Fabric loden: what kind of material, description, features and photo

2024 Author: Sierra Becker | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-26 03:46

The fabric is loden, or as boiled wool is also called, felted woolen fabric, looks like cloth. A natural eco-friendly fabric that is highly breathable thanks to a unique digestion treatment. Additionally acquires heat-insulating and water-repellent qualities.

Currently, textile manufacturers have developed all kinds of this material: with embroidery and ornaments, with a pile, on a knitted basis or boucle. Hats, dresses, suits and outerwear are made from loden. The texture of the material is quite dense and allows you to sew fashionable and comfortable products without lining, with the seams outward.

History

On the domestic market, boiled wool has appeared recently, but the history of its production has more than three hundred years. The land of Tyrol, which is located in the west of Austria, is the birthplace of loden fabric. To escape the cold in harsh snowy winters, the inhabitants of the highlands wore coarse-cut clothes made by hand from sheep's wool. One of the shepherds once accidentally washed his clothes in too hot water. Owner's surprisethere was no limit to the thing, as it seemed that it was already spoiled, however, he noticed that the wool became softer, very dense and almost breathable.

The need for felted textiles began to increase in the second half of the nineteenth century. At the same time, the first enterprises for the production of loden were built in Austria. Boiled wool began to be supplied to many countries of the world. In Russia, it was bought exclusively in order to sew outerwear from it, which was worn in bad weather.

Loden - what kind of fabric? Properties

Loden is made from sheep wool. To make the fabric softer and lighter, some manufacturers add mohair to its composition. Loden fabric is natural.

Modern technologies for the production of this fabric do not differ fundamentally from those that were used several centuries ago. Of course, at the present time, the process of its manufacture is fully automated.

The process is as follows: first the sheep are sheared, and the wool is washed and spun. Then the resulting fiber is felted, from which a loose woolen fabric is obtained. Then the fabric is boiled in boiling water, using special additives, until the material becomes dense and smooth. After that, the canvas is dyed, dried and combed out.

I wonder what other fabrics like loden are? With its characteristics, this fabric resembles quite a lot of materials: it can be compared with felt because of its ability to repel moisture and in density, although it hasless weight and thickness; boiled wool is less breathable than drape, but softer than felt.

Varieties of fabric

This vintage material is now back at the peak of popularity. The production of this fabric is constantly being improved. All new varieties and methods of felting matter are being developed.

There are several methods for producing loden:

• felting and subsequent impregnation;
• felting and weaving;
• knitting first, then felting;
• non-felted way;
• the fabric is formed on a knitted base;
• polyester is added to the composition of the fabric.

The surface of the material is very diverse. It can have a short or long pile, textured or embroidered pattern, be boucled. There is also a double-sided fabric - when the front side is significantly different from the inside.

Dignity

The peculiarity of the structure and natural composition provide the material with many advantages:

1. Sustainability. No chemicals of any kind are used during the production of loden.
2. High thermal insulation and water resistance. The material retains heat for a long time, warms well, like any fabric made from 100% wool. In addition, due to the dense structure of the material, the products become impenetrable and protect from cold air in windy and rainy weather. Finerepel dirt and moisture.
3. Easy tailoring. Due to the fact that the material is highly plastic, it can acquire the desired shape during cutting. On the cut, the fibers do not crumble, this makes it possible to leave the edge raw, this part will be used as a stylish decor.

Flaws

In addition to positive properties, like any other material, loden has disadvantages. These include:

• during wear, clothes made from loden can stretch and shrink if washed in hot water;
• for products made from this material, only dry cleaning is considered, which leads to the complexity of the care of the product;
• People who cannot tolerate animal wax (lanolin) are more likely to develop allergies.

The fabric is loose. How to work with her?

Currently, all types of boiled wool are used in the production of clothing. Warm fashionable coats, hats, capes and jackets and even shoes are sewn from this material. A thinner fabric is used in the manufacture of skirts, trousers, suits, and various accessories.

You need to know a few rules before you start working with this fabric. An important process is the decatification process. It includes the need to wash in warm water, dry and steam a piece of fabric with a hot iron before cutting. This is done because felted wool products after washing can shrink by a couple of sizes. Therefore, decatization is so necessary.

Seams should be glued with interlining to avoidproduct deformation. Since the fabric has a high density, it allows you to sew unlined clothes. However, lining will be necessary if the pile of the product is not smooth enough on the inside.

Care instructions

It is quite capricious in the care of items made of pure wool loden. They are dry clean only and should not be washed by hand or machine. You can clean clothes at home with a dry brush in the direction of the pile.

In lukewarm water, you can wash the mixed loden by hand using a high-quality, well-rinsed product. After that, the product is placed horizontally and given the appropriate shape.

Things from loden must be turned inside out before ironing or apply an additional layer of gauze. Products made of felted wool are stored in paper bags separately from the rest of the clothes and folded. Carefully protect textiles from moths.

Despite the fact that there are difficulties in care, reviews of the Loden fabric are quite positive. Clothing from it remains quite popular and in demand at all times. Warm and stylish pieces from loden will decorate the wardrobe of the most picky fashionistas.