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October Questions

Andy-What did the discovery of chlorine bleach have to do with causing dramatic growth of the advertising industry (including the First advertising agency) in the late 18th/early 19th century? Thanks! :) Katrinka
Dear Katrinka; we've passed your questions on to our friends at www.textileaffairs.com. They may have the answer you are looking for. Good Luck, Andy Hi Katrinka,

The answer to your question follows...

"In the 1830ís, inventors discovered chlorine. Chlorine could be used to bleach materials to make newspaper, so more newsprint became available. Since more and more white space could now be utilized in the papers, advertisers began to take advantage, especially patent medicine advertisers. In addition, ads for tools such as reapers and sewing machines began to appear. "

Please note that the chorine process and environmental impact in paper production is dramatically different from the hypochlorite bleach used in laundry and home cleaning use.

I hope this is helpful.
Regards,

Roy Rosenthal
Marketing Support
Textile Industry Affairs
________________

A Brief History of Advertising 1

Shop signs, billboards, and other forms of advertising existed in America even as far back as the seventeenth century. During these rudiments of American advertising, certain items were advertised more than anything else-- land, slaves and indentured servants, and transportation such as carriage schedules and ship departures, as well as what types of cargo could be transported with and without passengers. During the seventeenth century, the market economy of America was just beginning, and there wasn't enough money at first for items of luxury.

During the beginnings of advertising, the amount of paper present in American society depicted the amount of advertising. When the British were still in America, paper was common. People such as Ben Franklin were among the first to intertwine text with pictures to make newspapers more vibrant and interesting. Fonts, which are styles of type that affect the reader in different ways, were as large as 36 point, though 12 was the standard. One popular font was ìcaslon. î

Through the early 1800ís, paper for newspapers was scarce. Most newspapers were composed of rag, which was difficult to find. The average point size of fonts had to be reduced to half their size. By doing this, newspapers could increase the number of words per page. Rag for newspaper came from clothing such as shirts and dresses. When clothes became too worn out to wear, people made them into quilts and blankets, and finally, the potential rag would be worn out enough to make rag paper. This process took a long time, so not much rag was available. Most large cities produced 300 to 400 sheets a day. As that happened, newspapers also used less and less white space, and crowded small text advertisements into columns. The lack of ad space resulted in abbreviated advertisements. It also resulted in creative advertising moving elsewhere-- to displays, handbills and trade cards.

During the beginning of the U.S., between 1780-1830, families did not have much spending money. As a result, the market advertisers realized consumers only had a demand for basic necessities such as tools, food not grown on family farms, and clothing-- not that there wasn't a demand for just about anything, there just wasn't money to pay for it. In the late 1700ís and early 1800ís, most advertisers were selling goods to their community. The communities spread out a little bit as wealth increased, but usually most ads were targeted to places within a day or sotravel. Because railroad tracks only went as far as Mississippi by the early 1850ís, it was difficult to ship things any further.

The first products to be advertised nationally were patent medicines. Patent medicines were not patented in the way things are patented today. Basically, medicines throughout British history received royal approval in England. Hence, these new medicines in America retained the name ìpatent.î These medicines were usually comprised of alcohol and/or opium or morphine. Merchants began advertising specific medicines, and in essence began what we today call ìtrademarking.î

In the 1830ís, inventors discovered chlorine. Chlorine could be used to bleach materials to make newspaper, so more newsprint became available. Since more and more white space could now be utilized in the papers, advertisers began to take advantage, especially patent medicine advertisers. In addition, ads for tools such as reapers and sewing machines began to appear.

