Production and craft

The pattern is woven into the cloth, not printed onto it

Yarn-dyed woven fabric takes its check, stripe or dobby from dyed yarn in the warp and the weft. We run weaving and finishing coordination with long-standing production partners, and we own the specification, the sampling and the standard the cloth is checked against.

Yarn-dyed weaving

Colour that is built in, and the limits of that

Five things worth knowing before you specify a check or a stripe.

Where the pattern comes from: The yarn is dyed before it goes anywhere near the loom. The check, stripe or dobby is a construction built from those yarns, not a pattern printed onto a plain cloth afterwards.
What that changes: Colour sits inside the yarn, so the pattern is still there after washing, rubbing and pressing. A printed surface pattern cannot be matched to it, only imitated at a distance.
How the pattern is formed: The figure comes from the arrangement of dyed yarns and the weave structure together. How the reverse reads, and how the selvedge sits against the body, depends on the specific article.
What it cannot do: Photographic detail and fine gradients are not possible. Every additional colour in a check means another dyed yarn lot, more preparation and more loom time, which is what moves the price.
Where it earns its place: Shirting, uniforms, light bottoms and anything else where a pattern has to survive the wash the garment will actually get.

The route

From yarn to finished roll

Five stages decide the cloth. Cycles are typical and always subject to confirmation.

Yarn and construction
Count, ply, dyed yarn lots for each colour, target weight and usable width are fixed against the end garment. Colour options are matched to the yarn lots that can actually be obtained for the article before anything is committed.
Warping and drawing-in
The colour sequence in the warp sets the repeat. The drawing-in plan is the document that puts it on the loom, so it is approved before the beam is made up.
Weaving
Loom setting, picks per unit length, width and selvedge condition are agreed to the confirmed construction. Greige is checked as it comes off, before it moves to the next stage.
Dyeing and finishing
For piece-dyed TR and knit, colour is applied to the greige. For a yarn-dyed woven the colour is already in the cloth, so this stage is washing, setting, softening and the functional finish. Either way, this is the stage that decides handfeel, shrinkage and function.
Inspection and packing
Rolls are inspected and reported before shipment, then packed, ticketed and marked to the instruction on the order. The routine is set out on our quality control page.

Knit and finishing

Knit constructions, and what finishing does to the hand

Heavier constructions and the finishing routes behind them. A finish that suits a shirt is often wrong for a jacket lining, so the garment decides.

Single jersey

One yarn set, plain face. The base construction for T-shirts and light sleepwear, in solid-dyed or yarn-dyed form.

Pique

A raised cell structure that holds its shape and lets air through. The classic polo surface, and it hides a crease better than jersey.

Interlock

Two faces, smooth on both sides and stable in the width. Suits heavier tees and gives a better surface for printing.

Rib

A stretch construction for cuffs, collars and neckbands, and for garments cut with rib panels.

Fleece and loop-back

Looped or brushed inside for warmth without weight. Hoodies, sweat tops and heavier loungewear.

Yarn-dyed knit

Stripes and engineered patterns built in the knit rather than printed on it, on the same principle as our yarn-dyed wovens.

Custom knit lots usually start at 500 kg per colour. Minimums are usual values confirmed per order.

Washing and relaxing: Releases loom strain so the cloth stops moving after the first industrial wash, rather than in your cutting room.
Heat setting: Stabilises a synthetic or a blend so width and hand stay where they were set, which matters for TR suiting and for knit that has to hold a shape.
Mercerising and softening: Controls lustre and surface for a shirting hand. Over-softening is visible: a collar that will not stand up is usually a finishing decision, not a weave fault.
Shrinkage control: The cloth is compressed to the residual shrinkage agreed on the order, and that figure is what the buyer’s wash test is measured against.
Functional finishing: Non-iron, easy care and PFAS-free C0 DWR are routes we have run on real orders. The finish is chosen against the care instruction the garment will carry.
Knit finishing: The hand is set for the garment: dry and crisp for a polo, soft and lightly peached for a sleepwear knit.

Sampling

What we can put in your hand, and how long it takes

Approval has to happen before bulk yarn is committed. Sampling rounds are not fixed, and special yarns can move every date below.

Sampling types and typical cycles
Type	What it is for	Usual cycle
A4 swatch	Hand, weight and colour family for shortlisting. Free of charge, courier on your account.	On request
Handloom / lab dip	A woven mock-up or a dyed shade for approval before bulk yarn is committed.	7–10 days †
Spot cutting	Cut from stock where the colour is in hand. Subject to stock at the time of the request.	5 working days †
Development sample	A construction developed to your specification, including special yarns.	20–30 days †
Bulk lot	Custom production after sample approval and order confirmation.	30–60 days *

† Preparation and production time only. Courier transit, where there is any, is additional. All timings are subject to confirmation against the production calendar at the time you order.

* Subject to confirmation, and to quantity, colour count and yarn availability at the time of the order.

Capacity

How production time is coordinated

Fabric is the main line. Weaving and finishing are coordinated with long-standing production partners, and capacity is confirmed per order rather than promised in advance.

The arrangement: Weaving and finishing coordination is run by us against long-standing production partners. TR, knit and the garment stage are placed on the same basis.
One owner: A single merchandiser owns the article from sampling through to shipment, so the specification does not drift between stages.
Confirmed, not assumed: Loom and finishing time is booked once the article, colour count and quantity are fixed. Nothing is pre-committed before that, and availability is subject to confirmation.
Peak periods: Loom and finishing time is tighter around the main shirting and uniform seasons. An early confirmation leaves more room in the schedule than a late one.
When a date cannot be held: You are told as soon as we know, with the reason and the options, rather than after the shipment has slipped.
What we do not publish: Partner names and their capacity figures. You deal with one counterparty, one specification and one standard.

Next step

Send the construction you have in mind

Composition, weight, width, colour count and the end garment is enough for us to say what is workable — and to say so before you pay for a development sample.

Request a quote Request a free A4 sample

Lead times, minimums and sampling cycles are confirmed per order.