Originally Posted by FroggyinTexas
Originally Posted by Faren
What if you aren't sure if it is a poly blend or not? I am a fairly new sewer and need an easy way to tell.
Two easy ways: (1) Take a corner of the fabric in your hand and wad it up as tightly as you can. If it is wrinkled when you let it go, it is 99 percent certain that it's cotton. If it isn't wrinkled it's 99 percent certain that it's blend.
If you want to live dangerously:
(2) Cut a swatch of fabric big enough to hold by your fingertips with about 5 inches to spare away from your hand. Stand over the kitchen sink and turn the cold water on. Strike a match and set the flame to the fabric. If it melts, it's polyester. If it burns, it's cotton. The reason for having the water on is obvious. If it really flames, you probably don't want to use it for anything that might be exposed to fire. BTW, I just went to sink to try this because I wanted to be sure about it. froggyintexas
Thank you too, the wrinkle test will probably work for most of them. I have two lawn bags full of fabric that might be poly blends!