In sewing, nap refers to a characteristic of certain fabrics where the surface texture has a distinct direction, causing it to look and feel different depending on which way you view or touch it.
Understanding Fabric Nap
Fabric nap is essentially a directional pile, loops, or pattern on the surface of the material. This directionality is crucial in sewing because it affects both the appearance and the feel of the finished garment or project.
The Feel of Nap
As described in references about fabrics with nap, you can often feel this directionality by running your hand over the fabric surface:
- Smooth Direction: Running your hand in one direction feels smooth and lays the fibers flat.
- Rough Direction: Running your hand in the opposite direction feels "quite rough," almost "as if you're going against the grain."
This tactile difference is a key indicator that a fabric has nap.
The Appearance of Nap
Beyond the feel, nap also subtly affects the fabric's color and sheen. When the fibers are laid in one direction, the fabric may appear slightly darker or have a different reflection of light compared to when the fibers are pushed the other way.
Why Nap Matters in Sewing
Working with fabrics that have nap requires special attention during the cutting process.
- Consistent Appearance: To ensure the finished product has a uniform color and texture, all pattern pieces must be cut with the nap running in the same direction.
- Consistent Feel: Similarly, aligning the nap ensures the entire item has a consistent feel when touched.
If pieces are cut in opposing directions on a napped fabric, parts of the project could look like they are slightly different colors or feel rough in certain areas and smooth in others, creating an undesirable effect.
Fabrics commonly featuring a noticeable nap include:
- Velvet
- Corduroy
- Terrycloth
- Flannel (sometimes)
- Some directional prints
When using these fabrics, sewists must pay close attention to their pattern layouts to account for the nap direction, often requiring more fabric than a non-napped material.