Economists once believed that advertising began to grow into such a huge industry leading up to the Civil War because more and more goods were produced. Transportation was greater, and so was the wealth of the expanded markets. The economists believed that since advertisers began advertising beyond local communities, the industry began to boom. Today, however, economists believe that what was more important to the growth of advertising was the need to fix a market price. Manufacturers, as they produced more goods, depended on the buyer to come up with a price. If manufacturers could develop a reputation for their product through advertising, then they could set a fixed price to their product. For example, buyers would eventually be able to buy almost any cola at a good price, but Coca Cola could charge more due to the reputation its product got from advertising. In addition, advertising made consumers aware of various products. As a result, consumers demanded stores carry specific brand names

Roy: your answer was brilliant. I didn't realize how much knowledge you had on these subjects. I'm glad that we reached out to you to help our readers at Fabrics.Net. Thanks again. Your answer was very enlightening to all. Best Regards, and Good Luck, Andy

Andy, after laundering, my rayon skirt was accidentally dryed in the dryer and now shows stains. Can that be removed from the skirt? Donna
Donna: I doubt there is much you can do. Bring it to a dry cleaner and see if they can remove the stains. If not, happy shopping and Good Luck, Andy

I live in a small resort town (with a lot of wealthy home owners) and am considering opening a home furnishings fabric store since a person must drive minimum an hour to the nearest decorator fabric store. I would appreciate any tips or suggestions you could give me as a starting point for wholesalers, etc. Christine B.
Dear Christine: it has been my experience that wealthy home owners don't shop for fabric. Their decorators do. Notwithstanding, visit www-itma-showtime.com. The next edition of the home furnishing industry wholesale fabric trade show is December 11-14, in High Point, North Carolina. Every company that supplies fabric to the furniture industry is represented at that show. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, I have started my own company with my sister, and we want fabric with our logo printed on it in various colors. Can you tell me a good place to start? Do we need to go to a trade show? If so where is a good one in the midwest. We are in Kansas.
Can you suggest a a good company to work with. We are a small business but we are ready to have our own fabric made and realize that it is an ivestment, but we do need bulk quantites of our designs. Thanks Amy
Dear Amy: what seems like a simple question, has a complex answer. Fabric: top weight, bottom weight, knit or woven? Custom fabric has a lot to do with the application of the fabric. If it is going to be used for apparel, it is different that if it is going to be used for home furnishings or industrial applications. Do you want it printed with your name or logo, or do you want the design knitted or woven into the cloth? Will you be needing 1000 yards or can you use 10,000 yards? Does it need to be made of a natural fiber, or can you use a synthetic?
There are two great trade show coming up in the not too distant future, that you should attend. The Material World show, September 28-30, (www.material-world.com), at Jacob Javits Convention Center, New York City at the end of this week, features mostly apparel fabrics. The Showtime Show December 11-14, in High Point, North Caroline (www.itma-showtime.com) features home furnishing fabrics. At one or both of these shows, you will be able to find the exact fabric you need. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, I just found your website. I am manufacturer & Exporters for rugs ,Bath Mats, Dhurries, quilted bed covers, cushion covers, teble covers, placemats, curtains, fashion accessorises, furniture in different FABRICS, PATTERNS AS PER MARKET TRENDS. that I would like to sell in USA market. I have absolutely no experience with American market. I have found some contacts via internet and sent some samples for consideraion. Im looking for a company/agent that can import/promot our products from us. I need someone who does good work and can market our products in American market.I've been told that I will probably have to contact with someone in AMERICA. I have no idea how to do that ? any companies and contact names you can provide, along with general info that will help me see clearly what I'm getting into will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. DC Tyagi
Dear DC: visit www.glmshows.com and plan on exhibiting at some of the major trade shows in the US. You should be able to find the agents and the customers you want, while exhibiting your products. Good Luck, Andy

Hello Andy, I would be interested in finding out more about fabric backing for diaper bag manufacturing. We are trying to back nice fabric such as velvet and use this fabric to make bags. We are not familiar with the process and have recently heard about it. Up to now, we have used regular batting and one manufacturer did not even include that in the sample made. Do you know of any companies that would do this in the Los Angeles/Orange County areas? Would you know who we may contact to find referrals for bag/hat manufacturing? I would very much appreciate your help. Thank you! Gabriela Drosu
Dear Gabriela: visit www.seams.org for a listing of sewing contractors around the USA. A good contractor, should have experience sewing diaper bags, and have the contacts you need. You may have to go out of your area to find the best sewing contractor for your needs. Good Luck, Andy

