What Is Double Napped Flannel? (Helpful Guide)
Flannel is nice and warm. It's a great fabric for winter as it will help you stay warm all night long. Plus, it is often made from cotton, for the most part, so the breathability factor is ideal. Flannel is a good material to use in different winter sewing projects.
What is double-napped flannel? Most flannel fabrics are napped on one side. A doubled napped flannel sheet, etc., is a material that has been napped on both sides to make the fabric warmer and softer. They may even be a little thicker than single napped fabrics.
To learn more about double-napped flannel, just continue to read our article. It has information on this style of fabric so you can pick the best one for your next winter sewing project. Double napped is just twice the goodness of flannel.
What is Double-Napped Flannel?
This style of fabric is simply cotton, wool, or polyester that has been napped on both sides of the material. Not only should this process make the fabric thicker but it should make it softer as well as warmer.
The same process is used on both sides so nothing is lost in the making of double-napped flannel. The thicker size should keep the chill off when the temperatures outside overwhelm the temperatures inside.
There is also a velvety feel to the fabric bringing more comfort when you want to sit in front of the fire and read or watch a nice romantic movie. The other good news about this style is that it is not limited to one particular size of the sheet.
You should be able to find double-napped flannel in any size that you need. or you can make your own double-napped flannel items by buying by the yard.
Is Flannel Napped?
Generally, all flannel is napped. There may one some exceptions to this rule but you will find that for the most part, flannel is either single or doubled napped. Napping is a finishing process to make sure the material is nice and soft.
What napping does is raise the fiber ends so that they reach the surface of the material. Once that is done, the ends are clipped, brushed, or left alone. Any one of these options makes sure the fabric is soft, a little heavier, and a lot warmer material.
In other words, single and double-napped flannel are fabrics that are designed for cooler and cold weather. You do not lose any comfort due to this process and in fact, should be a lot more comfortable under the right conditions.
Also, the double-napped flannel material is great for shirts, blouses, and other clothing items when Fall and Winter arrive.
Double Napped Flannel Fabric
This seems to be a fairly popular fabric as it is found in many renditions and can be used in a variety of sewing or craft projects. The double-napped flannel, as well as the single napped version, are usually made from wool, cotton, and polyester.
You get a wide range of colors and styles to choose from. Plus, you can take advantage of the non-shrinking factor polyester comes with. That factor along with other polyester strengths makes that version a good material to use when it comes to avoiding laundry ills that are a part of wool and cotton fabrics.
The cotton and wool versions will be a lot more breathable than the polyester. The natural fibers used for making flannel have many other positive characteristics which make dealing with those laundry ills worth the effort.
They are also made without using petroleum products and other harsh chemicals.
Double Napped Flannel Sheets
When you are trying to decide which type of flannel sheets you should buy, quality is going to be the most important factor. There will be all levels of quality flannel sheets and that includes the double-napped version as well.
This means that you cannot go by price alone. Some dingle-napped flannel sheets can be more expensive than some of the double-napped versions. Some flannel sheets made from organic cotton go for around $400 while a double-napped set of sheets runs only $40.
Check the quality first to make sure you are getting a top-quality double napped flannel set of bed sheets. You may be able to find that extra comfort, softness, and warmth in cheaper sheets without sacrificing the double-napped process and without paying a very high price for them.
Take some time to compare as double-napped flannel sheets are ideal for those regions of the country that get extremely cold in the winter months.
Finding Double-Napped Flannel Fabric by the Yard
If there was going to be an easy search for any fabric by the yard, this is going to be one of the easiest. There are lots of locations that sell double-napped flannel by the yard and that is just the results from a quick internet search.
If you do not like shopping online, you should be able to find a good selection of this material at your favorite fabrics store whether they be the big-box types or the little local shops. If they do not have the design or color you want, see if they can order some for you. It never hurts to ask.
Then you can always go to your local mall and see which department stores carry the double-napped flannel by the yard. No matter which option you choose, you should run into the same difficulty, deciding which one you will buy.
Double napped flannel is just the same single napped process done on both sides of the material. Once that is done to the fibers, you should get a thicker, softer, and warmer set of fabric that is perfect for almost any winter activity you plan on doing. It may cost less than some single napped flannel options as well.
