[Bryn-gwlad] Fabric Woes

[Elizabeth Crouchet]

So I was just in Hancocks down south for their Grand Reopening sale.

They had lots of fabric on special.

I found a bolt of  "100% Silky Wool". It was a linen kind of weave and
felt nice so I got some cut. As it was being cut I noticed the selvedges
had writing woven in, it said "Donegal  Linen Ireland". But it did not
feel like linen. So I found a lighter and did a burn test on some pulled
fibers. They melted and it stank. No burnt hair smell, no burnt paper
smell, just chemically and no ash, it all melted. Ick!

I found another bolt in another color, marked "100% Silky Wool". It was
woven in the selvedges with  "Silky Wool England". A burn test on those
fibers and they also melted.

No one who worked there knew what it was all about and I admit I was
very confused. I declined to buy the piece I had had cut because it was
not what it advertised itself to be.

They even had all of their  Linen on sale. It was all polyester
content,  but it was labeled as Linen.

How are we supposed to know what fabric is made of anymore?

Just beware and carry a lighter when you shop for fabric.

Only one of the sales staff had any idea why I wanted to borrow a
lighter or what I could tell about the fabric by burning the fibers.

Buyer really beware!

Claire