i purchased some jeans that i really like, but they have an overdyed spot on them that i would like to darken or even return to its original color, is this possible? Thanks Jon
Dear Jon: leave the jeans the way you found them. Anything you do, will alter the appearance, and not always in the manner in which you intended. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy- I have a brides maids dress that is a little tight. They already let it out a little bit but I want it let out more.Do they let it out by the lining or the actual dress? -Heather
Heather: forget about letting it out any more. Time to lose the extra weight. Happy Dieting and Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, I would like to start a line of children's clothing. What I need is blue jeans for example. Then I want to embellish them.I also want to use my own label. How do I get started on something like this> Thank You Bonnie
Dear Bonnie: visit www.magiconline.com and plan on attending the apparel shows in February 2006. Robert Frost would be proud of you. Good Luck, Andy

Andy, I'm the designated "Mr. Chemistry" for removing spots/blots on the family fabrics...with generally excellent results. But when I was asked to remove a tan spot of unknown cause from a light/white wool sweater my wife had bought years ago in Ireland, things took a nasty turn because I didn't know not to use bleach on wool...Yow!
Now (after gentle work, peroxide, a couple of tries with DiDi7, and a visit to the local dry cleaner, who ran it through twice) the spot is still just visible enough to ruin it as "good" clothing. What else should I try, or try again? We live in Chicago, so I should be able to find almost anyone/anything you suggest locally.
Failing that, is my fallback plan to dye the whole sweater light tan/brown a good one? We gotta take winter seriously here! Thanks! Conrad
Dear Conrad: I too, years ago, dreamed ,while using my Gilbert Chemistry set, of becoming a scientist. The German language was the problem for me. I fear that the stain on the sweater is like a scar on the body. Always there, but in time may fade.
Since you live in Chicago, get over to Michigan Avenue, and buy your wife a new sweater.
Dyeing it will open the possibility of ruining it forever. Let her wear it when the mood strikes her. Like all old things, the older they are the better they get. Enjoy it for what it is, an old sweater.
Enjoy the coming winter and count your blessings, that you are in the cold of Chicago, and not on the Gulf Coast of this great nation. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, I work for a company that cuts and sews synthetic and cotton fabrics. Do you know what is appropriate the humidity level in a sewing operation to avoid static and bunching up of the fabric? Jorge
Dear Jorge: there is not one level that will be good for both natural and synthetic yarns. The best advice here is to experiment until you have it right. Good Luck, Andy

HELLO ANDY, I HAVE A QUESTION.... I HAVE A COAT WITH TRIMMING OF FUR AROUND THE HOOD PART AND IM NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF FUR IT IS OR IF ITS EVEN REAL, BUT I WASHED IT AND THEN I DRYED IT IN THE DRYER AND SOME OF THE FUR FUSED TOGETHER, IS THERE ANYWAY TO "UN-FUSE" IT? THANK YOU. CLAUDIA
Dear Claudia: sounds like your fur was Faux fur. There is no way to "un-fuse it". Consider buying some new "fur" trim and replace it. Happy Shopping and Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, My son (20 years old) is a huge WW2 history buff. I was wanting to make him a no-sew or sew fleece blanket for Christmas. I have been looking all over for fleece fabric that would have a WW2 theme on it, but have had no luck in locating any. Would you be able to help me with this? Thanks, Brenda
Dear Brenda: list your needs here at Fabrics.Net. Someone may know someone that has what you want. Happy Shopping and Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, I recently purchased microfiber furniture and my lovely children got gum and apple juice on it already. Can you offer me any help in removing these items from the fabric? Thanks, Kim
Dear Kim: kids and furniture are never a good mix, until the kids reach about 25 years old, and then, they don't want to sit with you anyway. Just kidding. Visit www.carbona.com to help with removing the gum and apple juice stains. They have the right chemicals for the job. As far as kids go, love them forever, and don't worry about the stains. Good Luck, with both the kids and the furniture :). Andy

