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March/April

Hello. I am looking for faux fur knits which have some lycra so they will bounce nack into shape when stretched. Is there such a thing and where could I find it? thanks ever so much,
Joan
Dear Joan: I have never seen faux fur with Lycra, but it may be out there. Visit www.google.com and search "faux fur fabric" where you'll find 4670 listings. Have a great time looking for the fabric of your dreams. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy,
I am trying to find out where I can go in NYC to buy wholesale clothing to take back to my home country for resale. If I can find what I need (at good prices) the intial quantity may be small 200-500 pieces but could grow substantially later. Also, any I idea how should approach these people with the ideas I have? Your help would be very much appreciated by myself and my family.
Sincerely,
Dioumy
Dear Dioumy: start your walking tour of wholesale dress stores on 36 street between 5th and 6th Avenues. Then continue walking west. Go up and down 37 th street, 38th street and 39 streets from 6th Avenue to about 8th Avenue. You'll find many stores that sell wholesale. You've just got to find the garments you like. Spend your time before you spend your money. Bargaining may be OK for some of the store owners. Let them know that this in not a one time sale. Tell them that you do the buying often and will return again. Better to start out small and grow your business. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy, I have searched high and low, and everywhere else for that matter for black linen pants, and white silk shirts. We're getting married on the beach this summer, and we want to go for a relaxed look, yet stick with the black and white theme. Where in the world can I find these items. I've tries to search online but the search gives me a couple thousand things, and I don't have the time to look at all of them. Where do you suggest that I look, and just out of curiosity, if for some strange reason there aren't any black linenpants or white silk shirts to be found, can I contact a seamstress and have them made?
Thank you for your help,
Kara
Dear Kara: try Talbots or Land's End. They can be made, but they are such basic summer wear, that they are readily available in the marketplace. Congratulations on your wedding. Good Luck, Andy

Hi,
I am looking for polyester material at wholesale prices to use with my sublimation system. Do you have any ideas.
Thanks John
Dear John: polyester is a fiber that is made into thousands of different fabrics. Most will work with your printing system. What is the ultimate use of the printed fabric? This will, more or less, determine what fabric you will be printing. When you determine the fabric style, it will be easier to search the Fabrics.Net site, as well as the thousands of textile site. Good Luck, Andy

HI
I wondered if you stock any burberry material, i wish to make a dress, skirt and shirt and would need the burberry material please may you get back to me with a price per square metre?
Dear M: Burberry is a copyrighted pattern. Fabric is not available to the general public. The only way you can buy the fabric , if they will sell to you, is from Burberry themselves. If they won't sell you, and I suspect that will be the case, you can buy a long Burberry skirt and rework the fabric into the dress, skirt and shirt you want. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy !
My name is Giselle and I been a young Puerto Rican who search the best fabric for my promm dress. Sincerely I am very confused because exist many fabrics in market and I like that you helped me to have one better selection. Please help me. Thanks!
Dear Giselle: the best fabric I've seen used for a prom dress is nylon tulle. It is available in a wide range of colors, is relatively easy to find, easy to work with, is inexpensive, and it makes you feel like a princess. Good Luck, Andy

Hello,
Could you please tell me were I can find the fabric "Monet chiffon". The fabric is suppose to be a softer than polyester chiffon and not as sheer. I have called the actual designer Alyce Designs (style:2598) but they would not give me that kind of information, obviously because they want people to purchase the dress not try to make it. I have called all over. I have been told either they have never heard of a Monet chiffon or they do not carry it. I need about 50 yards of this in a mint/lime green color. Please help me find this fabric. I live in Illinois, but I would be willing to oder it off the internet. Thank You For Your Help,
Ceylon
Dear Ceylon: if Alyce Designs has the dress you want, buy it from them. The Monet Chiffon is a name that someone made up and has no real world fabric counterpart. Alyce may have had the fabric made to their specifications. To have the fabric made, you too will need to make 10,000 yards. But the garments from them and enjoy. Good Luck, Andy

I recently purchased a comforter set at Target (Royal Legacy Corsica by Martex). I was wondering where I might purchase some of the same fabric to make draperies. Any ideas?
Thanks
SDK
Dear SDK: your only chance is to either call Martex directly or buy another set of sheets and make the curtains out of them. Good Luck, Andy

DEAR ANDY:
What is the difference and similarities between patterns, and markers--as it relates to apparel?
Best regards,
Camille
Dear Camille: the pattern is drawn from the original design of the garment. It is then made into a marker which is used to manufacture the garments. I hope this helps you. Good Luck, Andy

