Printing on Chenille Fabric

The custom print Chenille fabric is an interesting fabric, as it is very thick and textured. It also has an off-white base compared to the rest of its siblings in the traditional weave category.

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Surface textures

This fabric is very soft and simultaneously strong with a good drape. With a very slight give in the fabric, it is an otherwise taut material. With a mirrored feel for front face and back, the fabric is quite thick and heavy with a stiff element to it, giving it good body which is easily handled and manipulated.

Print detail

With an element of relief to the surface texture, our custom printed Chenille fabric’s caterpillar pile has a very subtle yet busy surface. The base color has an off white, almost cream undertone. It is quite opaque when light is shone through and also reflects light in interesting ways as the relief in the textile, allows the fibers to catch the light. The relief in the fabric in no way interferes with the print, which portrays very crisp high quality imagery, allowing fine lines and work to be most intricate.

Usage

The soft durable qualities of this material makes it great for a range of garments. It is a very good choice for bathrobes due to its comfort and absorbency, with a stylish finish. Chenille’s surface texture and durability also make it perfect for furniture upholstery. It boasts great results during abrasion testing, rated 1-5, 5 being best. Chenille achieved grade 4-5 across all colors, wet and dry, with slight shade change after 3,000 rubs. Certified for any end use within furnishings upholstery. Certificates are available on request.

Sizing For Hemming And Shrinkage

We have a full Cut & Sew service here at Contrado, and are able to hem your fabric prints for a small additional charge. We create a small one- or two-fold hem that typically uses 0.2" to 0.75" (5-20mm) of material, depending on the thickness of the fabric. So, for example, if you want a finished piece of fabric that measures 39.37" x 39.37", you will need to order a size of 39.96" x 39.96" to allow for the hem (on top of that please also allow for shrinkage of min 2%). The thicker the fabric, the bigger the hem will be. You can choose to have your prints hemmed with either Black or White thread. On our silk and other light woven fabrics, one hemmed edge will be straight (vertically down the roll) and the other will be slightly rippled. The hemming material allowances are as follows and you need to make your print bigger to accommodate the hem:

• Light Fabrics (0.59oz-2.95oz): For silks and other light fabrics, we use 0.24" - 0.32" / 6mm-8mm in the hem (2 fold), so overall width/height will be minus 0.48"-0.56""/ 12-16mm
• Medium Fabrics (2.98oz-5.90oz): For medium-weight fabrics that fray, we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (2 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.4" - 1.6" / 35-40mm
• Stiff/Heavy/No-fray fabrics: we use 0.5 - 0.75" / 15-20mm in the hem (1 fold) so overall width/height will be minus 1.5" / 35-40mm

All of these measurements are approximate and can vary. Including with shrinkage, it can mean a fairly significant difference to ordered dimensions, so please plan your print accordingly. Depending on how open the weave is, our fabric can shrink anywhere from 2% to 8% with the average being 2.5%.

How Would you Like the Edge?

• As it comes. We cut around your image, leaving a simply scissor cut, perhaps uneven white fabric border. 
• Hem with thread. We can hem your fabric with a choice of black or white thread. Please allow 1-2 days additional production time. See below for information on how hemming affects the size of your print. We offer an overlock hem, as well as a folded hem (one or two fold depending on the fabric) however not all fabrics are suited to both hem types. If you can see both options, it means both are suitable, and you will be able to choose whichever you prefer. 
• Cut on the line. We will cut neatly on the edge of your design. This means that if you have a border around your design we will cut around that border, if your design takes the whole space of the fabric, then we will neatly cut around the edge of that image. Please be aware, when we cut along the line, we have to cut against the grain of the fabric. This is the standard procedure for fabric cutting. This means that with some fabrics, for example, Georgette and Mulmul, which have a slight wave in them, some fraying will occur. This is unavoidable, as the cut follows the grain of the textile. 

All of our fabrics are cut manually by hand, with the utmost care and attention. If your fabric has a slightly uneven look on the edges or a touch of fraying, this does not indicate a flaw in the textile. It is not always possible to achieve a perfectly straight cut with certain fabrics, so please do bare this in mind when it comes to your design. If you have any queries or would like to know about our cutting methods in more detail, please get in touch and we will be more than happy to discuss them with you.

Please note: As we make everything by hand, all sizes may vary slightly.

For further information about our fabrics see our FAQs.

What is Chenille fabric usually used for?

We have probably seen it mostly used in upholstery. It is a thick, textured fabric that holds up well in everyday life. We have alternative textiles with similar properties, so it might be worth ordering our swatch pack if you are looking to upholster.

Is this similar to the Chain jersey?

The Chain is much more of a wearable jersey, with a stretch woven in and it has a soft texture on both sides. The Chenille however is much stronger and tougher and can be used for longer lasting projects.

If I used this for a detailed image, would it show the lines perfectly?

Now that you have chosen your custom fabric, you are hoping that the properties of the fabric won't affect the overall pattern. Your image will print beautifully onto this fabric. If you want to be sure, then you can order a test print. We will print your design and send it out to you with a turnaround of 48 hours.