Let's Chat About the Fabrics here at IEA!

Over the past year, I was on a massive quest to find a supplier that could print my designs onto fabric that was both high quality and affordable!

My previous supplier became super unreliable, never shipping by the date promised, sending me dirty or misprinted fabric, and their quality changed with every order.

But let me tell you, there was not much out there, especially at a reasonable price, because ultimately I didn't want to raise my prices too much, but also wanted to improve my quality (I'm aware now, that did seem like an impossible quest now that I put it that way lol).

 

Anyway, I finally found a company to work with that's a small family owned business here in the US, and I can rely on them to send me high quality printed fabrics to improve my designs! 

 

So, now that I got that all out, let's talk about my fabrics!

Most of my designs are printed on the luscious 100% Cotton Sateen Fabric! 

Any printed design that's not one of my knit pieces is made on this fabric, and for good reason! The Cotton Sateen is the perfect mid-weight fabric. It's flowy, it's breathable, opaque, and really enhances the quality and richness of my pieces. 

Now, I know you hear "Sateen" and think it may be shiny or "silky"- but rest assured it is not. There is the slightest, barely noticeable sheen (not even sure that "sheen" is the best word to use for this) to it- it is more just a smooth face in comparison to a plain cotton or cotton poplin. It feels smooth, soft, and it looks rich!

The other fabric that I use for my printed fabrics is a recent edition, and it is SO nice! It is a 95% organic cotton 5% Spandex rib knit material. I can't get enough of it. It feels so good on my body.

This is another mid-weight, opaque fabric. It is soft, warm, cozy, and stretchy! Now that I have been wearing it, I need MORE pieces in it! It is really nice and a wonderful quality!

I think fabric quality is SO important in garments. You can put so much effort into making something, but if the quality in the fabric is not there, the garment is not going to be a quality as is could be! 

I also prefer to use natural fibers, for me cotton is the go to, just because I'd rather have a fiber on my body that is natural and made from the earth, rather than a fiber that is essentially plastic and made from chemicals that produce toxins in the air!

 

Anyway, I just wanted to make a post about my fabrics, because it is something I take pride in with my brand, and not anything I'll ever cut costs with!

 

Thanks for reading!