(Slightly stupid) questions about oil cloth and duck cloth...

[Flubba]

Sorry in advance for probably stupid questions ...

I've made a number of bags now with a variety of cottons. I've used interfacing to strengthen them, but now am thinking I'd like to try using heavier cotton (I think it's called duck cloth but I can only seem to find it in white or cream, so maybe I've got the wrong term?) like canvas bags are made of. What should I be looking for and anyone know of a good (and cheap!) shop (online or real) for it?

Also, I would like to give oil cloth (again, think I mean oil cloth? basically I want a wipeable cloth) a go, but have never used it, so not sure how to go about sewing with it? Does it just tear? Is there a special thread I need to use with it?

TIA :)

not sure about all of your questions but I bought some oil cloth the other day and was told to use a leather needle in my machine for it.

i mean, a needle for leather, not made of leather!

Cath Kidston sell Cotton Duck fabric, you could use any heavy cotton fabric though, remnants, etc.

Using oil cloth, or pvc coated fabric some people use a teflon foot to stop it, otherwise the metal foot sticks to the fabric if it's right side up. I've used an ordinary needle. It doesn't tear at all. I only buy the woven stuff that's got a coated, you can also buy a cheaper non-woven type which I don't like very much.

Duck is, in my limited experience of upholstery ,cream or white. It used to be what sailors' trousers were made of.

I used to get mine from the specialist upholstery in clerkenwell who had been there for centuries but I don't know if they are there any more. But a decent professional upholsterer would tell you if you can get un different colours. You can get tough cotton a bit like ducks in stripes - think mattresses-or black.

Hth

Thank you, I think I just need 'heavier' cotton. My local Fabricland (which I love) doesn't seem to stock heavy cottons; guess it ends up costing too much?, so time to look elsewhere.

Will take a look at the woven oil cloth. Thank you.

fabricland sounds like some kind of heaven. I wish I had one!!!

I buy really cheap cotton curtains from Ikea - they are huge, 3.6 metres whenever they are in the sale - got about 8 sq metres of navy blue stripe last time for £7. They are made of cotton twill. Ticking which they have in Laura Ashley is also thicker.

2 more fabric search terms for you there - twill and ticking

Not really cheap but a good range www.duckcloth.com.au/

Ooh Laurie now you're just confusing me!! :o

I bought a gorgeous fabric from Ikea a while back - the one I used to make this dress for DD1 (the one on the right) The butterfly one was from Fabricland. truly they do have a website but it's truly awful and doesn't seem to stock what they have in store either, although tbh it's just hard to look at, so maybe they do, deep, deep down.

Thanks AllThree for that link. It's got some interesting fabric, and I love that it's organised by weight of fabric, but you're right, it's not cheap! £23 for a metre of medium weight, and that's in the sale! Still, I'll bookmark it and keep it in my radar.

It's in Australian dollars, so not quite that bad :)

This one is in US dollars and is by the yard, also their postage is SLOWWWW

but
They have the most amazing range of prints and they will print it onto whatever weight you would like

Flubba John Lewis often have the heavier weight fabric. You mihgt want to search out shops that sell soft furnishings fabrics for heavy wieght stuff. Fabric Land specialist in the lightweight clothing fabrics really, but I have bought gorgeaous blue and green canvas fabric from them for bags...

Corduroy is also good.

Get a Teflon foot for oil cloth, and some masking tape incase it is sticking to your metal plate on the sewing machine. Cover the metal plate with masking tape to help the oilcloth flow smoothly.

£23 was converted from the Aus. dollars!

I've tried corduroy over and haven't enjoyed working with it before - but that's on smaller projects where there are too many edges!

Thanks for tips on oilcloth.

oops I forgot the second link www.spoonflower.com

Ooh, love spoonflower's fabrics! Drooooooool :)

In answer to your oil cloth query - don't use a leather needle - these are triangular in shape and designed to pierce through leather, if you use them on oil cloth they will split and tear the fabric. You need to use a heavy duty or denim needle to work with it. The next thing to remember is that you cannot pin your work together and this fabric is very slippery so use clothes pegs to hold it, those posh ones from Waitrose work really well.

Thank you Latte, top tips there and you've no doubt saved me some tears (and some £££s!).

Another couple of tips, try using a teflon foot... or, I have not tried this yet, but put masking tape on the base of your normal foot... the roughness should create traction against the fabric.

Use a long stitch rather than a short one, definitely practice on some scraps before hand. And finally if the oil cloth is creased, leave it in the sun or by a radiator draped over a chair... or if you are feeling brave lightly iron from the reverse but be really gentle and tentative.

I feel a tue coming on for a welly bag...

Goodness, better go check the needle I bought for the oilcloth - haven't used it yet - might have to take it back...

Flubba - try the furnishings fabric section at John Lewis - I got some lovely heavy weight fabric for bags there - check the remnants bins for marked down bits

Flubba, search for fabfabric1 seller on ebay, oilcloth from them is £5/m - cheap as chips :o I've got oilcloth aprons cut and ready to sew upstairs, but haven't dared do them yet, so thanks for the tips everyone! I've done them out of JL oilcloth that I bought as a tablecloth, they accidentally cut 1/2 a metre too much and decided not to charge me for it :o

I have the same Ikea fabric btw, I've just used it to make a reversible toddler sunhat, it looks fabulous.

For cord, try needlecord or baby cord, it's really fine and less difficult to work with. I've had some from Fabricland before (the one in Brighton, it was upstairs) but I don't know whether all their shops have it.

Thanks RueDe

btw, I saw someone trying to sell things made from that rose Ikea fabric and pass it off as Cath Kidston!

As promised, here is an oil cloth tutorial for a boot or shopping bag