Chenille Fabric
Chenille fabric is one of the most luxurious fabrics. It’s priced higher than most other fabrics but quite worth the money if you love extra softness. The French word Chenille means “caterpillar”.
How Is It Manufactured?
It’s manufactured by placing short lengths of yarn, the “pile”, between two “core yarns” and then twisting the yarn together. The edges of these piles stand at right angles from the core yarn.
This gives the chenille fabric both its softness and its characteristic iridescent look without using two colors of yarn. At first chenille was developed in 18th-century France and was actually created by weaving leno and then cutting the fabric into thin strips.
Later, the production of chenille fabric started up in Paisley, Scotland. There, wool yarns would be woven into a blanket and then cut into strips. This method treated by heat made this fabric soft and fuzzy.
When Was It Produced In the U.S.A.?
In 1890, Catherine Evans Whitener revived the handcraft of tufting. The craft spread like wildfire, and by the 1920s thousands of men and women in north Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee had created a thriving cottage industry in the production of tufted bedspreads.
What Items Are Made of Chenille?
Chenille is used many household items because of its softness and beauty. It’s used every day in decorative fabrics, embroidery, tassels, toys, rugs, carpets, towels, beddings, upholstery and some clothing.
Bedspreads: Classic elegance while providing soft, lightweight warmth for a comfortable, cozy atmosphere.
Upholstery: Durability is the key. When any fabric can be made more durable and resistant to stains and dirt with the application of stain protection products it could last for many years as your family lives and grows.
Rugs: Chenille rugs are popular because they offer a thick, soft, surface to walk on giving us a comfortable feeling on our feet after a hard day at work.
Clothing: We love soft plush robes, bath towels, blankets, house slippers. The tufted fabric makes it more absorbent to keep our skin dry.
Final Thoughts
Chenille is a beautiful, plush fabric that we love and want to have in our homes. It makes our homes very comfortable and inviting, time and time again. Chenille is a very popular fabric then and now.
Personally, I love my soft, plushy, warm, bathrobe! Best Christmas present my husband ever bought me.
