Ask The Expert

Hi Sylvia,

One of customers washed our fabrics made with Poly/Cotton and Nylon/Cotton and they face SEAM SLIPPAGE. Could you please inform the possible reason for it. Fabrics are approx 270gsm. Rgds Imran.

Reply

Dear Imran

Yes this is possible washing may have removed finish applied during the fabric production process or they may have applied a fabric softener during the washing process that will act as a lubricant. Did you have your fabric tested for slippage before releasing to the customer. You do not say if this is a finished garment sold by a retailer or if you are the fabric processor. Seam construction will play a big part when testing the final garment seams. Testing production fabrics you would normally test against EN ISO 13436-1 looking for a minimum of at least 80 N for a 6 mm seam opening with a 12 mm seam bite. Some retailers when looking at denim type fabric with where the warp and weft threads are different in count and colour may even look at a 3 mm seam opening in some cases depending on the final garment design. Sylvia