Notes
Practical notes on specifying and sourcing fabric.
How to spec cotton fabric so a mill can quote it in one email
The five things a weaving mill needs to price your cloth, and the three that slow every quote down.
Why wide-width cotton is hard to find, and what it changes
A 135-inch loom removes a seam — and the labour, waste and weak point that come with it.
Greige, RFD, dyed or printed: which finish state to order
The same woven cloth is sold at four stages of processing. Which one you order decides your cost, your lead time and how much control you keep.
China-plus-one for cotton fabric: what moving a line to India actually involves
Tariffs and concentration risk are pushing cotton-fabric buyers to add a second origin. The practical steps, and where India fits.
Reading a fabric construction: count, ends, picks and GSM
A line like 20x16 / 128x60 / 58" tells a mill almost everything about a cloth. How to read it, and what each number controls.
What weight canvas do I need? A guide by end use
Canvas runs from 5 oz to 24 oz. Picking the weight is really about the job, the stitching and the hardware — here is the shortlist by product.
Why most mill minimums are 500 m, and how a 100 m minimum works
Minimum order quantity is set by how a loom is scheduled, not by what a buyer needs. Here is what drives it, and how we run a lower one.
Army duck / numbered duck: the weight chart, and what each number is for
The numbered-duck scale runs backwards — a lower number is a heavier cloth. The full chart, the constructions behind it, and what each grade is used for.
Fabric shrinkage: what to expect, and how to spec it so it is not a surprise
Cotton moves through wet processing and the first wash. What the numbers usually are, what sanforising does, and how to put a limit in your spec.
Your first cotton fabric order from India: a checklist
Samples, specification, payment, Incoterms, inspection and lead time — the sequence for a first order with an Indian mill, and what to pin down at each step.