Dobby cloth includes a wide variety of fabrics that look and feel very different from each other, but they all use a dobby weave that gives the cloth texture. Shoppers may see dobby cloth advertised in everything from dress shirts and skirts to running shorts, from decorative towels to nylon sport bags. Sewing enthusiasts can make their own projects from dobby cloth, and weaving experts can even make their own dobby cloth using dobby looms.
Significance
Dobby weaving machines or looms raise or lower the warp threads that make up the longwise direction of the cloth to create its unique texture. Dobby cloth weaving patterns can include simple stripes, squares or diamonds, as well as more intricate patterns such as swirls, insignias and even animals or flowers. Some dobby cloth uses a single color of thread or yarn, while others use several colors to emphasize the design.
Types
Textile manufacturers make dobby cloth from fibers that are thick or thin, natural or synthetic. Some of the most common types of dobby cloth are made from cotton, but dobby cloth can be made from polyester, nylon, rayon or even wool or silk. Some types of dobby cloth use a blend of several fibers. Pique, waffle knits and bird's-eye fabrics are some of the most popular types of cotton dobby cloth. More exotic dobby cloth fabrics include moss crepe, brocades and barathea made from rayon or silk, and matelasse, which can include a blend of cotton and polyester, or chenille.
Function
Depending on the type of material it's made from, dobby cloth can be used for casual or dressy clothing, towels, linens and home decor. The texture of dobby fabric makes it less prone to show wrinkles than many plain-weave fabrics, making it an excellent choice for shirts and pants. Tightly woven dobby cloth is popular for the collars of pique polo shirts and as a decorative border for towels. Waffle knit fabrics, which have a gridlike dobby weave, are popular for children's sleepwear and blankets, while bird's-eye cotton dobby cloth makes absorbent cloth diapers and kitchen towels. Heavy dobby cloth is strong yet soft enough for covering furniture and pillows.
Considerations
Companies such as Sierra Trading Post, the Gap and Zappos offer men's and women's shirts and pants made from dobby cloth, and stores such as J.C. Penney's offer dobby cloth linens like towels and pillowcases. Many fabric stores sell cotton dobby cloth like pique, waffle knits and bird's-eye fabrics, while online specialty stores sell more exotic dobby cloth fabrics and styles, such as Japanese, Hawaiian or ethnic fabrics.
Expert Insight
Although most commercially available dobby cloth is produced on computerized dobby machines, home weavers can design and weave their own dobby cloth using a dobby loom, such as the one offered by Village Spinning & Weaving on the website linked below. This loom can use either a mechanical dobby to create the pattern of the weave or an electronic version that accepts input from weaving design software.
