Norton Fabric

Natural Variations in Yarn

We have committed to using only natural and recycled yarns within our fabrics. This is in part to reduce chemical processes in our products and also our love of the inherent beauty of these yarns, which require little human intervention.  We impart our knowledge and skills in weaving to bring out the best in these yarns, and that’s all that’s needed to create a truly authentic, natural product. Because of this, you may see some variation in the structure and colour of fibres, creating a natural slub or texture in your fabric.  These are all perfectly normal and give the product an authenticity that can’t be replicated with synthetic fibres.

Colour Fastness

All the yarn dyes used by Ian Mankin have a lightfastness of 4 or over on a scale of 1-5. The dyes used in fabrics that are marked as washable at 30°C should not fade as long as optical brighteners are not contained in the detergents.

Due to the nature of undyed and unbleached fabrics such as natural linens, cotton and viscose, you may notice colour fade if these are exposed to strong light over a long period. To keep their natural beauty, we would recommend that these fabrics are kept away from strong sources of light or that a protective film is used on windows if this is unavoidable. Our undyed and unbleached yarns achieve a colourfastness of 2 on a scale of 0 – 5.

Please note that undyed natural fibres such as linen, cotton and viscose may lighten in colour when washed, and caution should be taken when spot cleaning natural fibres as colour may leach to form watermarks.

Shrinkage

If you are using this fabric for a product you intend to wash, such as removable covers and soft furnishings, please take into account the possible 5-10% shrinkage when measuring or briefing a maker.

Rub Fastness

All of our fabrics are tested for rub fastness on an industry standard called the Martindale Test; this gauges how many times a fabric can be rubbed in a circular motion before the abrasion starts to break threads. Please see the individual product specifications for their usage and suitability.