When I took the photo of the label on my newly made pants, I was nearly 100 percent that this fabric had metal threads... see the shiny bits from the flash? So to confirm my suspicions 100 percent I did a burn test.
Pretty conclusive really! The weft threads are wires and are like steel wool. They are very fine as you can probably see in the photo. The warp is cotton - a quick burning and then fine ash left.
I could actually feel the wires when I walk in that way that is a little annoying. I wonder what that did to my overlocker blades now I think of it?? The reason I was sure is because I also have some white shirting type fabric that I bought a number of years ago from the industry fabric sale I go to and remember this Burda jacket I made in 2009? When I bought that fabric (and some more in a silver/grey) the woman there told me that it had metal threads also and again you can feel the little pinch every now and again when you move.
I also made this little Ottobre shirt with a scrap of the white I bought at the fabric sale last year. Same thing - I made some bias out of it for the armholes and neckline and the little thread kept scratching me.
So just raced off and did the burn test for the white fabric.... yep, definitely metal threads. I pondered with my son about what would happen if I wore the pants through the airport security arch?? I will check with my friend at aqua aerobics tomorrow - she works for airport biosecurity, but maybe she'll know. Anyone out there have an idea? You'd have to think it would register as it would be quite an amount of metal in a pair of trousers... don't want to forget and have to find out the hard way. I can just see it..."yes I know I buzzed, but you see my trousers are made with cotton fibres and metal threads." "Sure they are lady, sure they are. Step into this booth please ma'am."
Incidentally that top has been binned because it got stained with sunscreen... anyone know how to get sunscreen out of clothes?
So have you sewn anything with metal threads through it? So many questions today!
Moving on (if only I could), that pineapple dressing gown is really trying my patience! It'll be finished in the next few days (all going well, and well, it hasn't been so we'll see!) or else it'll end up as scrap!
Comments
Lol re airport security. I've been through it with metal hair clips and the detector hasn't gone off. But my mother with her artificial knee always sets it off and she explains and they swipe the detector over her and then let her on her merry way. Although an artificial knee on a grey-haired lady is a lot easier to explain than metal threads in fabric :-D
Napisan or the cheapy woolworths equivalent is what I use for sunscreen, it does the trick.
If you know how to get deoderant yellowing of armpit fabric I'd love to know that!
I made two bras that I lined with a cotton batiste that I think had some metallic threads in it...I was never able to wear them because of the scratchiness factor.
I put sunscreen on daily and it has ruined many things. I will keep trying to work out what will work.