Dear friends and family of the hospital :3
Thank you for all the love and support all these years.
Let's talk about the importance and role that cotton plays in Soft Toy Repair today!
Why Cotton
Depending on need and requirements, Cotton may or may not have a significant advantage over other common types of fabrics used in soft toy repair (Velour, Velvet, Minky, Fleece, Jersey etc)
The advantages of Cotton includes
- No elastic fibers (lycra, elastane, spandex etc) that have a higher chance of degradation due to their stretchy nature
- Does not split open drastically when damaged, compared to knit fabrics produced using the looping production method
- Great variety and choices in colors and prints
- High stability (Does not distort easily)
- High heat tolerance (Sunning, dryer, iron, disinfect)
- High breath-ability
- Not furry (Good for babies and asthmatic)
- Moderate to high abrasion and stretch resistance (does not pill easily)
The cotton types (by Country)
There are also cotton fabrics available in other countries (Malaysia, Indonesia, Italy etc) but due to availability and requirements, we at the soft toy hospital tends to bring in fabric from the following counties.
| Type | Features |
| Japanese / Korea Cotton |
Vast range of possible prints Prints are high quality with sharp features, strong colors and brilliant color stability Good hand feel, generally moderate weight Not much solid color options Usually semi lustrous |
| China Cotton |
Widest range of solid colors compared to other countries Limited print options Generally lightweight (thin) Usually matte |
| USA Cotton |
Very standardized color between batches - great color consistency. Great option for
Prints are high quality with sharp features, strong colors and brilliant color stability Light, moderate and heavy weight More options of cotton types (read below) Usually lustrous Note: Some are produced in China, but quality heavily controlled by USA importer |
Chose China -> For exotic colors
Choose Japan / Korea -> For kawaii (cute) prints, good quality
Choose USA -> For standardized colors, themed and copyrighted prints, good quality
USA imported fabrics are generally more expensive than either China or Japan.
The types (By Category)
There are other types of cotton. But for the purposes of soft toy repair, we will list the common ones that we offer and make available :3
| Category | Notes |
| Poplin, Lawn, Voile |
Light weight Tends to be stiffer and less malleable |
| Twill |
Medium weight Higher resistance to wrinkles, creases and dirt compared to standard cotton.More malleable to curved edges Tends to be heavier and more expensive. |
| Mercerized |
Medium weight Brighter colors (including white) and better durability resistance (multiple wash, abrasion, stretch) Tends to be smoother with higher resistance to mildew and lint formation Cons: Is rarer and harder to find outside of standard colors. Also more expensive. |
|
Duck Canvas |
Heavy weight |
Which one should I use?
Ultimately, this depends on your needs :3
Do talk to us to find out which one would be most suitable for you!