Guide To Indoor / Outdoor Fabric
Formerly available only in a few materials, mostly solid color vinyl, outdoor fabric has developed into a category with choices from a wide variety of colors, styles, and prints. Fabrics are now of designer quality with an array of solid and textured colors and woven synthetic fibers with the look of satin and patterns and prints of amazing variety. In addition, companies like Link Design Solutions not only offer outdoor patio furniture fabric but also offer the completed furniture to meet individual customer wishes.
Made to withstand the rigors of outdoor life, these fabrics are durable and resistant to water, mold, dirt and mildew; however, with the exception of high-end woven acrylics, most fabrics have a slightly stiff feel.
Vinyl
For outdoor use, vinyl fabric must have a proper expanded backing for outdoor use. Textured vinyl fabrics can even have the feel and touch of leather and the look of animal skins. Marine grade vinyl is resistant to salt water, freezing, stains, mildew, fungus, and fading. Besides as boat upholstery, its uses include automotive and indoor applications.
Acrylic and Polyester
The most decorative choice for an outdoor fabric is also the most affordable. Woven, yarn dyed acrylic or polyester fabrics come in a magnificent variety of colors and weave patterns. In addition to their durability and resilience, they resist wrinkling, shrinking, fading, and mildew. Not surprisingly, they are the choice of designers and manufacturers as base cloths for printed patterns.
Print Patterns
Polyester or acrylic base cloths are screen printed with dyes that are resistant to fading and outdoor elements. In addition, manufacture includes factory-applied water repellant. Printed acrylic outdoor fabric is UV resistant and should last for several years without noticeable fading, polyester prints are not quite as resistant but can provide more than adequate service with proper care.
Solution Dyed Acrylic
Most woven synthetic fabrics begin as a colorless fiber surface dyed after formation. With solution-dyed acrylic, addition of the pigment to the liquid acrylic solution before fiber formation means the fiber never exists without color. Woven into a yarn, already permeated with color, the resulting fabric remains colorfast after sun exposure, normal wear, and abrasion. Even the proper use of bleach for removal of stains and mildew will not affect the color; moreover, the fabric is softer, more comfortable, and more breathable providing a perfect combination for your outdoor patio furniture fabric.
Vinyl Coated Synthetic Fibers
Commonly referred to as “slingable” fabric, this is the only fabric choice for sling type outdoor chair fabric. Because the sling chair must support the weight of the occupant, a strong, non-stretchable fabric is imperative. Without PVC coating, fabrics of acrylic or polyester fiber will not meet this criteria.
Olefin Outdoor Fabric
Dyed and woven polyolefin fabric maintains its strength in wet or dry conditions and is perfect for outdoor upholstery, outdoor umbrellas, and cabanas.
Link Design, and other companies, offer a diversity of patterns and colors allowing for many different styles and moods of décor from a classic American country house to an ultra modern Moroccan terrace or anything between. The bright flowers, leaves, paisleys, and geometric shapes applied to solution-dyed acrylic create a striking look for any choice of outdoor patio furniture fabric.
With proper care, these fabrics will give years of service and enjoyment. Just remember that outdoor fabric is water repellant, not waterproof. Spot clean spills, turn cushions periodically, store in winter, use mild soap to clean, and never use bleach on acrylic and polyester printed fabrics.
Hand-Dyeing Yarn (Fast Forward) – The Yarn Side
|
|
Fiber Dyeing Immersion & Painting on Protein Fibers $25.95 Beginning with a full fleece, you will learn proper skirting, sorting, and scouring techniques as you prepare the fiber for dyeing. The applying of color to protein fibers before the fibers are spun is easy and fun. First, learn step-by-step how to use the dyes (lanaset) and dye your fibers in a dyepot. A color wheel is used as a reference to figure out how to mix your own colors and create your o… |
|
|
Warp Painting Plus… Garment Design & Construction Tips You will learn how to plan, mix and apply dyes to a pre-measured cotton warp, and how to use these painted warps to design fabric for garments. Learn a direct application technique with fiber reactive dyes using a “batching” technique for setting the dyes. You will begin with a simple scarf project to learn the basics of color mixing. Many design and construction tips will guide you through the pr… |
|
|
Hand Dyeing Yarn and Fleece: Custom-Color Your Favorite Fibers with Dip-Dyeing, Hand-Painting, Tie-Dyeing, and Other Creative Techniques $10.69 STERLING PUBLISHING-Hand Dyeing Yarn And Fleece. No crafter should feel limited by the yarn colors available in a favorite fiber shop: not when it’s so fun and satisfying to hand-dye yarn and fleece right in the kitchen. Use fiber color and heat to create exciting new yarns and yarn colors. Recipe-style instructions lead readers through a variety of simple techniques that turn plain or outdated ya… |
|
|
Harvesting Color: How to Find Plants and Make Natural Dyes $13.03 Selection of the Crafters’ Choice Book ClubBeautiful natural dyes from plants found in the wild or grown in your own backyard. As more and more crafters are discovering, dyeing your own fabric can yield gorgeous colors. Now master dyer Rebecca Burgess identifies 36 plants that will yield beautiful natural shades and shows how easy it is to make the dyes. Pokeweed creates a vibrant magenta, while… |
|
|
The Yarn Lover’s Guide to Hand Dyeing: Beautiful Color and Simple Knits $15.33 potter craft for all knitters and crocheters who want to take their craft to the next level by creating their own unique handpainted yarns comes a practical primer for kitchen sink dyeing plus 50 patterns and tips from well known artisans. combine simple techniques for hand dyeing at home with easy yet sophisticated knit and crochet patterns for everything from ponchos to scarves and hats to arm w… |
