Satin crepe: what kind of fabric, characteristics and application

With a smooth surface and even unobtrusive shine on the outside and fine-grained, pleasant to the touch from the inside - it is for these qualities that crepe satin has been very popular among designers and fashionistas for decades.

The material got its double name due to the fact that it looks like satin, but is made by the finely crocheted weaving characteristic of crepe. Distinctive features of the fabric are the predominance of weft threads (3-4 to 1-2 main ones) and the different thickness of the weft fibers. It is the last factor that makes the fabric smooth and shiny on the outside and rough on the inside. In this case, you can use both the one and the other side, depending on the effect that you want to get.

Other features of crepe satin include:

• strength;
• almost complete opacity;
• lack of stretching.

Initially, the raw material for crepe satin was exclusively natural silk. But recently, rather expensive silk has been replaced by synthetic or semi-synthetic fibers. Therefore, modern crepe satin can be made both from natural silk threads and from polyester, viscose, cellulose or acetate silk.

Also, crepe satin can differ by the method of staining. In this category, one-colored material (monophonic) and printed material with a pattern are distinguished. The color palette of the first varies from gentle pastel tones to bright, saturated colors. The print of printed material can be the most diverse: from small and large peas to a cage, strip or any printed pattern.

Due to its features, crepe satin has a number of positive qualities, including:

• the possibility of sewing combined clothing from it;
• simplicity of drapery of details without additional bends and breaks;
• softness and comfort of details of clothes made of this fabric;
• wear resistance of the material.

In addition, crepe satin products:

• keep their shape well;
• do not fade and do not fade over time;
• they are well ironed and practically do not wrinkle when worn.

Listing the virtues of fabric, it is worth paying attention to those characteristics that relate to its shortcomings.

• Flowability of the material during cutting and sewing.
• “Slippery” that interferes with fabric handling. Because of it, the material often warps, which makes it very difficult to stitch individual parts from crepe satin.
• The tendency to the formation of leads (puffs) with careless handling.

Additional disadvantages are fabric made from artificial fibers. Its most important drawback is the inability to “breathe”, which can cause discomfort and even irritation to the wearer of crepe satin clothing. In addition, artificial material has a negative property common to all synthetics - it accumulates static electricity.

Decorative and positive qualities of crepe satin give a wide scope of imagination and allow you to use it for various purposes, for example, for sewing:

• stage costumes;
• clothes;
• bed linen;
• home wardrobe items;
• curtains;
• bedspreads and covers for sofas and armchairs.

Most often, the material goes to the manufacture of dresses, skirts, blouses, light suits. At the same time, the richness of the color palette allows you to sew clothes for everyday wear in the office, and for especially special occasions (evening and wedding dresses). In the latter case, crepe satin is combined with lace and decorated with drapery. Soft folds and flowing fabric fit perfectly on any figure, emphasizing its advantages and hiding flaws.

Bed linen made of crepe satin, in turn, not only decorates the bed, but also gives a feeling of softness and coolness, allows you to relax. Also, satin crepe is widely used in decorating various restaurants, hotels, banquet halls, and theater foyers. Its presence allows not only to decorate the interior, but also to make it richer, more noble. In addition, crepe satin is used to make all kinds of accessories, in particular, to fit ladies shoes and handbags, and sometimes it can be found as a lining fabric or a cover for clothes.

If you are going to buy a piece of crepe satin or finished products from this fabric, you should focus not only on the description of the material, but also on some nuances. So, in order not to get completely wrong, you need to pay attention to the following factors.

• Satin Crepe - sufficiently dense material. To check the fabric offered, just stretch it and look through it into the light. Qualitative material practically does not shine through. Finished products from this fabric can be checked in the same way.
• Strong smell. If the fabric smells unpleasant, this may indicate that cheap, low-quality dyes were used to stain it. In this case, it is better to refuse the purchase, since the use of such substances can not only affect the quality of the material (it can fade or burn out), but also on health (act as an irritant on the skin).

• Cost. Real silk satin crepe cannot be cheap. Material made of artificial fibers will cost much less, but high-quality synthetic fabric has its own price range, which can not be called very cheap.If crepe satin is sold at very bargain prices, then this is either a completely different material, or the product of unscrupulous manufacturers using low-grade fibers of unknown origin as raw materials.

Caring for crepe satin products does not require much effort and time. However, in order for the fabric to retain its beautiful and rich appearance for as long as possible, it is nevertheless worth remembering some nuances.

• Wash things from this material by hand in warm (30-40 ° C) water. Machine washable in “delicate” mode with a minimum spin.
• Do not rub or pull during washing.
• The use of bleaching and stain-removing products is prohibited.
• Wash crepe-satin products with soft detergents (for delicate fabrics). Gels are best suited for this.
• After washing, the products are not twisted, but are easily wrung out and simply allow water to drain.

• For drying, things made of crepe satin are straightened and hung on their shoulders. Under natural conditions, the fabric dries quickly.
• If necessary, crepe satin can be ironed. But they do it from the inside, setting the iron regulator to “silk”. It is best to iron things before they are completely dry. If the thing is dry, you can use a slightly damp iron. Spraying water directly onto crepe satin products is not recommended, as water stains from the fabric.
• In addition, when wearing products made of this material, you must protect them from contact with sharp objects that may leave puffs. For the same reason, do not hang crepe-satin clothes next to clothes that have zippers or metal jewelry.

In the next video, you can take a closer look at crepe satin fabric.