Our Cotton

There is a lot of talk these days about thread count, and there is also a lot of misconception as to the relevance of high thread count to the quality of the cloth. Thread count is only one measure of the quality of cloth, there are other factors which affect the quality and feel of sheets but don’t get as much attention.

Cotton:

Many countries in the world grow cotton, however not all cotton is created equal. Fine linen begins with fine cotton, and the finest cotton is known as long staple cotton (the staple length is a measure of the length of the individual cotton fibres). The most common examples of long staple cotton are Egyptian Cotton and Pima Cotton. Longer cotton fibres enable the cotton to be spun into finer yarns with higher tensile strength, which can then be woven into a softer, more luxurious fabric which will last a long time. There is a growing trend toward the use of organic cotton, cotton farmed without the use of synthetic herbicides and pesticides, to meet this demand we have introduced a range of Organic Cotton Sheets and Organic Cotton Cot Sheets.

A Good Yarn:

After the raw cotton has been blended and cleaned (a process known as ‘Ginning’), it is carded to remove the shorter, weaker fibres. Higher quality cotton is then produced by ‘combing’ the cotton, which removes more of the short fibres and leaves only the more refined, stronger fibres which can then be spun into a fine yarn. All Wallace Cotton sheets are produced from high quality combed cotton.

Thread Count:

Defines the number of warp and weft yarns per 10 square centimetres of cloth. In Europe and America most retailers refer to thread count per square inch, but in New Zealand and Australia it is more common to refer to threads per 10 square centimetres. The finer the yarns used, the more threads that can be woven into 10 sq cm of cloth. Basically the higher the thread count the softer the feel and the better the quality.

Thread count for sheeting can range from 140 to 1000 per 10 sq cm, however most cloth with thread count above 500 utilises what is termed as a 2 ply weave, where 2 yarns are twisted together before weaving. This increases the density of the cloth but not the fineness.

Good quality cotton sheets usually have a thread count of 200 plus. Our range of sheeting starts at a thread count of 250 per 10 square centimetres.

Sateen or Square Weave:

The type of weave also has an affect on the quality and feel of the cloth. A Sateen weave has more warp threads on the surface of the cloth, producing a softer, silkier feel. Sateen weaves with a thread count of less than 250 often have a tendency to ‘pill’. A square weave is woven in a more common one over, one under style and usually results in a crisper feel which has a high resistance to pilling. The choice between Sateen weave and plain weave is usually a case of personal preference between the softness of Sateen versus the crispness of plain weave.

Our Cambric, Heritage, and Organic Sheets are all made from the highest quality 250 count cotton, square weave. Our Resort sheets  are the five star option in our sheeting range and are made from beautifully soft 400 count cotton sateen.