{"id":25412,"date":"2021-05-01T15:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-01T19:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/?p=25412"},"modified":"2021-05-01T10:31:07","modified_gmt":"2021-05-01T14:31:07","slug":"tips-testing-fabric-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/tips-testing-fabric-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Tips for Testing Fabric Content"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\"><figure class=\"aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" data-src=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3.jpg\" alt=\"testing fabric content\" class=\"wp-image-25415 lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3.jpg 940w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-500x419.jpg 500w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-768x644.jpg 768w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-150x126.jpg 150w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" style=\"--smush-placeholder-width: 940px; --smush-placeholder-aspect-ratio: 940\/788;\" \/><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"940\" height=\"788\" src=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3.jpg\" alt=\"testing fabric content\" class=\"wp-image-25415\" srcset=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3.jpg 940w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-300x251.jpg 300w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-500x419.jpg 500w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-768x644.jpg 768w, https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/04\/2-3-150x126.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 940px) 100vw, 940px\" \/><\/noscript><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here's a quick video on testing fabric content. &nbsp;<span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Before we get started, please be careful if trying this at home.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the video, I've used relatively large samples so you can easily see what's happening. &nbsp;I'm also in a controlled environment and using fabrics I'm confident have not been soaked in anything or that may&nbsp;be overly flammable. &nbsp;If you're doing this yourself, use small samples and be very careful. &nbsp;Adult supervision is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Many people are unable to easily detect the presence of synthetic materials like <a href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/will-polyester-shrink-polyester-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">polyester<\/a> in fabrics. &nbsp;Milling and weaving processes have been so refined and material properties so improved that it is often next to impossible to tell the difference between all-natural fabrics and synthetics &#8211;until it's too late sometimes and you either already bought the fabric or have made something you really wanted to be natural and it turns out synthetic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I often go to <a rel=\"noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/worlds-finest-fabric-shop\/\" target=\"_blank\">large fabric stores<\/a> and markets and am faced with a dizzying array of fabrics. &nbsp;In Asia where I used to live and also here in Chile where I live now, it is often risky to believe what a vendor tells you about the fabric content. &nbsp;I've found the only reliable way of testing fabric content is to do this quick test myself. &nbsp;I've found that vendors often don't want me to do it since they realize I will probably learn the true fabric content and be unhappy with it, but I insist in any case. &nbsp;I've never been sorry about testing fabric content before buying an important piece of fabric. &nbsp;You won't be sorry either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>By doing a small burn test you can quite easily tell the difference between common natural fibers like cotton or silk and fabrics containing polyester fibers. &nbsp;In a nutshell, natural fibers will burn completely and leave a light ash. &nbsp;Polyesters, which are essentially plastic, will melt and burn with black smoke and smell like burning plastic. &nbsp;You'll easily smell the difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"730\" height=\"411\" data-src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/oDXOl4UbSqU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; encrypted-media\" allowfullscreen src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAAAAACH5BAEKAAEALAAAAAABAAEAAAICTAEAOw==\" class=\"lazyload\" data-load-mode=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n<strong>Subscribe to the YouTube channel:<\/strong>\r\n<script src=\"https:\/\/apis.google.com\/js\/platform.js\"><\/script>\r\n<div class=\"g-ytsubscribe\" data-channel=\"debyatsoseweasy\" data-layout=\"full\" data-count=\"default\"><\/div>\r\n&nbsp;\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What about wool fabrics?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This test will not work on wool fabric which resists burning naturally. &nbsp;Wool is often used for fire blankets and in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.specialtycinema.com\/cinema-wall-curtains\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">cinema wall curtains<\/a> and <a href=\"http:\/\/www.specialtytheatre.com\/product-category\/stage-curtains\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">theatre drapes<\/a> for these reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\"\/>\n\n\n<h2>If You'd Like To Support Our Site<\/h2>\r\nIf you want to help us continue to bring you a wide selection of <a href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/free-sewing-patterns\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">free sewing patterns<\/a> and projects, please consider buying us a coffee.\u00a0 We'd really, really appreciate it.\r\n\r\n<center><div class=\"ko-fi-button\" data-text=\"Buy me a coffee!\" data-color=\"#ff5f5f\" data-code=\"\" id=\"kofiShortcode79Html\" style=\"float: none; text-align: left;\"><\/div><\/center>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s a quick video on testing fabric content. &nbsp;Before we get started, please be careful if trying this at home. In the video, I&#8217;ve used relatively large samples so you can easily see what&#8217;s happening. &nbsp;I&#8217;m also in a controlled environment and using fabrics I&#8217;m confident have not been soaked \u2026 <a class=\"continue-reading-link\" href=\"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/tips-testing-fabric-content\/\"> Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr; <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":308,"featured_media":25415,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[160,15,4,108],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25412"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/308"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25412"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25412\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69309,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25412\/revisions\/69309"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25415"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25412"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25412"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25412"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}