What's the difference between canvas and oxford?
Just the type of weave, actually. Both can be made in natural (ie hemp, cotton, linen) or synthetic fibers (ie polyester, nylon) or a mixture of both.
Canvas is constructed with a tight, plain weave (single threads in the warp and weft when woven, aka 1:1 woven ratio), and Oxford is constructed using a 2:1 or 3:1 irregular basket weave (several warp threads are woven through single weft threads).
Both canvas and oxford fabrics are coated in PU or PVC to make them waterproof.
Now let me tell you more about Oxford fabric! (lol)
Waterproof Oxford (WPO) fabric is fantastic for either as a lining or as an outer fabric.
WPO is a nylon composite fabric with a Threads Per Inch (TPI) density of 380T (the total number of warp and weft threads in a square inch). Think of it like thread count in bedding. The standard thread count for bed sheets is 180 threads per inch, with 300-600 thread count being considered as an ideal range for durability.
Oxford fabric is known for it's tensile strength, resistance to tearing and abrasion.
Waterproof Oxford's characteristics:
- No pre-washing required, but also probably no washing in general required as you can just wipe this fabric clean.
- You don't need to interface it (unless your pattern calls for mega structure). It's a woven fabric with no stretch, and it has a solid white polyurethane backing that gives it a medium weight that holds its shape well.
- You can iron it on a low setting to remove any folds or creases.
- It's thin, and can be sewn on a domestic with a 90/14 Microtex needle and polyester or nylon thread.
- It's non-directional, meaning you can turn it which ever way you want when placing your pattern pieces on it (unless the print itself is directional, that is.)
- It's waterproof! You can make make-up bags, pencil cases, backpacks and luggage bags, outerwear (think human or dog raincoats), place mats, beach totes, lunch bags, diaper bags, reusable sanitary napkin pouches....
- I'd recommend using mini-clips rather than pins, unless you pin inside the seam allowance, if you are making something designed to be waterproof.
WPO ships folded, bagged and labeled (store any reusable-sized scraps in it!), in pre-cut in 18" (half yard) lengths, with a possible 1/2" variance from one end to the other. The WOF (width of fabric) is approximately 56". (46cm x 140cm)
