3 Factors That Help You Pick The Right Theater Fabric

Your choice of theater fabrics is going to depend on several factors. This is because there is not one decision that you have to make regarding your stage curtain backgrounds. You have to determine their use and their position as well. You have to find out what color is going to look the best and in what location. You also have to determine what length of the fabric you must choose to hide the backstage area that may get easily visible to your audience sitting adjacent to the walls. The following decisions will help you choose the best theater fabrics for your performance:

1. Your Budget
   Your budget is going to be the very first factor that is going to affect your decisions when choosing a theater fabric. There is a wide variety of stage curtain backgrounds that you can choose from depending upon your budget and the purpose you want to put them to. Then there is the scale and quality of production that is also going to affect your choice of theater fabrics and tarps.
2. The Texture You Want
   The texture of the stage curtain that you want for your performance is also a very big factor. For example, if you go for a muslin cloth, you can rest assured that you will get a wide variety of textures and finishes in this fabric. If you want to go for a dark and dream-like appearance for your scene, you might want to invest in something like velvet or silk.
3. Heavy And Light
   The intensity of the scene is going to determine what kind of material you choose for your stage performances. There are heavy materials and there are sheer and light materials that give your scene a completely different appeal. You can go with heavy-weight cotton or a lightweight synthetic fabric depending upon the requirement of the scene

Similarly, there are other factors such as common stage uses, stretchability, water-proof properties, and flame retardant properties as well. So, which stage fabric are you going to choose?

Muslin: Different Types and Uses

Muslin accounts for a plain weave cotton material that has its origins in ancient India. It is breathable, lightweight and versatile and is utilized for things like photography backdrops, surgical procedures and cooking. Muslin and tarps are among the topmost fabrics that offer innumerable number of uses.

Different kinds of Muslin:

Muslin comes in a range of distinct weights and forms. High-quality muslins are smooth, soft and woven from yarns that are evenly spun. This allows the thread to maintain the same width all through. Lower quality, coarser muslin fabrics are woven using uneven yarns that can be both bleached and unbleached. Here are the four chief grades of muslin:

• Mull
Mull is a plain, lightweight muslin generally made from silk and cotton and sometimes made from viscose. Mull is generally utilized for dress underlining, for pattern testing garments and to offer more weight and structure to the garment.

• Gauze
Gauze accounts for an extremely lightweight, sheer muslin used for making clothes, to dress wounds and as a filter in the kitchen.

• Sheeting
Sheeting is the coarsest and thickest kind of muslin that is used in homeware and clothing.

• Swiss Muslin
Swiss muslin is a lightweight, sheer kind of muslin with raised dots or patterns that is used commonly for warm-weather clothing.

Uses of Muslin:

Muslin fabric is a pretty versatile fabric that is utilized for a wide range of things like science, theater fabrics and clothing. Here we’ll look at common muslin uses:

• Home Décor
Muslin is commonly used for home décor. It is used to make towels, curtains and lightweight bed sheets.

• Dressmaking
Muslin is used by designers in sewing and pattern-making for the purpose of testing new patterns.

• Quilting
Muslin is frequently utilized as a backing for a quilt.

• Cheese Making
Muslin is used for cheese making at home by pouring curdled milk through a muslin bag for separating the liquid whey from cheese curd.