Glossary

It's an essential bedspread when the bed is left open. This refined accessory is often in cotton piqué or scalloped honeycomb piqué, for example, but can just as easily be plain in a bright or warm color.

Bed linen has become a real decorative element, adding a touch of elegance and allowing you to play with colors and materials to enhance both your bed and the harmony of your bedroom.

Cf Print.

Treatment applied to a fabric, often hot, under high pressure between cylinders, to obtain a surfacing effect such as glazed fabric, chintz, embossing.

General term for a fabric whose pattern and background are the same color but with different tonal heights.

Also famous for its lace, this town in northern France, equidistant from Paris and Brussels, specialized many centuries ago in a linen fabric remarkable for its fineness and whiteness, known as Batiste (see Batiste) or "cambric" in English. Close to this town, in Montigny en Cambrésis, in the heart of this ancient textile cradle, Pierre Frey manufactures its products, stores them and cuts them for shipment all over the world.

Hair of the desert-dwelling bactrian camel. Part of the fleece has a wool-like texture. The hair is soft and shiny, and its natural color ranges from light tan to light brown. Because of its high price, it is often blended with wool in varying proportions. The resulting fabric is very warm, very light but rather fragile. For decorative purposes, it is often used as a blanket.

Fabric with a succession of round transverse ribs (or semi-cylindrical relief) alternating with a groove on both sides. The weft is hidden by a large number of threads or warp floats.

A technique derived from fluted weaving, in which two warps are woven on a canvas background, one of which provides the floats, spanning the weft several times. The small, regular geometric pattern, often in silk, with its precious appearance, is ideal for double curtains or light seats. Example: Factory F2773

Derived from the Italian baldacchino, a silk fabric from Baghdad. The baldachin covers a bed with a canopy or canopy made of widely gathered fabric, held in place at all 4 corners by columns. Polish-style in the 18th century, it takes on simpler forms today and can be draped with pleated sheers, cotton stamens, light, vaporous textiles or toiles de Jouy.

The valance is a flat strip of fabric that follows the window surround and can conceal a shutter box or rod. The valance can be draped and is then called window decoration. It can be layered with sheers or prints, trimmed with bangs, stenciled, made in a different fabric from the curtains, held in place on two hooks on either side of the top of the rod, or asymmetrical.

Originally hemp canvas, this is a light-colored fabric, usually heavily primed and openworked, used as a background for needlepoint tapestries or embroideries.

Quilted, upholstered and button-edged division that adorns the warmers, poufs, seats of Napoleon III chairs and Chesterfield sofas. A door can be upholstered to make it impervious to noise. All fabrics can be upholstered.

A preparatory operation for spinning, consisting of untangling, cleaning and aligning fibers before they are spun. In the wool industry, this term has sometimes acquired a pejorative connotation, as inferior or reclaimed materials are always carded. However, many qualities of carded wool yarn obtained from pure virgin wool can lay claim to the best labels. In the cotton industry, the vast majority of yarns are carded cotton.

Care covers the techniques used to keep textiles in good condition. Dry cleaning, dusting, hand or machine washing, ironing, renovation, restoration. Artificial or synthetic fibers such as polyester, Dacron®, Dralon®, Trevira CS®, Tergal®, Pontella®, Courtelle®, Alcantara®, Pekari® have a precious advantage: they can be washed at 40° and wrinkle-free, while retaining their dimensions. Like natural yarns, they can be treated to prevent staining. Linen and cotton are easy to wash, but can shrink. Some fabrics hate water, especially moire, which loses its appearance when wet. Carpets and rugs are best cared for by specialists. The care of ready-made articles has been the subject of codified symbols recognized by 13 countries, including those of the Common Market. The conventional images on care labels refer to the care code, whose application is ensured and monitored by COFREET (Comité Français de l'Etiquetage pour l'Entretien des Textiles). See our catalogs and the pictograms on our Pierre Frey labels.

