Calico - what kind of fabric, advantages, customer reviews

12:36, 31.08.2021 563

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Natural fabrics for bed linen remain in trend regardless of fashion trends

Calico is one of the best options for autumn.

A cheerful morning depends not only on the weather and a cup of coffee, but also on the quality of your sleep. You can go to bed on time, but if the bed linen turns out to be uncomfortable or out of season (and this also happens), then there is no need to talk about a good mood. Today, stores offer a huge selection of sets made from natural fabrics. The options made of satin, silk and calico deserve special appreciation. Since we can talk about their differences endlessly, we will focus on one of the most common options - calico.

Raw materials

Calico is a simple fabric (plain weave) made from dense, untreated cotton threads for thinness and smoothness.
This is one of the very first fabrics to appear on earth. At that time, humanity did not know how to process threads obtained from plants. Now cotton fibers are disinfected, but their density, unevenness in thickness and even some roughness are the hallmark of calico.

Cotton is a natural raw material with many advantages:

• Lets air through;
• Absorbs moisture;
• Does not cause allergies;
• Pleasant to the touch;
• Inexpensive.

However, when choosing a calico set, always look at the composition of the raw materials on the label. The fact is that manufacturers sometimes add polyester to cotton. For imported manufacturers, the norm is a synthetic content of up to 20%. Domestic factories add polyester to calico extremely rarely.

Reviews

Bed linen made of calico and poplin has hundreds of reviews, and all of them are mostly positive. Negative comments are usually left for low-quality sets made from fabric with a large percentage of synthetics. They become covered with pellets, shed, and quickly tear.

Calico bed linen

Bedding sets made from calico are known to be the most durable and natural. Customer reviews.

Veronica:

“I can’t stand synthetics in clothes, and even more so in bed linen. I only buy calico sets. They are strong, one might say eternal, made of 1000% cotton. I like Ivanovskaya (thinner) and Shuiskaya (thicker) calico the most.”

Alexandra:

“I love calico more than any other material in bedding sets. For me it is the most comfortable. The body breathes, does not sweat, there are colors for every taste.”

Elena:

“My mother always bought bedding sets made of calico. At first I didn’t recognize calico. When I was young, I tried other fabrics: satin, satin. But I quickly became disappointed. The quality of calico has no equal. Yes, it is not so impressive (although there are more colors now than before). But it lasts for many years, and is very comfortable for sleeping.”

Alexei:

“A couple of years ago I stupidly bought “Shuiskaya calico” for 460 rubles. Frankly synthetic. Thin, creaky, rolls up, and also stains heavily. This morning I woke up green, like Shrek. Don't repeat my mistakes. Even on sale, calico cannot be so cheap.”

The glory of calico is often used by passing off synthetic fabrics as it. You need to be careful when purchasing, choose kits from well-known companies that have a quality certificate.

Poplin bed linen

Reviews of poplin bed linen often highlight its practicality and pleasant tactile sensations during sleep. Negativity also occurs, but rarely. It is usually associated with marriage.

• Arina: “I like poplin bed linen. The material is good, dense, comfortable. When washed with conditioner, it does not need to be ironed. The first such set was given by a friend. (Ivanovo). I have never seen better quality. The box contained a certificate and fabric samples.”
• Olga Alekseevna: “I have quite sensitive skin. I can’t sleep on bedding mixed with synthetics, but calico is too rough for me. Their satin sets are ideal, but they are too expensive. I recently decided to try poplin bed linen from the famous. The fabric is nice and looks good. The only thing that confused me was the color. It's darker than in the photo."
• Anna: “Last year I bought a set of poplin bed linen from. I got it on sale for 899 rubles. For such a price the quality is not bad. After 7 months the set has not faded and is just as dense. Only during the first wash did it stain the water a little. I also found a small defect in the drawing. Otherwise there are no complaints."

Types and density

Rigid, dense, gray in color - this is exactly the fabric that comes out of production.

The highest density of calico calico is 150 g/m. Nevertheless, even it has a wide range of applications:

• Cleaning materials in production;
• Sewing covers for furniture, sports equipment, etc.;
• Tailoring (lining fabric);
• Sewing workwear, mittens, etc.

Three other types of material are produced on the basis of calico.

Bleached calico

This is a softer fabric and often less dense. It is also used in production, for sewing covers and workwear, and ordinary clothes can be made from bleached calico: thick men's and women's shirts and inexpensive dresses.

Plain-dyed and printed calico

And the bleached fabric can already be dyed in one color or a pattern can be applied to it. Additional processing makes the fabric even softer, but at the same time the calico remains quite dense, for which housewives value it. Such calico is already used for the manufacture of home textiles: bed linen, covers for blankets and pillows, bedspreads, bedspreads, etc.

The density of calico used for bed linen varies. For example, Shuya calico still has the Gost standard from the times of the USSR: 140 g/cm. Ivanovskaya is slightly less dense - 100-125 g/m, but no less high quality and lasts a long time.

What is the difference between calico and calico gold

The threads in both fabrics are intertwined in the same type - plain, and the thickness of the threads is the same, the threads are not twisted, but straight. This type of binding is considered one of the most durable, although it has a history of more than a thousand years, during which time it has not undergone any changes. The only difference between these fabrics is the composition. Calico is made from 100% cotton raw materials and varies in density and coloring method. More information about calico fabric can be found at the link What is calico. Calico gold contains predominantly cotton fibers with an admixture of polyester. The proportions of natural cotton and synthetic polyester greatly influence the characteristics of Gold calico, so if you want to buy Gold calico bed linen that will last a long time and have good hygienic properties, familiarize yourself with the composition of the fabric. The most preferable is calico gold with a material composition of 80 by 20 or 70 by 30, most of which should be natural. This is exactly the kind of bed linen that our online store offers.