I am looking for a wholesale source for 100% cotton chenille fabric. I want the soft fluffy textured type used for garments, robes and such, not upholstery fabric. I have accounts with several wholesale distributors but none seem to carry this type of fabric. I have seen it at Hancock fabrics but just in a few colors and only a straight line texture. Thanks.
Deb
Dear Deb: make a beeline to Hancock and see if there is an RN number on the bolt of fabric that you like. We will then tell you how to find the manufacturer of that exact fabric. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy,
I have an opportunity to work with a friend of mine who has a boutique. His partner designs clothing. They want to try using one of my fabric designs and have it silk screened. I am not sure whether to sell the design to them outright or keep ownership of it and receive a percentage from the sales of the clothing. Do you know currently what a fabric designer could expect to sell a design for or what percentage he could expect to receive. Any answer you can give me would be very much appreciated.
Thank you !
Sincerley,
Lisa
Dear Lisa: sorry, I don;t have the information you have requested. Since you have more than one design that you own, you could try it both ways. That is, sell one design outright for let's say $1000.00. This should have a limit that it can only be used on one type of garment by one manufacturer for one season only. Another idea would be that they buy it forever for a one time charge of, let's say $5000.00. You can also license them to use your design at pay you a royalty for each garment they sell. There are two wholesale trade shows you may want to visit in the coming months. The Surtex show in Javits Center, New York, NY in May (www.surtex.com) and the Licensing Show also in NY in June at the Javits Center. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy,
I tried to call about the T.I.P guide and the number is no longer good. Could you help me with how to locate jobbers or places that I can purchase 100% wool.I also tried to find a good number for the Wool Bureau. How would one go about locating sources to buy 40 to 60 yds pieces and more depending on piece.
Thank you,
Betsy
Dear Betsey: we will find out what happened to the T.I.P. guide. In the meantime visit www.fashiondex.com. Also, visit the sourcing area here at Fabrics.Net. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy,
What is the best and easiest way to construct a very full tulle bridal gown bottom ...I need it to lay evenly as it starts from the hip to the floor. Also cutting the bottom edge evenly.
Thanks,
Barb
Dear Barb: I'm not a seamstress or tailor, but I do know that working with tulle is easy. It does not need to be hemmed oon the bottom. Try laying the dress out and cut straight across the bottom. Maybe Judith can add her "two cents" here, as she was sewing tulle gowns when I first met her. Happy Dancing and Good Luck, Andy
Hi Barb,
Tulle is, as Andy said, easy to work with. When I made tulle skirts, I would lay the tulle down in several layers before cutting, making sure all wrinkles were out and then laying the pattern piece down on the layered tulle. After you have made the gown, you can carefully pin all tulle layers to the underskirt to check for length and an even line. Pin and trim very carefully as it is very easy to trim off more than needed or to trim in an uneven line. After you have trimmed and checked the hem edge, pull all layers of tulle apart up to where the skirt connects to the bodice. If you turn the dress and hang it by the underskirt, the tulle will "fluff" quite nicely.
Hope this helps!
Judith

Hi Andy, I was wondering if you could help me locate anti-tarnish cloth or sometimes known as silver keeper fabric. A friend of mine is a silversmith and has asked me to make these bags that prevent silver from tarnishing. I would like to purchase this fabric wholesale however I can't seem to find it any where. Help. Thanks Marge.
Hi Marge,
Fiefield fabrics has "silver keeper fabric" and they are a wholesale source. Just go to http://www.fifieldfabrics.com or email apiccarini@fifieldfabrics.com
Hope this helps!
Judith

Hello-
My son and I are working on a Science Fair Project "Is cloth stronger when it is wet?" due later this month. We built a small jig to stretch 1"x12" material samples on, wet and dry, and recorded how many "turns" we had to make before the materials sheared off.
What we've been finding is that most of the materials we tested were actually weaker when they were wet-- I'm assuming the water is acting as a lubricant, reducing the friction in the weave of the material and allowing it to shear sooner. (This is our theory anyway.)
Question(s): 1. Do you have any test data or other useful info regarding this type of testing?
2. Can you give us a good description of "polished cotton". Our polished cotton samples gave us the same results, wet and dry. What would cause this? Chemical treatment seal the fibers?
Appreciate whatever insight you could provide.
PWilhelm
Dear Friends: your experiments are interesting. Polished cottons are sometimes produced by actually polishing or buffing the cloth. It goes through a series of rollers and is buffed to a high gloss. Other than this information, I am unable to assist with anything additional. Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy,
My name is Chris and I'm a graphic designer in the process of starting my own private label sport/extreme gear clothing line. I have been researching/gathering info for a couple years now & I'm ready/I want to get the name out there. I will be using a variety of apparel items created by manufacturers (Hanes, Lee, etc.)- because I can buy their generic items at wholesale prices & put my own label in. I understand many name brand companies do this (Billabong, Hurley, Ocean Pacific, etc.) & this is allowed, as long as the "Joker tag"- (country of origin/ size/washing instructions) remains in there. These companies (Hanes, Lee) will actually do this for you- but at large quantities and a steep price. I will also be using a brand that makes a chemical treated t-shirt that draws the sweat from your body and doesn't smell like sweat-even after a week. Nike has something similar called dry-fit I believe. Sounds pretty good.
Anyway- in order to keep my costs down for now, I have designed & created my custom woven tags ( a manufacturer here in U.S.A. can do a roll of 5,000 or 10,000 for pennies a piece), and I figure I can buy apparel pieces at low quantities and sew the label in (replace tags), so I can control costs- plus see how they are moving, rather than investing big bucks and get stuck with inventory. My question is- can a local sewing shop replace the tags for me? Can my wife & I do this at home with our home sewing machine without screwing up the quality of the job? Is there a website/ video tape/ any other how-to source I can get more info/directions on this? Again- quantities will be small at first- I'll worry about larger amounts later.
PLEASE HELP!
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
Sincerely,
Chris
Dear Chris: you are on the right path. Do the sewing at home. No one will know or care about the tag inside. The wash tag is the most important. I've seen hang tags on garments that identity the "seller" or designer, which is different that the manufacturer. How will your garments be different that the generic models already being sold? Will they have a design or other novel item added to them? Good Luck, Andy

