The dream of any housewife is a beautiful, soft and durable fabric that does not need to be ironed. Many textures and colors of very soft fabrics based on polyester fibers are combined under the name "soft" and are of interest not only to housewives and seamstresses, but also to well-known fashion designers, decorators, as well as interior designers.
What it is?
Software is the most delicate synthetic matter that looks like velor. There are many varieties of this material - from delicate translucent fabrics to heavy opaque curtains.
Often such a fabric is double-sided: one side is covered with a pile (short or long, with or without gloss or with thermal printing), and the second is matte and smooth.
You must choose the material when buying very carefully: soft is made mainly in Turkey and China, so be sure to ask the seller for a quality certificate and carefully read the description of the composition and the address of the manufacturer.
Also, due to the increased demand for such material, there are many fakes, and you can only distinguish them by toxic smell or coloring matter.
Application area
Soft fabrics are very pleasant to the touch, dense, hold their shape well, and withstand repeated washings, preserving their color and texture, so they are used in the manufacture of a variety of things and clothes.
Of these fabrics sew:
- bedding and pajamas for the whole family;
- children's textiles;
- home and casual dresses;
- Costumes
- mattress covers;
- furniture covers and sofa cushions, upholstery for upholstered furniture;
- bedspreads and rugs;
- curtains and drapes.
Everyone likes this material: tailors are attracted by the ease of working with it, housewives are attracted to simple care of products, children love the pleasant texture of the softest fibers, and fashionistas are attracted by the variety of colors and textures.
Structure
The basis of any kind of software is polyester fiber, which can be both in pure form or with various impurities.
- Elastane It is used to give the material elasticity with the aim of making tight-fitting and at the same time not restricting the movement of clothes (mainly sports suits).
- Cotton or viscose added to synthetic fabrics to eliminate the electrification of the fibers, improve breathability and increase the hygroscopicity of matter.
- Nylon it is added to soft-material to obtain fire-resistant fabric, which is mainly used as curtains in kindergarten and drapery in banquet rooms.
The properties
All types of software have similar characteristics and properties.
Drapery materials are resistant to contamination due to special dirt-repellent impregnation, however, dust can accumulate on the fleecy side of the fabric, which is easy to remove at home. Polyester fibers are also resistant to mold, odors, moths, fungi and dust due to special processing, but at the same time they are safe for health and hypoallergenic.
The soft fabric for furniture upholstery has increased strength, wear resistance, but at the same time it is easily draped due to its pliable structure.
Any soft matter keeps its shape well, does not fade and has a low degree of shrinkage of fibers during washing, but it should be noted that wash it in warm water. Polyester fabrics stretch well and easily return to their original state due to the addition of elastic fibers.
The pattern on them remains clear and bright for many years, the fabric is resistant not only to washing powders and gels, but also to the effects of ultraviolet rays, which prevents fading even of 3D printing.
It is possible to build software on both shared and transverse threads, which saves money (for sewing curtains, one and a half or double supply of fabric instead of the usual triple supply to obtain beautiful folds) and time - with any open fabric does not crumble and remains supple.
Another undoubted advantage of polyester fabrics is the lack of the need for ironing.
Kinds
Conventionally, software can be divided into 2 groups:
- textiles for sewing clothes (these are fabrics with additives of elastane, cotton, lycra or viscose);
- interior textiles (fabrics specially treated with various impregnations).
It is customary to distinguish many types of software, some of them in the composition have 100% polyester, but they are obtained in different ways and differ in texture and properties.
- Velsoft It is a fluffy comfortable knitted material with a medium-length pile for sewing home clothes, in appearance it is vaguely reminiscent of a maher. It can be painted in pastel colors, but also brightly colored.
- Extrasoft - it is a light fluffy fabric with a short, fairly dense pile, used in the manufacture of pillows, blankets and home dresses.
- Super soft (the so-called crepe viscose) is a dense wear-resistant fabric, has a velvety embossed texture. Used for sewing furniture covers and upholstery.
- Thermo-Jacquard - This is a velvety soft canvas with thermal printing (used as furniture upholstery).
- Soft silk is a fabric with a glossy sheen. Ideal for sewing curtains. Drawing is possible by means of 3D printing.
There is also software with various impurities.
- Ultrasoft (polyester 94%; elastane 6%) - This is a delicate fabric with an inconspicuous pile and jacquard pattern for sewing blankets, pillows, bathrobes and rugs.
- Intersoft (polyester 30%; cotton 70%) - This is a mixed fabric, has increased strength and elasticity, is used for sewing trousers, sweatshirts, as well as clothing for outdoor activities.
- Niagara (Polyester 97%; Spandex 3%) It is a light flowing fabric resembling artificial silk, but with reduced creasing and increased strength. Such material is suitable for sewing not only blouses, but also evening dresses.
- Soft Satin (Polyester 10%; Cotton 10%) very pleasant to the body material for sewing bed linen, shirts and children's textiles.
- Baby-soft (polyester fiber 20%; cotton 20%) - it is a two-sided fabric, on the front side it is knitted fabric, on the wrong side - artificial fur, pleasant to the touch (it is intended for tailoring outerwear: sweaters, cardigans, vests).
- Stretch soft (contains from 1% to 30% elastic fibers) It is a fabric resembling velvet, but has a high extensibility and has a much lower price. This material is well suited for tailoring dresses, sportswear and home wear.
Blackout is different from all types of soft tissues - it is a heavy three-layer curtain material:
- the wrong side consists of light dense fiber without gloss;
- then comes a layer of black polyester fibers;
- the front side of acrylic fibers can be glossy, embossed or patterned.
It is worth noting that blackout has a very high ability to delay the sun's rays (up to 90 percent), suppresses noise coming from the street with the window open, and perfectly restrains the heat in the summer heat due to the increased density of the material. A variety of textures and colors allows you to choose functional and stylish curtains for any interior.
Care Tips
It is recommended to wash bedding (like clothes) made of soft fabrics in the manual or delicate washing mode in an automatic machine at a temperature of no higher than 40 degrees. Do not use bleach or aggressive detergents.
In no case can this material be dried in tumble dryers, since the structure of the fibers will be violated from the effect of elevated temperatures and the material will lose its properties.
Draperies and curtains can be cleaned with a soft brush or vacuum cleaner, it is not necessary to wash often. After washing, there is no need to iron them, just squeeze them in a washing machine at 800 rpm and hang them to dry directly on the cornice, spreading them in width to the desired waves.
It is enough to dry clothes made of such a material in a straightened form and it is not necessary to iron it, but if creases are formed due to spinning at high speeds (1200 revolutions), you can iron it with a slightly warm iron.
Stains from such material can be easily removed with soapy water.
Soft fabrics are striking in their variety, provide scope for imagination and creativity, however, they are extremely functional and, with proper care, retain their properties for many years.
See the following video for a description of the qualities of fabric soft and supersoft.