Carpet is a rug that can be laid wall to wall on a floor or directly on cement. Woven or tufted, the carpet can be presented as a plain velvet, or with patterns. There are also carved (to be checked with carpet dpt) carpets, whose design is made with two heights of wool, and a wide choice of techniques and colours. A carpet with a pattern will be less fragile than a plain carpet. There are two types of installation: glued or stretched. It is preferable to glue a carpet with a foam backing. If it is made of jute, the comfort will be greater and the life span longer if the carpet is placed on a underlay. You can make a rug with carpet, in large width, finished with a border. A room covered with carpet will look larger if it is surrounded by a border. A hairy or fluffy piece of wool woven like a velvet and used to upholster seats or as a carpet. The latter type is woven on a hemp “backing” and is then heavily treated to reach flooring requirements.

Said of the feel of a textile that has been too stiffened by a finish. However, this defect is easily eliminated, and Maison Pierre Frey's engineers work assiduously on it.

A velvet is said to be carved when it has a design generally obtained by contrasting parts where the hairs are cut and those where they are not cut. The effect is due to the fact that light is not reflected in the same way on the upper parts (cut) as on the lower parts (looped), giving the impression of two different tones.

Cashmere is made from the hair (the finest, on average 15 microns thick) of goats from Tibet or Kashmir, a region in northern India. One animal produces 100 to 150 g of hair per year. Brought back during the Empire, cashmere "shalls" were adorned with stylized palm or flower motifs. Cashmere wool can be used pure or blended with wools of other origins in highly variable proportions. Its softness is highly sought-after. The cashmere pattern, an interpretation of the Indian pine cone, is available on wool, cotton, silk or viscose, and is used in the home for upholstery, curtains, walls and bed linen, as well as a wide range of clothing accessories. 

Designates a small geometric pattern reminiscent of a diamond.

A chair is a seat for one person, composed of a backrest and a seat. It has no armrests. The height of the seat is table height.

The chaise longue is a sofa used for resting, it is close to a sofa with a single arm.

Said of a fabric in which the warp and weft are of contrasting colors, producing reflections of different hues depending on the incidence of light. Widely used in silks. 

A geometric pattern that has become a must in both traditional and contemporary decorating. The tile made its mark in the Gustavian style, renewing Victorian tartans. Decorators use it extensively, notably as lining for the backs of stylish chairs. All fabric collections feature them, from the smallest to the largest, in relief, two-toned or multicolored, the best-known undoubtedly being "Vichy" (see this word).

Fancy yarn, generally for milling, characterized by a chenille appearance.

From the beginning of the 17th century, Europe was infatuated with Chinese objets d'art, spearheaded by porcelain and lacquerware. By the early 18th century, imports were no longer sufficient to meet demand. The era of chinoiserie began around 1720-1730, when Europeans attempted to reproduce these objects. Objects made in France "à la manière de la Chine" were far removed from Chinese models. The artists Boucher and Pillevent created numerous Chinese lacquers, which can be found on wallpapers, textiles, earthenware and furniture. This theme, at the height of this civilization, is persistent and can be found, for example, in Pierre Frey's "Forbidden City", "Tea caddy", "Ming" and "Cloth merchant" fabrics, or Braquenié's "Voyage en Chine", "Marquis de Pierre" and "Cochinchine".

Derived from the Hindi term for printed India, this is a shiny percale glazed by crushing and heating. This operation gives the cotton a slightly stiff finish. In the 18th century, the process involved adding wax and buffing with an agate bead. Anglo-Saxon decorators were particularly fond of chintz with flowers. Please note that, depending on the finish, it is not necessarily washable and may or may not be resistant to maintenance (washing, degreasing). A chemical resin glaze guarantees permanence. Particularly recommended for curtains and wall hangings, thanks to the accentuated color contrast.

Fabric made from yarns of different colors or mixed fibers that react differently to dyeing. The "chiné à la branche" process, in which groups of threads are tied together before dyeing, was very popular in the 18th century. Chinés à la branche are silk fabrics whose design is reproduced by partially dyeing the warp yarns before weaving. Imitations by direct printing were used as early as the 18th century (Toile de Nantes).

Fabric with raised or embossed, symmetrical or asymmetrical patterns. The fabric can be made of cotton, silk or chemical yarns. The surface effect can be obtained either at the weaving stage by using appropriate weaves, or at the finishing stage by chemical or mechanical processes.

Woody plant fiber derived from the coconut palm, used to make rugs and carpets. More fragile than its cousin sisal, it has a highly embossed texture. Its decorative effects are original, and it is also available in color. It is particularly suited to country homes and seaside resorts. See also Agave, Sisal.

