Cambric
Encyclopedia
Cambric, pronounced /ˈkæmbrɪk/, "one of the finest and most dense species of the cloth manufacture", is a lightweight plain weave
cloth, originally from Cambrai
, woven in greige, then bleached
and piece-dyed, often glazed or calendered
. Initially made from flax
, then cotton
in the 19th century, it is also called batiste. Cambric is used for linens
, shirtings, handkerchieves
and as fabric for lace
and needlework
.
. The word comes from Kameryk or Kamerijk, the Flemish
name of Cambrai, The word is attested since 1530. which became part of France in 1677. It is a synonym of the French word batiste, itself attested since 1590,. Batiste itself comes from the Picard
batiche, attested since 1401, derivation (linguistics)|derived from the old French battre for bowing wool. The modern form batiste or baptiste comes from a popular merge with the surname
Baptiste
, pronouced Batisse, as indicated by the use of the expressions thoile batiche (1499) and toile de baptiste (1536) for the same fabric. The alleged invention of the fabric, around 1300, by a weaver called Baptiste or Jean-Baptiste Cambray or Chambray (see Photo right), from the village of Castaing in the peerage
of Marcoing
, near Cambrai, has no historic ground. Cambric was a finer quality and more expensive than lawn
(from the French laune, initially a plain-weave linen fabric from the city of Laon in France). Denoting a geographic origin from the city of Cambrai or its surroundings (Cambresis in French), cambric is an exact equivalent of the French cambrésine (/kɑ̃.bʁe.zin/), a very fine, almost sheer white linen plain-weave fabric,, to be distinguished from cambrasine, a fabric comparable to the French lawn despite its foreign origin. Cambric is also close to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/ from a French regional variant of Cambrai, and to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/, from a French regional variant of Cambrai, a name which "also comes from Cambrai, the French city, where the material was originally made of linen yarn". Chambray (also spelled chambrai) appears in North American English in the early 19th century. Though the term generally refers to a cotton plain weave with a colored warp and a white weft, close to gingham, "silk chambray" seems to have coexisted. Chambray was often produced during this period by the same weavers producing gingham.
White linen cambric or batiste from Cambrai, noted for its weight and luster,
was "preferred for ecclesiastical wear, fine shirts, underwear, shirt frills, cravats, collars and cuffs, handkerchiefs, and infant wear". Technical use sometime introduced a difference between cambric and batiste, the latter being of a lighter weight and a finer thread count. Chambray, though the same type of fabric, had a coloured warp and a white weft, though it could be "made from any colour as you may wish, in the warp, and also in the filling; only have them differ from each other.
In the 18th century, after the prohibition of imports in England of French cambrics, with the development of the import of Indian cotton fabrics, similar cotton fabrics, such as nainsook, from the Hindi nainsukh (eyes delight), became popular. These fabrics, initially called Scotch cambrics to distinguish them from the original French cambrics, came to be referred to as cotton cambrics or batistes. Some authors increased the confusion with the assumption the word batiste could come from the Indian fabric bastas.
In the 19th century, the terms cambric and batiste gradually lost their association with linen, implying only different kind of fine plain-weave fabrics with a glossy finish. In 1907, a fine cotton batist had 100 ends
per inch in the finished fabric, while a cheap-grade, less than 60.
In the 19th century, with the development of the interest for colour shirts, cambric was also woven in colours, such as the pink fabric used by Charvet for a corsage (See Figure right), reducing the difference between cambric and chambray. Moreover, the development and rationalization of mechanical weaving led to the replacement, for chambray, of coloured warp anf white weft by the opposite, whita warp and coloured weft, which allowed for longer warps.
Plain weave
Plain weave is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaves . It is strong and hard-wearing, used for fashion and furnishing fabrics....
cloth, originally from Cambrai
Cambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
, woven in greige, then bleached
Textile bleaching
Textile bleaching is one of the stages in the manufacture of textiles. All raw textile materials, when they are in natural form, are known as 'greige' material. This greige material will be with its natural color, odour and impurities that are not suitable for clothing materials...
and piece-dyed, often glazed or calendered
Calendering
Calendering is a finishing process used on cloth where fabric is folded in half and passed under rollers at high temperatures and pressures. Calendering is used on fabrics such as moire to produce its watered effect and also on cambric and some types of sateens.In preparation for calendering, the...
. Initially made from flax
Flax
Flax is a member of the genus Linum in the family Linaceae. It is native to the region extending from the eastern Mediterranean to India and was probably first domesticated in the Fertile Crescent...
, then cotton
Cotton
Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective capsule, around the seeds of cotton plants of the genus Gossypium. The fiber is almost pure cellulose. The botanical purpose of cotton fiber is to aid in seed dispersal....
in the 19th century, it is also called batiste. Cambric is used for linens
Linens
Linens are fabric household goods, such as pillowcases and towels.Originally, many, such as bed sheets and tablecloths, were made of linen. Today, the term "linen" has come to be applied to all related products even though most are made of cotton, synthetic fabrics or blends...
