Buying Guide

Must be known about bed linen

Before buying Luxton Linen quilt cover set, please read something about the beddings. We would be glad that if this could help you a lot.

What is Microfiber?

Microfiber or microfibre is synthetic fiber finer than one or 1.3 deniers or decitex/thread. This is 1/100th the diameter of a human hair and 1/20th the diameter of a strand of silk. The most common types of microfibers are made from polyesters, polyamides(e.g., nylon, Kevlar, Nomex), or a conjugation of polyester, polyamide, and polypropylene (Polen). Microfiber is used to make mats, knits, and weaves for apparel, upholstery, industrial filters, and cleaning products. The shape, size, and combinations of synthetic fibers are selected for specific characteristics, including softness, toughness, absorption, water repellency, electrodynamics, and filtering capabilities.

Microfiber fabric is often used for athletic wear and quilt/duvet cover set because the microfiber material wicks moisture ( sweat ) away from the body. Microfiber is also very elastic, making it suitable for undergarments. However, the US Marine Corps banned synthetic fabrics in forwarding environments due to melting and burn risk.

Microfiber is also used to make tough, very soft-to-the-touch materials for general clothing use, often used in skirts and jackets.

 

What is TC ( Thread Count )?

Thread count or threads per inch (TPI) is a measure of the coarseness or fineness of fabric. It is measured by counting the number of threads contained in one square inch of fabric or one square centimeter, including both the length ( warp ) and width ( weft ) threads. The thread count is the number of threads counted along two sides (up and across) of the square inch, added together. It is used especially in regard to cotton linens such as quilt/duvet cover sets and bed sheets and has been known to be used in the classification of towels.

You will see thread count referred to with a number followed by tc, which stands for thread count, such as 250tc or 300 tc. Thread Count refers to the number of horizontal and vertical threads in one square inch of fabric. So if a fabric is 250tc or 250 thread count, that means there were 250 threads per one square inch of fabric.

Thread count in quilt cover sets can range from 60 to 800. The most of often purchased sets range from 180 to 350 thread count. Basically, the higher the thread count, the softer the bedding sets feel. Keep in mind, the higher the thread count, the more expensive the quilt cover sets are as well.

So before you buy, in the end, it comes down to what feels good to you, and what is in your price range.

 

What are the often used textile materials?

Good quality bedspreads and doona or quilts are made with a number of high-quality fibers. They mainly include percale, sateen, Egyptian cotton, silk, matelasse, cotton chintz, chenille, or even velvet as these fabrics tend to have a tight weave and thick threads that increase the durability and opulence of the cover. 
Australians are increasingly favoring pure cotton, says Myer Bedlinen Category Buyer, Rebecca Fanelli, but that's not to suggest that poly-cotton sheets don't have their place. If you're looking for easy care and affordability, a blend could be the way to go, she says. Synthetic fabric sheets are also used in some lower-end products today. Although synthetic fibers like modal, lyocell and polyester have strength and durability, they aren't the most breathable fabrics.

Sateen

Sateen, not to be confused with the material satin, is a type of weave, with a satin-like finish, often found in bed sheets. Sateen is usually applied to cotton, or sometimes rayon. Better qualities are mercerized to give a higher sheen. Some are only calendered to produce the sheen but this disappears with washing and is not considered genuine sateen. Sateen may be bleached, dyed, or printed. It is difficult to make good bound buttonholes on it as it has a tendency to slip at the seams.

Sateen produces the sheen and softer feel through the use of a different structure in the weaving process. The sateen structure is four over, one under, placing the most threads on the surface, making it extremely soft, though slightly less durable than other weaves. Standard, non-sateen, weaves use a one over, one understructure. Satin also uses this structure, however, instead of using cotton, different materials are used (e.g., silk, polyester, etc).

Egyptian Cotton

The term Egyptian cotton is usually applied to the extra long staple cotton produced in Egypt and used by luxury and upmarket brands worldwide. In fact, the cotton species which produces extra long staple "Egyptian" cotton is the native American species Gossypium barbadense which was introduced by Mohammad Ali Pasha in the 19th century. During the cotton famine caused by the American Civil War, Egyptian-grown cotton was promoted and received much investment, becoming a preferred alternate source for British textile mills. Indian Surat cotton could only be used for coarse counts and would not spin on the existing machinery. Most of what is labeled "Egyptian cotton" today, however, also includes long staple cotton, the product of the other native American species Gossypium hirsutum. The ancient Egyptians made their clothing from linen, a product of the flax plant.

Percale

Percale is a closely woven plain-weave fabric often used for bed linens.

The term describes the weave of the fabric, not it's content, so percale can be a 50/50 blend of cotton and polyester, 100% cotton, or a blend of other fabrics in any ratio. A percale weave has a thread count of about 200 or higher and is noticeably tighter than the standard type of weave used for bed-sheets. It has medium weight, is firm and smooth with no gloss, and warps and washes very well. It is made from both carded and combed yarns. Percale fabrics are made in both solid colors and printed patterns. The finish of the fabric is independent of its weave, so it can be either printed or unprinted. Percale was originally imported from India in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, then manufactured in France. The word may originate from the Persian parg¨¡lah, 'rag', although the Oxford English Dictionary (Dec. 2005) has traced it only as far as 18th-century French.

Organic Cotton

Organic cotton is not a specific type of cotton. It refers to a group of cotton products that are made from non-genetically modified plants. They grow without the application of any synthetic agricultural chemicals such as fertilizers or pesticides. The organic production additionally promotes and enhances biodiversity and biological cycles on the earth. Cotton growers who make the transition to biologically based growing practices expect to not only offer a healthier and cleaner product but to also benefit the planet in many fields, such as protection of surface and groundwater quality, reduction of risk insect and disease control and yield soils with better organic matter content.