Dear Andy, I have 2 vintage chenille bedspreads. I am trying to identify the name of these 2 bedspreads. Can you help me if I send along a pic? Thank you! Nancy
Dear Nancy: I didn't know bedspreads have names. I looked at your photos and they are nice designs. I'd call one Beatrice and the other Shirley. Good Luck, Andy

Hello Andy, I have a question. I am by no means a fashion designer, but I do have a couple of ideas on some handbags because handbags and shoes are my passion! First I want to know how I go about protecting my ideas and then I want to know how I go about manufacturing them and marketing them. Can you help?? Nancy
Dear Nancy: there is no effective way to protect your designs. You can apply for a design patent at the Patent Office(www.uspto.gov). The question is, how many dollars do you have to protect your patented product? According to Women's Wear Daily in a recent article, the minimum cost to protect a patent, is at least $500,000. You have to sell lots of stuff to cover those costs.
As far as manufacturing, visit www.seams.org to find a list of sewing contractors.
As far as marketing, you will have to exhibit at several trade shows. I'd recommend the FAME group at www.fameshows.com for your type of product. Good Luck, Andy

Andy, I can't seem to find an answer to this anywhere. I have purchased a silk knit top and it has a fishy smell about it. This was a high end garment and is not the first time I've run into this problem. In the past, I've washed and washed and washed but I end up making the garment look old before it is even worn. Please help. I know I can't be the only one with this problem. Thanks!
Dear Maureen: yes, we've come across this question many times before. The best thing to do, is return the garment and start over. Happy Shopping and Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, I am making a costume using suede and pleather. The pleather is being used to make a crown, belt, and sleeve bracelets. My question is how do I make the pleather strong enough to make it into a crown? Do I use cardboard? Is that even sewable? I guess the question really is how do I make pleather stiff? Thank you for your help. Dora-Lee Arjona
Dear Dora-Lee: we'll let one of our resident sewers answer this question. Good Luck, Andy
Dora-Lee, try using the crinoline that is used in the top of draperies. It is very stiff and can be sewn plus it is available at many of the fabric stores or drapery fabric stores. Hope this helps! Judith

Hi Andy, I run a business that makes custom handbags. In our first 2 years, we employed 2 seamstresses to make all of our items. Lately, we have been taking so many orders that our manufacturers can't keep up (darn…I know)! We need to make the move from a small operation to a larger one, so we are looking to partner with a contract sewer. Our store is in Cincinnati, OH…how do I go about finding a qualified company near me? Thanks, Christina
Dear Christina: Visit www.seams.org for a list of sewing contactors across the country. Remember that the closest one to you, may not be the best one for your needs. Call around, and go to visit, before sending products to them. The expense of travel is minor compared to the problems that will occur, if you don't have some face to face contact. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, I have several clothing pieces that are a polyester/wool/other blend (71%,23%, & 6% respectively). What is the best way to wash these? I came across a product called Eucalan Woolwash, used to wash wool blankets. Could this work work for the material blend I have? A small amount of shrinking would actually be welcomed as well. Would it hurt to throw them in the dryer for a short while? Thanks in advance! Regards, Sheena
Sheena: it may be OK to try to Eucalan, but keep the clothes away from the dryer. Let them dry naturally. Good Luck, Andy

Andy, I have a question, if I wanted to buy a bulk of greige good say 100,000 yards per month what would I figure on paying per yard? For One Pass & For 3 Pass Black Out And also these 2 with Fire Retardant. Your help or any answer would be greatly appreciated,. Best regards, Jason
Dear Jason: we visited your web site. I am unfamiliar with the fabrics you mentioned. I'd suggest you visit www.ifai.com and try to contact one of their members for the greige goods you need. You will also need to find a fabric finisher to finish the greige goods and add the FR protection you need. Speak with your current supplier and see if a deal can be worked out. If your current supplier is not a mill, perhaps they may want to take a commission on a sale of over 1 million yards, than chance the prospect of losing all of your business. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, I am working the set for a play in which the director wants actors to swing on and climb lightweight fabric ("parachute fabric"). I've done some preliminary research and found that parachutes today generally are made from rip-stop nylon, and that Cirque de Soleil uses tricot for similar purposes. What specifications should I use for either of these materials and which is likely to be safer? Any additional advise about finding vendors would also be helpful. I expect to buy about 80 yards. Thanks, Bruce
Dear Bruce: the fabric you need, and the one that Cirque De Soleil uses is something called Flyers Fabric.It is a tricot fabric. It is available at www.heddysfabrics.com. You can call them at 702-870-3754. Safe "flying" and Good Luck, Andy

