Camlet

Camlet, also commonly known as camlot, camblet, or chamlet, is a woven fabric that might have originally been made of camel or goat's hair, later chiefly of goat's hair and silk, or of wool and cotton.[1] The original form of this cloth was very valuable; the term later came to be applied to imitations of the original eastern fabric.[2]

In the 18th century, England, France, Holland, and Flanders were the chief places of its manufacture; Brussels exceeded them all in the beauty and quality of its camlets, followed by England.[3]

A variety of terms have been used for camlet in different forms:

  • Figured camlets are of one color, on which are stamped various figures, flowers, foliages, etc. The figures were applied with hot irons, passed together with the fabric, under a press. In the 18th century, these were chiefly brought from Amiens and Flanders. In antiquity, figured camlets were sought more than in modern times.
  • Water camlets, after weaving, received a certain preparation with water; and were afterwards passed under a hot press, giving them a smoothness and lustre.[3]
  • Moreen a thick woolen stuff used in upholstery. It is a variety of watered camlet.[4][5][6]
  • Waved camlets feature impressed waves, as on tabbies.[3]

Manufacturers of camlets had to take care not to introduce any unnecessary pleats in the fabric, as they were almost impossible to undo. This difficulty was so notorious, that a proverb existed, stating that someone "is like a camlet—he has taken his pleat."[3]

  1. ^ Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary. 1913.
  2. ^ "Camlet". Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. 2nd edition. 1989.
  3. ^ a b c d Public Domain This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chambers, Ephraim, ed. (1728). "Camelot, or Camlet". Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (1st ed.). James and John Knapton, et al.
  4. ^ Lebeau, Caroline (1994). Fabrics : the decorative art of textiles. Internet Archive. London : Thames and Hudson. pp. 204, 205. ISBN 978-0-500-01631-2.
  5. ^ Treasury, United States Department of the (1892). Treasury Decisions Under Customs and Other Laws. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 599.
  6. ^ Dooley, William Henry (1914). Textiles For Commercial, Industrial and Domestic Arts Schools; Also Adapted to Those Engaged in Wholesale and Retail Dry Goods, Wool, Cotton and Dressmaker's Trades. Library of Alexandria. ISBN 978-1-4655-4393-6.