Quality of cotton

Making a cotton face mask to measure…

November 3, 2020 by Forgotten Cotton

After buying both fabric and disposable masks I still had issues with glasses fogging up and also generally with breathlessness. It was time to rethink.

Good tailoring requires darts to be made in the right places. So I tried using the same theory for a cotton mask.

I took two squares of soft, pure cotton fabric from one of our Forgotten Cotton duvet covers and stitched them together, inserting darts in the centre of the top of the mask to allow for “nose space”. Then I put in two darts on each side edge of the mask to reduce gaps at the side. Elastic hair ties worked really well for holding it in place at my ears, being nice and fine. I stitched the two bottom corners together to make it a snug fit under my chin leaving s small exit for breath to escape downwards.

When wearing, the mask is just long enough for the bottom of the mask to tuck into the neck of my coat. Combined with the snug fit, this allows the exhaled air to go down into the coat instead of up towards my glasses.
It also gives a little extra breathing space.

I hope someone finds this useful

Mary

What is the difference between regular cotton and Egyptian cotton sheets?

October 30, 2020 by Forgotten Cotton

There are different types of cotton plants which produce different types of lint fibre. The climate also affects how well the plants do. Most cotton fabric in the world is from a short staple cotton. This means that its’ fibres are up to 3/4 in (1.5 cm) long. It is harder to spin but can be softer. Medium staple cotton is between 3/4in to 1.25in long and is considered a higher grade of cotton. However long staple cotton, which is 1.25in to 2.5in, is the most expensive and is a more scarce resource. It is usually reserved for high end products which usually means high priced products!

Historically Egyptian Cotton had a long staple fibre which gave a sturdy but fine silky thread. It’s reputation as a high quality product dates back to the late 19th century. Recently the Egyptian government has produced a trademark which can only be used on Egyptian Cotton products. this should reduce the confusion about what is and what is not Egyptian Cotton. However, it also needs to be born in mind that in recent times the cotton harvest has become more varied in Egypt. Not all Egyptian Cotton harvested today is the long staple variety that created the reputation of those finer Egyptian Cotton sheets. So when choosing your bed linen be sure to check out the feel of the fabric rather than just accepting what it says on the label.

I hope you enjoy our selection of 100% soft cotton duvet cover sets.

Thank you for reading this

Mary

What is cotton?

June 10, 2020 by Forgotten Cotton

Where does cotton come from?

The 100% cotton that we use in our duvet covers is a natural fabric and brings with it many benefits. The background to the fabric, we think, also makes a good story.

The short version of the story of cotton is that cotton is a natural fabric made from the lint fibres produced by the cotton plant to protect its seeds. The lint is a fluffy white type substance which appears after the plant has flowered. These cotton buds are then picked, either by hand or machine, put through a gin machine to clean out impurities, put in large bales which are sold on international markets. The purchasers of these bales spin the cotton into a yarn. The yarn is then woven into fabric either on its own or mixed with different types of yarn for different fabrics end products.

Where does cotton come from?

Most cotton comes from warmer parts of countries such as America, India and China, but also from parts of Africa, South America and Australia. So cotton starts out as an agricultural product, the cotton plant, that’s grown globally.

What are the different types of cotton?

The different types of cotton are Island Cotton, West Indies Island Cotton, Pima Cotton, Egyptian Cotton and regular cotton. The most common type of cotton available is the regular cotton with Pima Cotton and Egyptian Cotton being considered a finer, smoother grade of fabric. Island Cotton and West Indies Cotton are considered superior then to all the other types of cotton.

While the history is fascinating, the morst important thing is how it looks and how it feels and if it is what you like.

I hope you enjoy our selection of 100% cotton duvet covers and sets!

Mary