hello, I have recently designed my own fabric and I know that they would sell. I have no idea of what to do next though. I am interested in selling the fabric concept idea and not the fabric itself. Could you guide me in the correct direction? Thank you, Marilyn Wier
Dear Marilyn: you need to exhibit your designs at the Surtex trade show. Visit www.surtex.com. The next show for apparel type designs, is scheduled for May 21-21, 2006. The next show for home fashion designs, is scheduled to start in two days. If you hurry, you can get a ticket to New York City and attend the show. I'm sure you'll learn a lot. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, This may not be your "thing," but for years I have understood, "fashion-wise," that we were not to wear linen after Labor Day. Is there a rule in 2005? Thanks for your response. Margaret
Dear Margaret: funny, my wife had the same rule. Now, after many years, I think that I've convinced her....it's linen anytime! Wear what you want, when you want. Dress to your hearts content. There are No Rules. Good Luck, Andy

Andy, I am interested in starting my own fabric line. I am an interior designer with experience, but my passion is art. I want to express that through fabric. I would love to develop my own fabrics. Where do I start? Thanks! Melissa
Dear Melissa: visit the Surtex trade show, starting October 16 in New York City. Visit www.surtex.com to register. There you will find other, like minded artists and designers, wanting to sell their art to the fabric market. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, My white Nylon window curtains have become yellowed with age How do I restore them to their original whiteness Best regards, Maureen Abbott
Dear Maureen: Nylon is not a great fabric for window dressings. I fear that to restore them to their original whiteness, will require more effort and more expense than purchasing new curtains. With that said, Happy Decorating and Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy, I accidentally bleached a silk shirt that I received from a family member and I am not sure how to fix it. The color of my shirt is now a light brown color. Can you advise me on how or what I should do to bring it back to the normal white color that it was before I bleached it. Thanks Mandy
Dear Mandy: visit www.textileaffairs.com. They should be able to help. Good Luck, Andy

Hi, Andy. I'm currently wearing a nifty (and cheap) pair of gaucho pants that are 47%rayon, 46% poly and 7% spandex. It's lightweight stuff with a gorgeous drape and it doesn't ravel or roll at the edges. The issue: I want this fabric (or a v. similar rayon/poly/spandex blend) to make a skirt I've got in mind. I've seen this fabric used in tons of commercial things this year, but I can't find it on bolts, and don't want to pay for a garment I'm going to cut up into raw materials. I've checked at Hancock's and Joann's, and they don't have it. Do you have any idea where I can get it? Undyed might be preferable because I want a few specific colors, but dyed could work. Thanks, Claire
Dear Claire: short of taking a trip to China or wherever on the planet your Gaucho pants were made, I doubt that you will be able to find the exact fabric. Manufacturers have these fabrics custom made for their use. You may have to cut up the pants to make the skirt. Good Luck, Andy

 

Andy has been in the fabric and textile business all his life, but professionally since 1969.

"I love what I do, selling fabrics around the globe. I've met lots of interesting, creative, dynamic folks; some have become dear friends. I love to help new businesses find the things they need to become successful. It works for everyone."

You can ask Andy questions at Andy@Fabrics.net.

If you are looking for fabrics, the fastest route is to fill out a request form at http://www.fabrics.net/swatch/

The "Ask Andy" Column is an opinion Column and may or may not reflect the views of Fabrics.net.