Woven vs. Knitted Fabric
“What’s the difference, and can you mix the two on one stage set?”
It is quite common to mix fabrics within one set of curtains. Normally the front set (grand drape and valance) will be woven while the rear set (borders, mid-draw, rear-draw, legs) will be knitted. This makes sense when you consider that woven velours are more expensive than knitted velours, and you want the front set of curtains to look as nice as possible. Especially since rear setting curtains are typically black and are not as easily seen by the audience, many people choose less expensive knitted velours for rear setting curtains to save cost.
Woven velours have a deep cut pile and a velvety feel. A “cut pile” looks like this:
Woven velours include cotton and synthetic fabrics like Memorable, Charisma, Crescent, and Plateau. Knitted velours are synthetic “brushed” fabrics, such as Encore, Prism, and Prospect. Brushed fabrics have a very soft, felt-like feel.
- How important is having deep cut pile?
- How important is having a wide color selection?
- How large is your budget?
Knitted velours are stronger, more opaque, cheaper, and have a shorter production lead time. However, the color selection of knits is more limited (12 colors for Encore and 3 for Prism and Prospect). Woven velours are more expensive, have a deep cut pile with a luxurious feel, and a huge color selection with custom dying available.
Here’s a chart showing how some of the common fabrics relate to each other. Check out our blog post on Cotton Vs. Synthetic for more information about that. Also, visit our YouTube channel to watch our video on Fabric Selection. Contact BellaTEX Stage Curtains for more assistance on choosing the right fabric for your projects.
Fabric Selection Chart by BellaTEX Stage Curtains