A poor-quality textile article loses its dye and transfers it to another article when it comes into contact with it in a damp environment. This defect can be attributed to the dyeing process if the quality of the dye used is not suitable for normal conditions of use, or if the dye has been badly fixed. Pierre Frey's engineers strive to achieve the highest standards in the industry, to ensure that the colors are perfectly maintained over time. Nevertheless, the user must always comply with the maintenance conditions indicated in the Pierre Frey catalog and on the labels of our samples.

Number and count of warp and weft threads in a square centimeter of fabric.

A combination of different patterns, colors, prints and weaves in the same range. These designs work together in the same room. Coordinates make the user's choice easier, since the harmony is already made. You'll find them in the numerous books of the Pierre Frey Group's various brands, and as a reminder, pinned to the display panels in all our showrooms.

This machine-made chain stitch embroidery takes its name from its inventor. It is used on extremely fine fabrics, such as cotton or polyester voile, and adds a touch of refinement to window treatments.

A corner sofa is an L-shaped sofa designed to fit into the corner of a room.

An unbleached natural fiber used since ancient times, and the basis of many fabrics (cretonne, jacquard, terrycloth, percale, canvas). Dyed, woven, printed, mixed with artificial and synthetic fibers, it gives softness and naturalness, and can be given a glossy finish. It washes easily, shrinks, but is available preshrunk. Untreated, it should be washed or decatized before use. Its long fibers are generally combed. Be sure to check its quality, however, as otherwise the dye may not rise normally inside the fiber, leaving lighter or whiter spots after dyeing (known as fleas). Organic cotton has naturally found its place in Pierre Frey collections under the name Pure Nature. Produced from pesticide-free crops, it is dyed without chemicals, then woven in our Cambrésis factory, and carries the GOTS label.

It's a light cotton fabric with a flowery pattern and a country charm, used to line wardrobes and drawers or to make curtains. It takes its name from Creton, the name of a village in the Eure department, renowned for its fabrics in the 16th century.

This finish is reserved for leathers only. It's a simple stitching operation, but it's done back-to-back, unlike simple stitching, which is done right-side-up.

The folded rib seam is a strong, clean seam. It consists of a single seam and topstitching on one side.

A cover is a sewn assembly of bespoke fabric cuts made to cover a chair or pillow. They perfectly fit the shape of the furniture. This technique requires the creation of sewing templates, the knowledge of optimization software for their placement on the textile pieces and sewing skills. It offers creative possibilities through imaginative sewing choices as well as the use of trimming and piping for finishing touches. It is done using high-performance sewing machines adapted for professional use.

Fabric with an irregular surface reminiscent of tree bark.

Treatment to make fabrics crease-resistant.

Property of a fabric that does not wrinkle or crease. This property is obtained by chemical treatment with thermosetting resins, or is due to the nature of the fibers that make up the fabric.

This term covers all fabrics with a grainy surface, non-smooth grain and sometimes elasticity. Originally, crepe was made from natural silk. Today, all kinds of fibers are used, the crepe effect being obtained by the weave, the yarns used or by treatment causing differential shrinkage of the yarns. There are many different types of crepe, depending on the nature of the fibers, the twist of the yarns, the weave, the weight and the grain. Among woven crepes, the best known are: Crepe de Chine, Crêpe Georgette, Crepe de laine, Crepe marocain.

Refers to a weave that produces a slanted ribbing effect from selvedge to selvedge, with ribs and gaps of equal width. Unlike twill weave, which gives a different appearance to each side of the fabric, in twill weave both sides are identical.

It's an indispensable home accessory. Round, square, rectangular, polochon pleated, it can be dressed in silk, print, tapestry, kilim, organza, lace, antique fabric or toile de Jouy. It can be braided, adorned with a cord, a flounce, flat or gathered, a raffia fringe, buttoned, zipped or tied with a ribbon. It can be worn on any seat, sofa, bench or bed. A removable cover is ideal.

A term for carpets whose loops are cut on the tufting machine and not by shaving. The same term is used to indicate the technique and machines used to make cut pile carpets.

A fabric with prominent ribs in the warp direction, separated by fairly deep lines. The best-known use is for corduroy.