I love the look of them but can't figure out if that is what makes it homespun or if there is something distinctive about the fabric itself.

Thanks,

Darren

it is the process-
the weave of the fabric-
home spuns have a looser weave than regular cottons you may be used to - they are not manufactured the same way-
they are often (but not always) plaids-
they are normally the same on both sides- or any difference from one side to the other is very minimal.
they are not a printed fabric they are a woven fabric- with the threads makin the design

I think "homespun" implies woven fabrics, especially plaids and checks... don't know if that's the true meaning tho....

Homespun has two notable qualites.
1. The patterns are formed using fibers that have been dyed prior to weaving. Thats why they are plaids, checks and stripes and the colors will appear on both sides of the fabric... as apposed to printed fabrics , one side has the true image the other is the die that has soaked to the back side.
2. They are often slubsand slight inconsistancy in the spin of the fiber resulting from a looser fiber spin. They can be a thicker fabric but the fibers used are not spun as tight as regular fabrics.
There are some very high quality homespuns that are a mix of cotton and other natural fibers such as linen.