Bund material

[kay_dee]

I know this thread is a year old - but my initial reactions looking at the MOM exhibit photos were:

 

a) The Cummerbund is A more tightly woven fabric than the pouches (high res shots show the canvas weave of the pouch pretty well, but no weave pattern is detected on the cummerbund).

b ) The cummerbund has very slight sheen.

 

So then my mind goes to what fabrics are known to photograph this way and could have possibly been used.

 

1) If the cummerbund is cotton as was reported by LFL archivists and a fan who visited the archives (yeah, found that old thread) - the cotton on the bund could be a polished cotton of some sort. Most cotton sateens are thin, but that's not to say they couldn't have found something more upholstery or outdoor weight with a polished finish and finer weave to it.

2) Knowing the x-wing flak vests are made of a synthetic (many use nylon) it crossed my mind that that a similar Nylon may have been used on the bund.

 

So, my first instinct after taking all this varying information in was to check my favorite online source for outdoor fabrics. I'll be ordering a swatch of this:

http://www.seattlefa...com/cotton.html

 

Sateen

This 10oz natural untreated 100% cotton canvas is woven with a satin weave which gives a nice smooth finish. Perfect for slipcovers, futons, roman shades and other uses.

Width: 60"

 

$7.99/yd

Natural untreated cotton canvas will shrink 10-15%

 

and

 

10 oz Vat Dyed Duck

A 10 oz, 100% cotton vat dyed duck that has been treated for water and mildew resistance. With a smooth finish, it is tightly woven canvas, with a nice look. This cotton canvas is stabilized, but it may shrink slightly.

 

I'll post the swatches when I get them!

[Chef]

was that discussion a year ago...

 

blimey, doesn't time fly!

[kay_dee]

Finally got my samples from Seattle fabrics. The Sateen Canvas did not have the sort of sheen I expected. And it only came in "natural" which is beige so the color is not correct.

 

The white "Vat Dyed Duck" is OK. Its a tighter smoother weave than most canvas but has no sheen whatsoever. It would make a nice bund, but may not be what was used in the film.

 

The 330D and 500D Cordura look promising in terms of level of sheen and weave, but they are not available in white through Seattle Fabrics. So, I'm going to keep hunting.

[NegativeEleven]

I just made my 3rd cummerbund. The first two were a layer of cotton on the inside and flag nylon from Hancock Fabrics on the outside. It is pretty shiny and I wouldn't recommend it. The reason I'm making a 3rd is because if you don't fold over the nylon 2-3 times and go over it a couple of times with a wide stitch, it'll start to unravel when the velcro catches it in the washer/dryer. My 2nd bund has large areas where I had to fold it back inside and restitch over to keep it from fraying.

 

With my first two, regular padding tended to bunch up and shift after a few washes. I decided this time that I'd make a front/back out of the white cotton and stitch across the middle a few times before adding the nylon layer on the front (hiding all those stitches) to keep the insides from shifting. When I started though, I realized I didn't have enough padding and decided to experiment with some thick canvas material inside. It's not soft, but it looks padded now that it's done. It's not gonna shift and bunch like loose padding, so it'll hold its shape pretty well.