Contrast fabric is a term used in
sewing
Sewing is the craft of fastening or attaching objects using stitches made with a sewing needle and thread. Sewing is one of the oldest of the textile arts, arising in the Paleolithic era. Before the invention of spinning yarn or weaving fab ...
used to refer to a fabric piece or
embellishment
In sewing and crafts, an embellishment is anything that adds design interest to the piece.
Examples in sewing and craft
* appliqué can be made by sewing machine of decorative techniques and or
* embroidery, done either by machine or by hand
* ...
made from a different fabric than the main fabric. The term contrast fabric directly contrasts with the term
self-fabric Self-fabric, in sewing, is a fabric piece or embellishment made from the same fabric as the main fabric, as opposed to contrast fabric.
Self-fabric used for some pattern pieces such as facings and linings to produce clean garment lines and make th ...
.
Contrast fabric is used in certain pattern pieces such as facings and
linings to produce design details that stand out from the rest of the garment. It is also used as embellishment, such as in
ric rac
Rickrack is a flat piece of braided trim, shaped like a zigzag. It is used as a decorative element in clothes or curtains. Before the prevalence of sewing machines and overlockers, rickrack was used to provide a finished edge to fabric, and its ...
,
piping
Within industry, piping is a system of pipes used to convey fluids (liquids and gases) from one location to another. The engineering discipline of piping design studies the efficient transport of fluid.
Industrial process piping (and accompa ...
) or
appliqué
Appliqué is ornamental needlework in which pieces or patches of fabric in different shapes and patterns are sewn or stuck onto a larger piece to form a picture or pattern. It is commonly used as decoration, especially on garments. The technique ...
. For example, to make
button
A button is a fastener that joins two pieces of fabric together by slipping through a loop or by sliding through a buttonhole.
In modern clothing and fashion design, buttons are commonly made of plastic but also may be made of metal, wood, o ...
s a design feature, a special type of button is often covered in the contrasting fabric.
Sewing
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