all natural or if there are man-made polyester fibres present.
For more info, please check out the full article at: so-sew-easy.com...
Please be careful if trying this at home. In the video, I've used relatively large samples so you can easily see what's happening. I'm also in a controlled environment and using fabrics I'm confident have been soaked in anything or that may be overly flammable. If you're doing this yourself, use small samples and be very careful. Adult supervision is essential.

[@sinamaier4368]

Thank you for sacrificing your fine fabric for this demo, it was very helpful.

[@MamaBanana]

This video deserves waaaay more views. So interesting! Thanks for sharing ☺️

[@jwall6006]

Myra, another great video, when you want to make clothing or costumes for children it's so important to know what a fabric will burn like. Thank you.

[@SoSewEasy]

+Jennie Wallick Absolutly Jennie! it is important to let the costumer know if the fabric has been treated with a fire retardant or not.

[@kimpriestley]

Thank you so much for this excellent video. I work with a lot of vintage and antique fabric - my biggest challenge is knowing the difference between silk, silk & cotton weave (very prevalent in Japanese textiles) and rayon or polyester fabrics. This is wonderful!!

[@SoSewEasy]

Glad I could help Kim, there is an excellent book that became my bible, it is easy to learn have a look it will further your knowledge of fabric here is the link to amazon for your perusal www.amazon.com/Fabric-Fashion-Swatch-Clive-Hallett/dp/1780672330/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1524532335&sr=1-1&keywords=books+fabric+swatches

[@kimpriestley]

I'm going to purchase this. Thank you again, Kim

[@theredrover3217]

@@SoSewEasy Mahalo for a reference! Big yike at the price, going to be a while before I can consider that. I have really been looking for a resource like that and stuck with online ordering have really wanted a recommendation.

[@maryhutto]

I enjoyed this video. It was a good review for me. I had learned this information many years ago in college but was a bit fuzzy on the details. So thanks again for the excellent demonstration and explanation. Two Thumbs Up!

[@SoSewEasy]

Thank you Mary!

[@GB58able]

This is a great tutorial! Thank you so much for sharing. I have a fabric, that I had purchased to make a skirt, and can't remember what type of fabric it is. It looks like linen, but it isn't, it does not wrinkle, so I think it might be a polyester combined with something else.

[@pjaccountname]

An explanation would be handy - presumably the little balls are the synthetics melting and glomming up into little globs, while cotton, being a natural fiber, simply burns and doesn't melt?

[@MarkeshaDavis]

VERY helpful!!

[@irobot8430]

SILK One very important thing thing this video might have mentioned, is that silk smells like hair when it burns. Many fabrics are being sold under misleading names: for example, Art Silk or American Silk are really a polyester blend. The burn test is the only certain way to determine if a fabric labelled silk really is silk. Remember, if it doesn't smell like hair, it's not pure silk.

[@SoSewEasy]

Yes this is true silk smells like burned hair. Thanks for your comment.

[@karinweaver2627]

wonderful! Thank you so much!!!

[@karinweaver2627]

can you use the iron to determine if material is polyester blend or 100% cotton?

[@cornishhome5272]

Thank you, clear interesting explanation.

[@SoSewEasy]

You are very welcome!

[@dorisosborne9981]

If cotton is the recommended fabric for microwave bowls & it burns pretty fast. How can they recommend this fabric for these bowls

[@lindag4974]

Thank you!

[@JenaTuckerAquariums]

Thank you! Interesting. Did not know these facts, especially the polyester ( that's really like wearing plastic, yuk!)

[@SoSewEasy]

Indeed it is! terrible hot in summer and cold in winter.

[@MoMaryR]

Thank you for posting this. Is there any way to tell if a fabric is 50% cotton and linen or all linen? I am finding it hard to tell the difference between the two.

[@srebrnaFH]

+Ursula Leach Actually, linen is made from flax, not cotton. There are some textiles woven in linen weave out of cotton, which are called linen, but that's not strictly correct and it's not the same material.

[@jwall6006]

linen is made from the flax plant. The plant fibers are crisper than cotton is. But with wear it becomes more supple. Cotton and linen both burn about the same way. Of course the linen isn't as tightly woven as cotton can be.

[@6862211]

Great video thanks!

[@SoSewEasy]

You are welcome!