Andy Help, I am trying to find a manufacturing company in Mexico to manufacture a fabric item for me. The item entails iron on bonding to two pieces of fabric. Please point me in the right direction with the names of some manufacturing companies. Thanks for your time and information. Nancy
Dear Nancy: when doing "bonding" in large quantities, it is best to do it at a "laminator". Why Mexico? There are lots of great laminators right here in the U.S. We look forward to hearing from you soon. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy,
I have Four large blue cotton velvet curtains which have faded,where can I get them cleaned and Dyed.
Thank You,
Doreen
Dear Doreen: there may be nothing you can do to dye your curtains. However, visit www.ritdye.com and see what they have to say. Good Luck, Andy

My daughter found the perfect dress for her wedding and at a super bargain (which in it's self is a miracle) of $150. The only problem is she is having a fall wedding with a harvest theme and the dress is white. She would like it Ivory or Champaign color, it is polyester. What would you recommend? She is in CT and I am in FL ,and tells me it's 100% polyester satin. I will also be taking the dress in a little.
Thank You. Sincerely, Sharon
Dear Sharon: leave the dress alone, except for the alterations. Speak with your florist and get some nice fall flowers. Congratulations on the wedding and Good Luck, Andy

Hi Andy,
I am going to attempt to make my own slipcovers for my couches. What type of fabric should I buy?
Thanks, Christy
Dear Christy: slipcovers, like everything else in life, is a matter of choices. Make your choice after careful consideration. Do you have kids in the house? Small kids? Pets? Is this a piece of furniture that gets used? Abused? Does it need to be Scotchguarded? Is it a showpiece? Is it near a window? Do you smoke? Does the fabric need to be flame retardant? Do you eat food while on the furniture? Drinks? Will you be washing the covers? Dry Cleaning them? Ask the fabric supplier when you buy the fabrics, which ones best suit your own personal needs. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy;
I purchased a dress made of 100% acetate. The dress tag states Dry Clean Only, Do Not Use Iron With Steam. Well with my luck and coordination, I accidentally spilled water on the skirt. While it dried OK, there is a ring around the area that became wet. Is there anything I can do to fix the skirt? I really like it!
Sally
Dear Sally: bring it to the cleaner and see if there is anything they can do. You may need to buy another dress. Good Luck, Andy

andy
my name is danny and i'm a mechanic. my sisters oldest daughter lives with me so she can attend a better school, and I got her dress dirty. it's not rubed in it just made contact. the lable says to dryclean / the cleaner says not by 04/13/02 and thats when she needs it. it's a white taffeta with gold glitter. and it's a very light spot all the way at the bottom by the hem. what do i do---besides change my name and move to a third world contry. please help
Dear Danny: beg the cleaner or offer him a premium to clean the dress "rush". Offer him a free oil change! Short of that, you could buy another dress. I'm sorry that there is not much more I can say, except, to tell your niece to enjoy the evening and don't worry about the dress. She'll always remember her prom night, the dress problem will fade into the din. Good Luck, Andy

Could you please offer some advice on spot cleaning a velevet dress dark cranberry?
Dear Velvet dress owner: My advice has always been, take the garment to a professional dry cleaner. Anything you can do will only ruin the garment. Good Luck, Andy

Andy
I'm looking for the place in New Jersy that laminates fabric in large qtys. Also do you know where I can buy wholesale wool flannel and wholesale PUL polyurethane laminate fabric ? Thanks kelly
Dear Kelly: visit www.fabrite.com. They are the ones to see in New Jersey to laminate your fabrics. As far as the wool fabric, search here at Fabrics.Net. Good Luck, Andy

Dear Andy,
How do you remove iron on transfers from fabrics safely and easily. Thanks
Tracey
Dear Tracey: take a sharp scissor and cut out the letters. This will keep the letters real nice, but of course ruin the garment. You didn't say that you needed the garment anyway. The letters are affixed so that they are attached permanently to the fabric. There may be no good way to remove the letters and keep the garment whole. 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.