Luxury Linen Glossary
Cotton: Cotton is the single most popular fabric purchased by American consumers today. Cotton's popularity stems from the fiber's inherent benefits, such as comfort and the sensation of softness when touching cotton fabrics. Read More...
White Sheets: The grand dame of luxury bedding is white sheets. When in doubt, you can never go wrong with white sheets. White sheets will always go with anything and everything. Plus, white sheets offer a blank canvas to create any look you want! There is nothing better than freshly washed white sheets. Treat yourself to a set of white sheets today. Read More...
Matelasse: Matelassé is French for “quilted” or “cushioned,” and in usage with fabric, refers to quilted textiles. Matelasses are meant to mimic the style of hand-stitched Marseilles type quilts made in France. Read More...
Sateen: is woven to create a silky smooth surface with a luminous sheen and is known for its luster and drape. Sateen sheets are usually a little thicker and more tightly woven. Sateen sheets have a soft, inviting touch, and are perfect to snuggle into bed with during the cold winter months. Read More...
Percale: percale sheets are plain in weave and characterized by its matte finish and crisp hand. Just like your favorite crisp white shirt, percale sheets are a bedroom must-have, especially during the hot summer months. Our cotton percale linens are light and invigorating yet incredibly soft. Percale sheets are lighter in weight and more breathable, making them perfect for summertime or warmer climates. Read More...
LINEN LINGO
Applique: A surface decorated, sewn or embroidered, or otherwise attached to the fabrics.
Back Coating: Fabric treated with sizing on the back only to give added weight, strength and opacity.
Blanket Stitch: A closely spaced stitch that forms a line of closely spaced loops at the edge. It is used in embroidery for purely decorative purposes.
Bleaching: A necessary process to remove the natural and artificial impurities in fabrics to obtain clear whites even dyeing and printing.
Bourdon Stitching: A close, narrow row of decorative, raised stitching such as a monogram, finished edge or accent.
Cambric: Usually a thin, white closely-woven cotton fabric treated to give a slight gloss. Normally used for pillows and duvet shells
Carding: A process of cleaning fibers by separating and laying them parallel to each other.
Chenille: A fuzzy cotton yarn or fabric that has pile protruding around it. Chenille is the French word for caterpillar.
Chintz: Cotton fabric produced by passing the fabric bewteen heated rollers under pressure. This glazed cotton is often printed with figures and large flower designs. Used widely in upholstery fabrics.
Combing: A process for removing short fibers. The process enables cotton to be spun into very fine, lustrous yarn for high quality fabrics.
Crepe: A lightweight fabric with surface that is more or less crinkled according to the method used. Crepes are made in every variety of fibers.
Damask: A woven cotton fabric made on a jacquard loom that has an alternating satin and matte texture. Damask fabrics are reversible.
Dobby: Woven on a dobby loom, this fabric can be made with a dot or geometric design.
Eyelet: A style of decorative fabric stitched with small cut out openings.
Embossing: A pressure process using engraved rollers and heat application to produce raised or relief patterns on the surface of the fabric.
Faggoted: A decorative trim created by pulling out horizontal threads from a fabric and gathering the remaining cross threads into an hourglass shape.
Flange: A border around the edge of bedding pieces that forms a "frame" adding an extra frame.
Gusset: Refers to the depth of a mattress.
Hand: A characteristic of fabric that is perceived through touching, squeezing or rubbing.
Hemstitching: A decorative stitching along the stitch lines of hems and borders to create an open weave pattern.
Jacquard: A loom as well as a type of intricate fabric woven on a jacquard loom. The loom produces elaborate cloth weaves such as tapestries, brocades, and damask fabrcis.
Lock Stitch: A type of stitch consisting of two threads that are interlocked at short intervals. A lock-stitched terry does not pull easily.
Mercerization: A fuzzy cotton yarn or fabric that has pile protruding around it. Chenille is the French word for caterpillar