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Author Topic: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc  (Read 18780 times)

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Offline islandpiper

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Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« on: March 17, 2009, 09:57:53 pm »
I have looked in all the fabric stores for real by-golly LINEN.  My wife sews all the time so i get to the stores, like it or not.  Well, no linen.  The closest i have found is a linen/cotton/rayon blend.   

I backed a bow with cotton canvas printed with camo pattern.   That seemed to work well. 

The shops also carry real silk, but it is sort of a knobby texture, not plain flat and smooth. 

There is lots of denim available, from old blue jeans.  Will this work? 

So, the general question is this:  IS THERE REALLY A DIFFERENCE IN WOVEN FABRICS AND IF SO WHICH IS BEST AND WHY AND WHICH SHOULD BE AVOIDED? 

Thanks in advance!!   piper
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2009, 10:07:00 pm »
Ideally you want the strongest but thinnest material you can get. All of the above cloths will work as a bow backing but the heavier the material the more it will rob speed and performance from your bow. Silk makes a good backing because it is thin, light but strong. Linen is heavier than silk but strong with little stretch. I believe cotton would be heavy because it is thicker and absorbent and will suck up more glue adding physical weight. Rayon, Dacron and Nylon are plastic! ;)
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Offline Dane

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #2 on: March 18, 2009, 09:50:32 am »
You won't find linen in a regular fabric chain store. Do a google search for linen and add reenactor or historic to find vendors selling the real deal. There are a couple of great sources, but I cant add the names or links, as they don't advertise on PA.

Dane
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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline Pat B

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2009, 09:54:17 am »
Second hand cloths stores are a good source for silk and linen, plus you get a design for your bows back. Neck ties, blouses, skirts and pants can be bought for not much money, disassembled and added as backings.
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Make the most of all that comes and the least of all that goes!    Pat Brennan  Brevard, NC

Offline DanaM

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2009, 09:56:00 am »
Quote from: Dane on March 18, 2009, 09:50:32 am
You won't find linen in a regular fabric chain store. Do a google search for linen and add reenactor or historic to find vendors selling the real deal. There are a couple of great sources, but I cant add the names or links, as they don't advertise on PA.

Dane

Hmmm thats odd Dane I bought 100% linen at Jo Ann fabrics.
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Offline Dane

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2009, 10:02:33 am »
Maybe so. Each store is different maybe. The local one near me never carries 100%, only blends, and ugly ones at that, shiny blue and so on.

Dane
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Greenfield, Western Massachusetts

Offline DanaM

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2009, 10:05:18 am »
This was natural light brown color and cost me about $15 a yard :o
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Offline Mark Anderson

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2009, 11:34:10 am »
Quote from: Pat B on March 18, 2009, 09:54:17 am
Second hand cloths stores are a good source for silk and linen, plus you get a design for your bows back. Neck ties, blouses, skirts and pants can be bought for not much money, disassembled and added as backings.
I never thought of that! I've got a bunch of ties from the years gone by that my wife says are "hideous". They might even add a camouflage effect in the woods, if I were hunting in Hawaii. 
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Offline stiknstring

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2009, 11:48:32 am »
I found it also at JoAnn fabrics in Billings Montana of all places  ;D
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Offline Cooper

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2009, 04:19:24 pm »
In Germany the best source to get really good linen are stores that are selling artist-stuff and painting materials.
Perhaps this work in USA too?
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Shooter_G22

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #10 on: March 18, 2009, 04:28:11 pm »
Hoola Hoola patern silk???   i wonder if you can die silk with maybe a OD green even with the Hoola Hoola patern it might make a good camo if it had a shade of OD in it huh????  ;)
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Offline Pat B

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #11 on: March 18, 2009, 05:04:53 pm »
Cooper, that is a good suggestion. My wife is an artist and in some of her catalogs they sell linen and cotton canvas painting canvas by the yard. supply houses like Dick Blick or Crazy Joe's. They even have rabbit glue for canvas sizing.
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Offline adb

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #12 on: March 18, 2009, 09:05:39 pm »
A buddy of mine used a set of his wife's silk PJs to back a bow. I can't remember if he told her or not...
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Offline DanaM

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #13 on: March 18, 2009, 09:06:35 pm »
Quote from: adb on March 18, 2009, 09:05:39 pm
A buddy of mine used a set of his wife's silk PJs to back a bow. I can't remember if he told her or not...

Victoria's Secret backing sounds like fun :D
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"Prosperity is a way of living and thinking, and not just money or things. Poverty is a way of living and thinking, and not just a lack of money or things."

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Offline sailordad

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Re: Linen vs cotton vs denim vs textured silk vs canvas, etc
« Reply #14 on: March 18, 2009, 10:02:03 pm »
that would give a new meaning to the term wood bow :D
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