, shirtings, handkerchieves
Handkerchief
A handkerchief , also called a handkercher or hanky, is a form of a kerchief, typically a hemmed square of thin fabric that can be carried in the pocket or purse, and which is intended for personal hygiene purposes such as wiping one's hands or face, or blowing one's nose...
and as fabric for lace
Lace
Lace is an openwork fabric, patterned with open holes in the work, made by machine or by hand. The holes can be formed via removal of threads or cloth from a previously woven fabric, but more often open spaces are created as part of the lace fabric. Lace-making is an ancient craft. True lace was...
and needlework
Needlework
Needlework is a broad term for the handicrafts of decorative sewing and textile arts. Anything that uses a needle for construction can be called needlework...
.
History
Cambric was originally a kind of fine white plain-weave linen cloth made at or near CambraiCambrai
Cambrai is a commune in the Nord department in northern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Cambrai is the seat of an archdiocese whose jurisdiction was immense during the Middle Ages. The territory of the Bishopric of Cambrai, roughly coinciding with the shire of Brabant, included...
. The word comes from Kameryk or Kamerijk, the Flemish
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
name of Cambrai, The word is attested since 1530. which became part of France in 1677. It is a synonym of the French word batiste, itself attested since 1590,. Batiste itself comes from the Picard
Picard language
Picard is a language closely related to French, and as such is one of the larger group of Romance languages. It is spoken in two regions in the far north of France – Nord-Pas-de-Calais and Picardy – and in parts of the Belgian region of Wallonia, the district of Tournai and a part of...
batiche, attested since 1401, derivation (linguistics)|derived from the old French battre for bowing wool. The modern form batiste or baptiste comes from a popular merge with the surname
Surname
A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...
Baptiste
Baptiste
Baptiste is a French given name or surname, and may be a shortened form of Jean-Baptiste .-Surname:*Alex Baptiste , an English football player*Alva Baptiste, a Saint Lucian politician...
, pronouced Batisse, as indicated by the use of the expressions thoile batiche (1499) and toile de baptiste (1536) for the same fabric. The alleged invention of the fabric, around 1300, by a weaver called Baptiste or Jean-Baptiste Cambray or Chambray (see Photo right), from the village of Castaing in the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
of Marcoing
Marcoing
-References:*...
, near Cambrai, has no historic ground. Cambric was a finer quality and more expensive than lawn
Lawn
A lawn is an area of aesthetic and recreational land planted with grasses or other durable plants, which usually are maintained at a low and consistent height. Low ornamental meadows in natural landscaping styles are a contemporary option of a lawn...
(from the French laune, initially a plain-weave linen fabric from the city of Laon in France). Denoting a geographic origin from the city of Cambrai or its surroundings (Cambresis in French), cambric is an exact equivalent of the French cambrésine (/kɑ̃.bʁe.zin/), a very fine, almost sheer white linen plain-weave fabric,, to be distinguished from cambrasine, a fabric comparable to the French lawn despite its foreign origin. Cambric is also close to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/ from a French regional variant of Cambrai, and to chambray (/ˈʃɒmbreɪ/, from a French regional variant of Cambrai, a name which "also comes from Cambrai, the French city, where the material was originally made of linen yarn". Chambray (also spelled chambrai) appears in North American English in the early 19th century. Though the term generally refers to a cotton plain weave with a colored warp and a white weft, close to gingham, "silk chambray" seems to have coexisted. Chambray was often produced during this period by the same weavers producing gingham.
White linen cambric or batiste from Cambrai, noted for its weight and luster,
was "preferred for ecclesiastical wear, fine shirts, underwear, shirt frills, cravats, collars and cuffs, handkerchiefs, and infant wear". Technical use sometime introduced a difference between cambric and batiste, the latter being of a lighter weight and a finer thread count. Chambray, though the same type of fabric, had a coloured warp and a white weft, though it could be "made from any colour as you may wish, in the warp, and also in the filling; only have them differ from each other.
In the 18th century, after the prohibition of imports in England of French cambrics, with the development of the import of Indian cotton fabrics, similar cotton fabrics, such as nainsook, from the Hindi nainsukh (eyes delight), became popular. These fabrics, initially called Scotch cambrics to distinguish them from the original French cambrics, came to be referred to as cotton cambrics or batistes. Some authors increased the confusion with the assumption the word batiste could come from the Indian fabric bastas.
In the 19th century, the terms cambric and batiste gradually lost their association with linen, implying only different kind of fine plain-weave fabrics with a glossy finish. In 1907, a fine cotton batist had 100 ends
Warp (weaving)
In weaving cloth, the warp is the set of lengthwise yarns that are held in tension on a frame or loom. The yarn that is inserted over-and-under the warp threads is called the weft, woof, or filler. Each individual warp thread in a fabric is called a warp end or end. Warp means "that which is thrown...
per inch in the finished fabric, while a cheap-grade, less than 60.
In the 19th century, with the development of the interest for colour shirts, cambric was also woven in colours, such as the pink fabric used by Charvet for a corsage (See Figure right), reducing the difference between cambric and chambray. Moreover, the development and rationalization of mechanical weaving led to the replacement, for chambray, of coloured warp anf white weft by the opposite, whita warp and coloured weft, which allowed for longer warps.