When you see a fabric labeled “yarn-dyed,” the manufacturer dyed the yarns individually before weaving the yarns into a pattern. Some sewists prefer this method because the color doesn’t fade as quickly as piece-dyed fabric.
Yarn-dyed fabric in stripes and plaids is easily spotted because the weave (plaid or stripe design) is visible on both sides as opposed to printed fabric with an obvious wrong and right side. Yarn-dyed fabrics include stripes, plaids, or what are ikats (fabric made using an Indonesian decorative technique in which warp or weft threads, or both, are tie-dyed before weaving).
There are no design or color limitations for printed fabric (especially digitally printed); there can be some limitations with yarn-dyed fabrics.
Yarn-dyed fabrics are just that—constructed of yarns individually dyed before weaving. Yarns are dyed into specific colors prior to being woven into a design. The weaving process creates the design. This process takes additional time, planning and engineering to achieve a particular look and color palette. This sometimes accounts for the slightly higher price point of yarn-dyed fabrics. One aspect to appreciate about yarn-dyed fabrics is that the front and back of the fabric are equally useful (typically no right or wrong side depending on the weave used). If the fabric has a more complicated weaving pattern, the back of the fabric will exhibit strands of yarn on the backside.
You may notice little slubs and what look like flaws in the fabric with many of these fabrics (typically on what is deemed the “back”). This effect is part of the weaving process and is to be expected and embraced as part of the fabric’s character.
Yarn-dyed fabrics tend to have a soft hand, a gentle drape and a relaxed, comfortable look in a finished garment or quilted project. You’ll find yarn dyes and homespun fabrics in checks, stripes, solids and plaids.
In general, yarn-dyed wovens are a higher quality of cotton fabric than what is labeled homespun. The difference is that “homespun” fabric tends to be a little more loosely woven.
A Short History of Homespun Fabric
During the Revolutionary War, wearing “clothes of your own make and spinning,” or “homespun,” was a peaceful way to support the Patriot cause. During the war, the Daughters of Liberty organized homespun events, where women gathered to create needed uniforms and blankets for Continental soldiers. “With the popularity of the boycott of British goods, wearing homespun clothing became a patriotic symbol of the fight against British rule. Women, in particular, took a leading role in the movement by avoiding imported satin and silk but instead using locally-made materials to spin cloths.” (Homespun movement – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homespun_movement
As early as the 17th century, Colonists began to process and weave fabric, and “homespun” was the term that came to define any textiles produced domestically in a non-industrial setting. Raw materials, including linen, cotton, wool, hemp and silk, were transformed into fabrics for North American families.
Homespun fabrics are perfect for rag-style quilts because of their extraordinary fraying ability. When using a homespun for rag stitching, there is no need for multiple washings.
Modern yarn-dyed fabrics are created to mimic the fabric women made by their own weaving and dyeing process centuries ago. In most quilt stores, homespun fabrics are woven more loosely than yarn-dyed fabric selections. In my store, I have selections of the higher-quality yarn-dyed wovens from Moda Fabrics and Henry Glass & Co. These manufacturers along with Robert Kaufman Fabrics, and others, manufacture both premium-quality quilting cotton and yard-dyed cotton that can also be used for garment construction.
Homespun is a light-to-midweight fabric made of woven cotton material. It has a looser weave and a lower thread count than other quilting cotton or yarn-dyed woven fabric.
The cotton homespun fabrics we find in fabric stores today are an homage to homemade fabrics of the past. These fabrics are long-time staples in primitive and country quilting styles and well used in clothing. They are a superb choice for rag quilts, as their edges fray so nicely. The colors are often earthy and a bit muted, and they have a soft feel after washing. It is the nature of the fabric that occasional slubs occur, and even today, dye lot variations can be quite noticeable.
Another thing to note about homespun and yarn-dyed wovens is they are excellent for making chenille blankets or other home goods that incorporate chenille design elements.
The cotton homespun fabrics sold in stores should be called “homespun-style,” as they are woven in mills. To mimic the feel of homespun, the weaving process is intentionally looser than with other woven fabrics, including brocades, poplins and muslins. This looseness, coupled with the yarn dying, creates a unique quality in completed items and adds to the rag-edge effect of homespun.
While flannel is sometimes used in rag quilting or to create chenille blankets, most cotton flannels are screen printed, not woven, so the color only shows brightly on one side. When they fray, the fibers from the white underside show through, whereas the threads in the homespun and yarn-dyed wovens are fully dyed. Flannel is created with a brushing technique during the manufacturing process, making it soft and fuzzy on one side.
When planning your first quilt using woven fabrics, remember that the looser weave creates more give, especially on the bias.
If you choose to prewash yarn-dyed wovens or homespun fabric, either serge the edges or add a quick machine-basted stay-stitch approximately 1/8-inch in from the edge to reduce fraying. Due to the intensity of the colors used in dyeing the yard, occasionally, they will discharge a bit on first washing.
After prewashing, ensure your stripes or plaids are as straight as possible as you press! Perfection is unnecessary, but the larger the pattern, the more noticeable an offset line in a plaid or stripe will be if you do not press it straight. Use Magic Premium Quilting and Crafting Spray to give the fabric a little more body. It’s a fantastic and affordable product, and I highly recommend it.