[SCA-AS] Fabric Question

[Merritt, Cheryl]

   1. Fabric Question (Solveig Throndardottir)


Solveig:

You've hit upon one of the areas I love to study! Momie is the weight
used to measure silk and silk fabrics:

Here is one definition:

Silk is graded by different standards referred to in the industry as the
"momme weight" system. The momme weight of silk is simply the weight, in
pounds, of silk fabric measuring a standard 100 yards by 45 inches. For
example, a standard measure of silk fabric weighing 2 ounces per linear
yard would be a 12.5 momme weight (2/16 x 100) silk fabric. Higher momme
weights indicate that more silk is used in the weaving process. Just for
reference, silk apparel may use 10-12 momme weight, while silk sheets
may use 16 or 19 momme weight silk fabric.

I have several books at home on silk and fabrics and fibers, and will
see if I can provide any more info on it.

Your other question is interesting. I've not seen tables on the
internet. I have several books on fabrics, to include a fabric glossary.
The one thing I've been struck by is that fabric names are not hard and
fast. They may refer to a specific type of fabric, or a weave structure,
or a fiber. I've seen broadcloth described one way for historical
purposes, but then I've seen for sale cotton broadcloth and silk
broadcloth. And all of this is complicated by the fact that over time,
names change. So what we know as one fabric today had a different name
historically. 

I've also noted that various references will describe historical fabrics
differently. 

When I teach fabric classes, I have binders with fabric swatches that
I've collected over the years so I can show what a contemporary
gabardine looks like compared to crepe or a twill, and I try and
distinguish fabrics by their fiber content and their weave structure,
and not so much by what they may be called by the marketers.

Please let me know if you have any specific questions, and I'll see if I
can help answer your questions.

YIS,

Lady Alessandra



Message: 1
Date: Mon, 7 Jan 2008 02:05:28 -0500
From: Solveig Throndardottir <nostrand at acm.org>
Subject: [SCA-AS] Fabric Question
To: Arts and Sciences in the SCA <artssciences at lists.gallowglass.org>
Message-ID: <8C155AF9-0A9E-42E0-B302-58A195731452 at acm.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

Noble Cousins!

Greetings from Solveig! Can anyone tell me what "momi" means?
Also, there are a lot of different names for kinds of fabrics. Does
anyone know where there is an online table of fabric descriptions?
Thank you very much!

Your Humble Servant
Solveig Throndardottir
Amateur Scholar