Fabric-ation Trivia Quiz

Answer: Gingham

Gingham was originally a striped fabric, as its Malay name indicates, but after its importation to England and subsequent production there, its characteristic checked pattern was developed. It's a lightweight cotton or cotton blend, and is sometimes used in place of muslin by clothing designers to make prototypes of their designs before creating the final garment in another fabric.

For her second wedding, in 1959, Brigitte Bardot had her dress made of pink gingham, which sparked a run on the fabric that led to a shortage of gingham in subsequent months in France!

Answer: Calico

Calico was first made in India, in a city known in English as Calicut as long ago as the 11th century AD. The cotton fabric is usually dyed a solid color first, then the print is applied with a cylinder that has the print stamped on it or cut out.

Answer: Flannel

Flannel originated in Scotland in the 1600s; it was made of wool, and perfect for keeping Scotsmen warm on those bone-chilling days on the moors. Flannel is a brushed fabric, which raises the fibers of the material causing it to feel soft. It has a number of common uses nowadays-the classic flannel work shirt, flannel pajamas,and flannel bed linens are among the most popular.

Answer: Satin

Satin came from in China, and is named for the city of Zaitun (Zayton), now known as Quanzhou. The fabric was made of woven silk fibers until the development of synthetics, which enabled textile manufacturers to create satin out of rayon or polyester.

Satin is used mostly in formal wear, lingerie, upholstery, and bedding.

Answer: Chiffon

'Chiffon" is French for "rag" or "cloth". It can be made from a variety of fibers-silk, cotton, or synthetics. It is often used as an overlay in dressy garments. It is notoriously difficult to work with because it is slippery and frays easily, but it is very popular for use in formal or evening wear.

Answer: Linen

Linen is possibly the world's oldest textile. By some reports, fabric made from flax fibers more than 30,000 years old has been found by archaeologists in both Europe and Asia. Linen was used for shrouds and boat sails in ancient Egypt.

Presently linen has a multitude of uses-for clothing, it is prized for being breathable, making it a great choice for summertime wear. It is used in home furnishings and decorative items, as well as dish towels and bedding. Linen can be used to make thread, both for sewing fabric and for suturing.

Answer: Corduroy

Corduroy became popular in France and England in the 1700s, when it was constructed from silk. Although its name is French, speculation exists that it was a British textile merchant who dreamed up the name to make the fabric seem more attractive to consumers. Corduroy is nowadays made from cotton; newer versions have incorporated spandex for stretch.

Corduroy is woven using looped fibers that are then cut, usually to form "wales", or ridges, that can be of differing sizes. Pinwale corduroy has 16 wales to the inch, while broadwale has half that number. There are also corduroys that do not have wales, which tend to be very soft, similar to velvet.

Answer: Lamé

Lamé is woven using metallic yarn fibers. It is usually created in gold or silver, but can sometimes be found in copper.

Lamé, not surprisingly, is used mostly for evening wear and for costuming.

Reportedly, when Elvis Presley met Liberace, the press asked them to trade jackets for a photo shoot and Elvis donned Liberace's gold lamé. Elvis' manager apparently thought the look was a good one for him, because Elvis soon had an outfit of the same, which is pictured.

Marilyn Monroe wore a gold lamé dress in a scene in "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"; however, it had a very plunging neckline and the censors forbade filming her from the front, so it was shown from behind. Since it was backless, there wasn't too much to be seen - at least, not of the dress...

Answer: Tulle

The correct pronunciation for this fabric is "tool", like a hammer. Tulle is a fairly stiff, sometimes starched, netting fabric. It is named for the city in France where it likely originated.

It can be made from a variety of materials. In creating the fabric, the weft thread is wrapped once around the warp thread per stitch, which reinforces the thread at the same time as it opens up the weave, rendering the fabric lightweight and strong at the same time.

In addition to veils and tutus, tulle is a good choice for underskirts, because it has enough body to give a skirt extra shape. It also has uses in craft projects.

Answer: Velvet

There are conflicting assertions about the origins of velvet, ranging from 2000 BC in Egypt to 700 AD in what is now Iran. Either way, it's a textile that has been around for a long time!

Velvet is made by drawing loops through another piece of fabric, then cutting the loop ends off. This technique is actually similar to how corduroy is created. Today's velvet can be made of a variety of natural fibers, the most expensive of which is silk, but also can be produced from a number of synthetics as well. It is used in the garment and furniture industries, for draperies and in the costume trade.