1. What is Chambray Fabric?

Chambray fabric is a mid-weight fabric between cretonne and poplin. It can be made of linen or cotton. It is a plain weave fabric made by the knitted fabric manufacturers. Its particularity comes from its standard weaving of already dyed threads, generally a beige or white thread and a colored thread, which gives it its particular appearance.

2. Its history

Its name comes from the North of France, from the city of Cambrai. Its birth is dated to the middle of the 16th century. Originally chambray was made of linen and was used to make shirts, underwear and handkerchiefs. The British, having commercial exchanges with India, imported cotton from this territory which happens to be less expensive than linen. Chambray lovers, they make a “cotton” version of chambray. In the 18th century, the English banned the import of French “linen” chambray in order to favor the “cotton” chambray they produced. Chambray is a fine and dense material that is very pleasant to wear. Close to denim, it spread to the United States in the 20th century. Moreover, the workers who wear overalls in chambray are called "blue collar" as opposed to the managers named "white collar".

3. What to sew with it?

Chambray linen is often used for making clothing. This fabric is known for its comfort and its natural side, it is perfect for creating summer or winter clothes such as shirts, blouses, pants, dresses, etc.

Its material allows thermoregulation:

– in winter it retains the heat of the garment,

– in summer it has ideal breathability during hot weather.

Linen chambray is also suitable for creating bed linen and decorative accessories (curtains, tablecloths, napkins, etc.) Cotton chambray is a very light and comfortable fabric to wear. It is suitable for making comfortable and elegant outfits in all circumstances. Easy to care for and supporting many washes without moving, it is a fabric that has proven itself.

4. The main advantages of chambray

You have an easy-care fabric that is pleasant to wear. But in addition, you will choose the weight of your fabric, its flexibility, its opacity according to your sewing project. You will choose a lighter fabric to make a blouse, heavier if you make a jacket. For a man's shirt, the denser the weave, the more opaque the shirt will be. A less dense weave will be perfect for a feminine blouse that plays on transparency. A thick yarn will give a rustic look and a nice drape on trousers, a finer yarn will be ideal for a dress. You therefore have the possibility of adapting the chambray to your project!

5. maintenance

Chambray is an easy-care material that offers great comfort. Nevertheless, it is necessary to differentiate between linen chambray and cotton chambray:

- with linen it will be necessary to exclude the passage to the dryer, the cotton tolerates it better in soft cycle, even if it remains preferable to dry in the open air.