Chenille, in the French language means Caterpillar. The word refers to the fuzzy surface of the fabric resembling the hairy look of a Caterpillar. The most I have seen of chenille is as sweaters and cardigans – they are made of chenille yarn. Then there are scarves and socks made with this textured fabric. But the general use of this material is for upholstery.
Here is a closeup picture of chenille fabric with its soft, fuzzy texture. It usually has a somewhat stiff back.
So what is a chenille fabric?
Chenille is a fabric with a beautiful pile on its surface making it very soft and fuzzy. It also refers to the yarn with which the fabric is made of. Chenille yarn can be cotton, rayon, silk, polyester acrylic, or olefin.
Chenille fabric has the look of a beautiful velvet fabric with its soft smooth piled texture, though the process of manufacturing is very different from what it is for velvet. Where velvet is made with a double cloth construction, chenille is made by wrapping loose fibers around a core fiber and cutting the fibers evenly for the fuzzy texture; looking a lot like the pusstail flowers.
Uses of chenille fabric
Because of the inexpensiveness of chenille fabric, when compared to velvet or suede, it is increasingly used for upholstery purposes. Soft Rugs / Carpets made of this fiber are high in demand. Quilts and bedspreads made in this fabric have an unparalleled luxurious feel. It is used to make a multitude of things like bed sheets, throws, carpets, cushions, drapes, etc. In clothing it is used to make shawls, beach wear.
How is Chenille fabric made
The Chenille fabric was first made in France around the mid-1700s. A cross-woven fabric was cut into chenille yarn and this was used to make the fuzzy fabric. Then later woolen yarns were woven into fabric and then cut into chenille strips which were then heat-treated to form the chenille fabric.
A Scottish man named Alexander Buchanan is credited to have invented this method. Chenille fabric, as we know now today, has progressed a lot from these early days.
As of now, Chenille is made in a completely different way, though the early methods are still followed in some places. It is made by wrapping short lengths of fibers (named as pile) around two twisted tightly wound core yarns. The pile can be made of cotton, rayon, silk, or polyester fibers. The wrapped fibers are then cut to produce a fuzzy look.
You can make your own chenille
A similar effect of fuzzy textured appearance on the fabric surface can be duplicated easily with some fabric scraps and a sewing machine by you at your home.
Many layers of fabrics are sewn together and then slashed through the channels in between the stitching lines. The cut fibers will then protrude out from the base fabric resulting in a very chenille like look.
Checkout the detailed process in the post – How to make faux chenille fabric with fabric stitch and slashing method
My tips for handling and sewing chenille
Bulkiness and tendency to stretch are the two frustrations I have when sewing and cutting chenille.
Related post: Sewing with similarly bulky faux fur. You need to have a sewing machine that will not strugle with the bulkiness of the fabric. Fabric catching in the feed dogs is another irritating thing and will slow you down, as you just want to finish the project.
But thin chenille is a comparatively easy material to sew with and is used as a substitute for velvet / chunky knits to make cardigans, jackets, vests, etc.
Some chenille fabric may be very thick and the fabric may not move under the needle – in this case a walking foot can help. I have read of others using a teflon foot, and a roller foot. Use a 90 Number needle. Many tips in this post on managing and cutting thick fabrics in sewing can be useful.
One very important thing to remember is to finish the fabric edges – it frays a lot. Hong Kong seams, serging, or zig-zag stitching can be used to finish the edges.
For sewing a knitted chenille, you can use a stretch needle and zig-zag stitch.
Interesting reading : selbysoftfurnishings.com/what-is-chenille
Related post : Textiles in everyday life ; ; Different fabrics and their names.; Other piled fabrics
Hello. I enjoyed the information you shared about the origins an be making of chenille. Growing up my grandmother had chenille bedspreads that I was fascinated with. The threads were definitely cut to make them fuzzy and send to be same cotton thread of the main fabric. I’ve been looking for information on how to do this but I’m sure these weren’t made by sewing layers of fabric together. The only chenille needleworkI can find is a method of pulling loops of stitches, but that’s not the same thing either. Thanks for the information. I will continue to look for other vintage methods.
Hi, That is nice to know. Are you sure it is not couching stitch made with textured fuzzy yarn? – it can look the same if done nicely. Making satin stitches and then cutting through them to give the fuzzy look is another method I have seen.