Potential hair canvas crisis

[Barb T]

HTC, the company that made Tailor's Pride hair canvas, has gone under. Yikes!! It was the one place that still made canvas heavy enough for kiltmaking. I did a little Googling and found a place called Sawyer Brook in Clinton, MA, and they said that HTC was, in fact, sold to another company and that the new owner is still making Tailor's Pride. They wouldn't tell me who the new company was, though.

Anyway, I ordered a bolt from Sawyer Brook, and they said I'd have it in a couple of weeks. I'm crossing my fingers that that is, in fact, the case. If the bolt arrives, I'll compare it with the stuff I already have and give all y'all a report on whether it's good for kilting or not.

Here's the link if anyone is interested:

http://store.sawyerbrook.com/Tailors..._p_39-103.html

Their per-yard price is about $11, but they sold me a 25 yard bolt for just over $200. So the bulk price saves quite a bit.

And if anyone finds another source for *heavy* hair canvas (Acro and Hymo aren't adequate), please let us all know!

[Alan H]

**gulps**

I need a few yards of it for Piper Georges kilt, later this summer. Non fusible interfacing is all well and good, but...Um.

[Barb T]

Update on Tailor's Pride:

-I just talked with two other companies. One of them said that the Tailor's Pride stock # was _not_ on the list of items that were to be continued by the new company (and I still don't know it's name). So, either the stock # has changed, or they aren't continuing it. I guess I'll find out soon, because the bolt coming from Sawyer Brook is one that they are going to order from the new company.

-I also talked with a company called Banasch's (http://www.banaschs.com/), which doesn't have a useful website, but they were incredibly helpful over the phone. They have several bolts in stock, and they sold me a bolt. So, at least I know that that one will be arriving.

[Bugbear]

Ya, I noticed that Vogue no longer carries Tailors Pride hair canvas. Thanks for explaining it.

[Rex_Tremende]

www.apparelsearch.com/interlining.htm

Lists several hair canvas suppliers, but no way to know what the quality is. HTC is listed with no details. The link goes to a paid search page.

I also read that HTC was once owned by Duro Industries. Maybe they could tell you where they went.

Regards,
Rex.

[sydnie7]

[snip] And if anyone finds another source for *heavy* hair canvas (Acro and Hymo aren't adequate), please let us all know!

Bad news, indeed, and symptomatic of many other things going on in niche markets.

But I still wonder about Acro's "adequacy." I purchased Tailor's Pride from Vogue, and I later purchased Acro from a local store. Placed side by side, I am pressed to find any difference between them. Granted, I don't have Barb's length of experience handling hair canvas, but even if Acro were some percentage lighter than TPride, could two layers of it be used? Not folded double, but cut and basted together along its grain. PITA, but I guarantee you would have a layer heavier than a single piece of TPride!

Barb, I'd be happy to mail you a piece of the Acro that I buy in San Diego. The store stocks it for the fashion design students at a local college. I'd be interested to know if it is the same material you have handled and judged inadequate.

[Bugbear]

* Never mind; not important. *

[Aldisimo]

Have you tried Fishman's Fabrics [Chicago] for Tailor's Pride or whatever is your preferred brand? It's not on their web site, but like Vogue, it's a huge store and they can't list everything they have.

[ChattanCat]

YIKES! What will us kiltmakers do without Tailor's Pride Canvas. It is a wonderful material that is stiff and eventually molds to the wearer. I have tried Pelon and it works but it does not mold to the curve of the back like hair canvas.

Yes, you can use two layers of medium weight material but I hesitate to rely on it unless there is no alternative.

What to do?

[Barb T]

But I still wonder about Acro's "adequacy." I purchased Tailor's Pride from Vogue, and I later purchased Acro from a local store. Placed side by side, I am pressed to find any difference between them.

When I was revising TAOK for the 2nd printing, I ordered up several short lengths of the various kinds of tailoring canvas that I could find via a variety of internet suppliers (our local JoAnn's no longer carries canvas). It's difficult to tell what you're going to get, because "heavy" to one vendor isn't "heavy" to another. And some companies make more than one variety of canvas, and it isn't always obvious from the web descriptions which one it is. Even Tailor's Pride came in at least two varieties that I'm aware of. I'm in New Mexico at the moment and can't look at my swatches, but the Acro and Hymo varieties that I ordered aren't as heavy as Tailor's Pride. Maybe the place in San Diego has a different variety of Acro that I haven't seen. I would love to get a piece and see!

...even if Acro were some percentage lighter than TPride, could two layers of it be used?

I did this once for a kilt when I couldn't find anything else. And it works OK. You don't have to do anything fancy - just use two layers.