Appendix 7 - Glossary of Fabrics and Similar Items 1 Textile terms are not universal nor consistent. They change with the centuries and with the countries importing or exporting the particular fabrics. In addition, often textiles were known by local names or spelled differently on orders, in letters, in record books, etc. BOCKING, BAYS-A coarse woolen material used especially for lining military uniforms. BOMBAZINE, BOMBAZEEN-A fabric made of silk warp and worsted weft. BOMBAZETS, PLAINBACKS-A similar fabric to Bombazine. BRITANNIAS-A linen fabric with a plain weave. BUNTING-An open and plain woven woolen narrow cloth. CADDIS-Usually a cheap worsted ribbon or tape. CALICO-A cotton fabric very popular during the Revolutionary War. CAMBRIC-A thin and plain usually white fabric made of cotton or linen. CASIMIR, CASSIMERE, KERSEYMERE-A light material of a compact weave made with awoolen warp although the warp could be cotton so long as the filling was wool. CLOTH-According to Carolyn Bridge Dennis, Fabrics of Early America, p.17, the word "cloth" in the 18th century meant woolen fabrics only. However, not all authors use the term "cloth" to strictly denote a woolen fabric. The authors of this book on the dress and adornment of the S.E. Indians have used the term in its more common sense to refer to fabric or material, not necessarily of wool. COATING-A thick, heavy woolen, long napped cloth. CORDEROY, CORDUROY-A coarse fabric of heavy cotton with a corded or ribbed velvet finish. COTTON-The term cotton originally described woolen fabric whose nap had been raised or cottoned. The term started in the fifteenth century and lasted through the seventeenth century. DOMESTICS-Goods made in the U.S. like cotton, shirting, and sheeting. DOWLAS-A coarse linen or cotton used to make inexpensive clothes. DRILL-A twill, woven cotton similar to denim. DRAB-An expensive, thick, stout, and closely woven overcoating. DUFFIL, DUFFEL, DUFFLE-A heavy napped, coarse and felted woolen cloth. The term also signified a low grade blanket. DURANT, EVERLASTING- A strong woolen cloth. FUSTIAN-A strong fabric, originally of linen warp and cotton weft. Often it was made of all cotton. GINGHAMS-A striped or checked cloth usually referring to one made of cotton. HALF THICKS-A cloth similar to Kersies but coarser. HOMESPUN-A woolen cloth woven in the home and not by a commercial loom. It is of a plain weave. HUMHUM GOODS, HUM-HUM-A lining fabric made of coarse cotton. KERSEY, KERSIES-A coarse woolen fabric whose nap obscured the weave. It was used a lot for uniforms and overcoats. LIMBOURG-A coarse cloth often blue in color. It was popular with the Indians who used it for breech cloths, leggings, mantles, and women's petticoats (skirts). This definition is from John Francis McDermott's A Glossary of Mississippi Valley French 1673-1850. Many sources were consulted in the hopes of finding a more complete definition since the cloth was so popular among the Indians. Since the Indians used it for breech cloths, leggings and coverings, it can contextually be correctly assumed that it was made of a heavy wool. LINSEY-WOOLSEY-A coarse fabric made of a mix of cotton or linen as the warp and wool as the weft. LISTERSOYS- Possibly similar or the same as LIST CLOTH. LIST CLOTH- Gray List Cloth had a white stripe on the selvage while White List Cloth had a gray stripe on the selvage. It was used as trade goods with the Indians. LUTE STRING SILK, LUSTRING-A plain or flowered light silk. MADRAS-Goods exported from the part of India called Madras. This includes Ginghams. Later the term applied to bright checks and plaids made from cotton. MARSEILLES, MARCELLA, MARSELLA-The name refers to the French city of export. The terms identified finely quilted petticoats and coverlets. In the mid 18th century, looms tried to reproduce this heavy quilted material. MUSLIN-A finely woven fabric that was initially imported from India. Calicoes, as well as other fabrics were called Muslin. NANKEEN-A durable cotton cloth that was not dyed. NONE-SO-PRETTYS-These did not represent any one particular item but could be anything from a lady's cap to a snuff box. They also referred to tapes. OSNABRIGS, OSNABURG-A coarse unbleached linen or hempen fabric. Later, in the 19th century, it was made of cotton and dyed blue and white, brown and white, in stripes, checks, or solids. POINT-Points referred to the bars woven into the edge of heavy woolen blankets. A one point bar was about 4 inches long while a half point was about 2 inches long. These bars were woven into the cloth at right angles to the selvedge near to the corner. These points were used by the Indians to indicate how many skins were needed to obtain the blanket. ROMMALS, ROMALLS, ROMAL, ROMAUL, ROMALLY, RUMAL-All of these words signify a handkerchief imported from India. The material could be cotton, linen, silk, or combinations. These fabrics could also vary in weight and color or pattern. This handkerchief was worn as a small shawl or neckerchief over the shoulders. SACKING-A coarse and cheap material of woven flax. SHIRTINGS-A standard type of printed cotton. SIAMESE, SIAMOISE-These identify a large range of linen and cotton goods with possible additions of silk and wool. These types of fabric were not expensive. They could be checked, striped, or plain woven. It was common, for example, for the material to be woven of linen warp and cotton weft. STROUDS-A coarse woolen cloth used extensively in trade with the Indians. It was manufactured to meet the Indians specifications. For example, the selvedges had to be a certain width and contain at least one stripe. Popular colors were red and blue. SWANSKIN, SWANSDOWN-In the late 18th century it referred to fleecy cotton cloth and was used for gaiters, jackets, etc. |