Monday, August 19, 2013

Shot Cottons #1--introducing Peppered Cottons


I work with a fabric company called StudioE and after a long time, we've come up with a line of almost-solid colors that's getting a lot of attention. The line is called Peppered Cottons and is a 25 shade offering of shot cottons in luscious colors.






What are Shot Cottons exactly?  They're cotton fabrics in which the warp (lengthwise threads) are one color and the weft (side-to-side threads) are a
second color. The word 'shot' here means that the shuttle carrying the weft thread is 'shot' (thrown or mechanically moved) across the warp. What's intriguing about shot cottons is their mutability and interesting changeable color. While you'd think a blue warp and a yellow weft might produce green (as we've been taught in art class by mixing blue + yellow) instead the result is a soft green-ish blue. Or blue-ish yellow. You get the idea. The final effect of shot cotton combinations is not always predictable. The picture here is of Color #38-Moss-on the Peppered Cottons card. Maybe a blue + yellow combination? No, this is actually a deep purple warp combined with a bright lime weft and of all things, makes for very mellow green. Who knew?

 Another characteristic of a shot cotton is that the threads (called yarn in the industry) are dyed before being woven into fabric. 

The hanks stacked in the photo left to right are
Tobacco (#85) Paprika (#32), and Carbon (#23).


Yarn-dyed fabrics can achieve an intense color that's different than fabric dyed the same color after being woven. Call it richer and deeper. Side note here: chambray, as in chambray shirts, is also a type of shot cotton. In chambrays, the warp is a color but the secondary color (weft) is white.

The home of almost all shot cottons (and shot silks too) is India. Weavers in India have been using the two-color combinations for hundreds of years. When very lightweight threads are used, the resulting shot cottons are used for summer saris, the traditional Indian dress. A sari takes 5-9 yards of fabric so the fabric must be really light.   How to Wrap a Sari


Probably more than any other point, convincing the Indian weavers to try weaving shot cottons using thicker threads in the hope of producing fabric of a comparable weight to other quilters' fabric was a challenge. But they gave it a try and when we examined the samples, we were delighted. In the picture the color called Blue Jay (#85) is being woven.


Here at last are the rich and interesting shades of shot cottons but with the right feel for quilters. With the tactile quality of handwoven fabrics in the quilters familiar weight plus all the beautiful colors made possible by yarn-dying, Peppered Cottons fills a need in the quilters' palette. 


As soon as I received some samples of Peppered Cottons I put them to good use! Here is the little quilt I made for the Alzheimer Art Quilt Initiative. It will be auctioned with other quilts at the International Quilt Festival in Houston, Texas in October. 


                               Hanging by a Thread by Pepper Cory
                                      in honor of Susan McKelvey








8 comments:

Penny Prichard said...

This is so exciting. A friend works at a local quilt shop and helped the owner place the order. She had a difficult time containing her joy just remembering how beautiful the samples were. Can't wait to see them. I will be going to Cary Quilting on Thursday, maybe I'll get to see them. I already have my first project with them planned.

Pepper Cory said...

Thanks for the vote of confidence Penny.

Barbara Black said...

I love these and will want them ALL! Beautiful! I feel a quilt coming on...

Sharon Stroud said...

Pepper: These fabrics have the most wonderful hand! My LQS has the whole line and I run my hands over them whenever I am there--which is often! I can't wait to do some intricate hand quilting on them! I think I must have them all!

Carla A Few Of My Favorite Things said...

Your shot cottons are beautiful! They remind me of antique wool fabrics that some Amish used to make quilts! I was wondering how it hand quilts?

Sparky said...

I recently came across some of your peppered cottons and I must say they are luxurious...some fine colours and the texture and sewing with them...wellll they are simply irresistible...

beebop said...

Will anyone at Quilt Festival in Houston have the peppered cotton?

Buy Fabric Online said...

I love the colors, it gives me excitement, I feel like making some quilt soon.


Buy Fabric Online