Does calico shrink?

Any fabric made from natural fibers shrinks – that’s a fact. We have already written above that before becoming bed linen, cotton fabric is processed several times and shrinks in the process. Nevertheless, after the first wash, the set may also shrink. The manufacturer writes about 5% of the total length/width of the product, but usually this figure is much smaller and many do not even notice it. To minimize the risk of fabric shrinkage, wash items the first time in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

Which is better to choose?

From all of the above we can conclude:

• Calico bed linen is a practical option for every day. This set is worth choosing for those for whom sophistication is not important. It is ideally suited for a dacha, a country house, or an apartment for rent.
• Poplin costs a little more than calico, but it also looks more noble. It is usually chosen by those for whom aesthetics and practicality are equally important. In addition, poplin bedding is gentler and better suited for children and people with sensitive skin.

When comparing poplin with calico, it is also important to take into account that bed linen from different companies may differ in quality.

How to wash calico correctly

Many housewives highly value calico for its “indestructibility”. It's no joke - at least 200 washes without loss of color or thinning of the fabric! But the manufacturer also gives care recommendations for a reason. If you wash using “grandmother’s” methods using boiling and “whiteness,” even dense calico fibers will very quickly fade and become thin. Therefore, especially at first, the recommendations must be followed.

• Wash at a temperature not higher than 40°C;
• You need to use soft gels and liquids that completely dissolve in water and rinse off;
• Iron on cotton setting at medium temperature.

From everyday observations: it is important not to overdry the calico; it is better to remove it slightly damp and dry it with an iron. Dried dense fibers make the fabric stiff and you will have to make an effort to straighten the linen (especially if it is new).

What is poplin?

Poplin is a light and soft fabric. Bed linen made from it is pleasantly cool in the summer heat, does not irritate the skin, and is suitable for adults and children. Most often, poplin composition is 100% cotton. Less common is a mixture of cotton fiber with cotton, and cotton with synthetics. But this is not the main feature of the fabric.

Poplin differs from other fabrics in the weave of the threads. The warp threads are thin and dense, and the weft threads are thick and loose. Thanks to this, the canvas has a specific texture, reminiscent of a small scar.

Among other things, poplin is characterized by a matte shine and softness even at high densities. Typically, fabric with a density of 110 g/m2 is used for bed linen. The indicator is relatively low, but the products are highly wear-resistant. Bed linen can withstand a large number of washes, maintaining its original color and strength.

Interesting fact. Initially, 100% silk was used to make poplin. It was used to make clothes for the Pope.

Advantages and disadvantages

Poplin is one of the TOP 5 most popular fabrics for bed linen. Its popularity is due to numerous advantages:

• Poplin practically does not wrinkle. It doesn't have to be ironed.
• Made from natural raw materials.
• Not prone to deformation, retains its shape.
• Easy to wash at 40 degrees.
• Highly durable and wear-resistant.
• Absorbs sweat well.
• Allows the body to breathe.
• Soft.
• Comfortable in winter and summer. Has excellent thermoregulating properties.

Natural poplin has no obvious disadvantages. Some may not like the lack of smoothness of the canvas. Some types of poplin underwear (especially thick 100% cotton) can irritate overly sensitive skin.

Disadvantages are typical for poplin made of synthetic cotton. It can roll, shed, and become electrified.

How much does a calico calico PCB cost?

Three reasons for the popularity of calico: naturalness, long service life, low cost. The latter does not mean a super low price, but the fact that calico is the least expensive among other natural fabrics for home textiles. If you see calico PCB cheaper than 800-1000 rubles, this is a reason to think about the composition (is it polyester), the quality of the fabric, tailoring, and size compliance. The price of a high-quality calico set from a well-established manufacturer can reach 2,000 rubles, and imported ones (for example, Turkish) are even more expensive.

Questions and answers

How to choose quality bedding?

The first thing that should alert you is that the price of the bedding set is too low. High-quality bed linen costs from 1000 rubles and above. It should not have a chemical smell. The lines should be even, without protruding threads. It is better to buy kits from trusted companies with a good reputation and positive reviews.

What is better for sewing bed linen yourself, poplin or calico?

Both fabrics are easy to cut and sew. They behave approximately the same - they do not crumble, do not stretch. The price of fabric is not much different. You just need to take into account that poplin and calico shrink. Bed linen should be sewn with a margin of 6 cm, or the fabric should be pre-washed in warm water.

Among all types of cotton fabrics, calico and poplin remain the most popular. Both fabrics are practical and affordable. Therefore, people often cannot decide which is better, poplin or calico. This question cannot be answered unambiguously. If you need a comfortable, beautiful and lightweight set, then you should choose poplin. If it is important that the bed linen lasts as long as possible, and at the same time the roughness of the material does not bother you, then you can safely buy calico.

Tips for choosing bed linen

Experts recommend choosing bed linen according to the following criteria:

1. value for money;
2. manufacturer;
3. safety;
4. durability;
5. ease of care;
6. physical qualities (strength, wear resistance).

It is recommended to purchase bedding sets only from natural material, which will ensure they are hypoallergenic. In this regard, calico and satin are not inferior to each other, because both of these fabrics are made of natural cotton.