FAQ · Complete Material Guide for Home Textiles · No. 01
Complete Material Guide for Home Textiles.
Everything you need to know about cotton, linen, wool, polypropylene, boucle, and other materials used in cushion covers, rugs, bedding, and throws — including how each performs in Indian conditions.
Cotton and linen are both natural plant fibres but differ significantly in texture, performance, and feel. Cotton is softer and more uniform; it takes dye well, producing clean colours and sharp block-print registration. Linen is made from the flax plant — it has a natural slubby texture (slight irregularity in the yarn), a matte surface, and is stiffer when new but softens beautifully with washing. For Indian conditions: both breathe well in heat and handle humidity correctly. Linen is more absorbent than cotton and can feel cool against skin in humid monsoon months. Cotton is easier to iron (lower heat) and retains print quality longer. SOISU uses 200gsm premium Indian cotton for block-print and jacquard covers, and natural linen or linen-cotton blends for slub and plain weave covers.
Jacquard weave refers to a pattern that is structurally built into the fabric itself on a Jacquard loom, rather than printed, embroidered, or applied on top of a base weave. The Jacquard loom mechanism (invented in 1804 by Joseph Marie Jacquard in Lyon, France) uses punch cards or digital controls to lift individual warp threads independently, creating complex patterns during the weaving process. The result: the pattern is visible on both sides, cannot peel or fade like a printed surface, and the fabric is structurally denser and more durable than a plain-woven base. Jacquard covers are the premium standard in Italian and Scandinavian home textiles. In India, Karur (Tamil Nadu) produces the highest-quality jacquard home textiles, using Picanol and Dornier looms for both cotton and linen-blend constructions.
Slub linen is linen yarn that deliberately retains natural thickness variations (called 'slubs') along the thread length, rather than being spun to a uniform diameter. When woven, these variations create a subtle surface texture — slightly raised and recessed areas across the fabric face. This texture is visually rich without being heavily patterned, making slub linen the dominant fabric choice for understated premium home textiles in Scandinavian and Japanese-inspired design. The texture photographs beautifully in natural light and develops character with use and washing. In Indian production, slub linen is woven in Erode and Karur on modified rapier looms. SOISU's slub-linen cushion covers use 60% linen / 40% cotton blends for a softer hand than 100% linen while retaining the characteristic texture.
Boucle (French for 'loop' or 'curl') is a looped or curly yarn construction that creates a textured, nubby surface — the signature material of Coco Chanel's signature tweed jackets and, in home textiles, the contemporary trend in sofa upholstery and throws. Boucle throws and cushion covers have a soft, tactile quality that adds warmth and visual interest to any room. For Indian homes: boucle performs well in air-conditioned interiors and cooler months (October–February in North India). In high-humidity coastal cities (Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi), boucle should be aired monthly and stored clean — the looped structure can trap humidity if left unwashed for extended periods. SOISU boucle throws are made from wool-acrylic blends that are more humidity-resistant than 100% wool boucle.
Polypropylene (PP) is a thermoplastic polymer used as synthetic yarn in machine-woven rugs. It is the most common rug material in the mid-market price range globally and the dominant material in Indian power-loom rugs from Panipat (Haryana). PP rugs are inherently moisture-resistant (the fibre does not absorb water), making them mould and mildew-proof — a critical advantage in Indian monsoon conditions. They are stain-resistant (liquids bead on the surface), crush-resistant under furniture, and UV-stable (the colour does not fade in indirect sunlight). PP is food-safe, non-toxic, and used in food packaging — it poses no health risk in home use. SOISU's power-loom PP rugs are manufactured in Panipat with ISO-certified dyestuffs rated for skin contact.
A power-loom rug is woven on a computer-controlled industrial loom at 50–200 metres per day — precise, consistent, and priced at 5–20× less than hand-tufted. The pile (the raised fibres you walk on) is mechanically cut to a uniform height. A hand-tufted rug is made by a craftsperson using a handheld tufting gun to push yarn through a stretched backing cloth by hand — a 6×9 ft rug takes 1–3 days to complete, requiring skilled labour. Hand-tufted rugs have natural variation in pile height, denser fibre packing, and a more tactile quality than power-loom. SOISU's power-loom rugs (from Panipat) start at ₹19,999 for 5×8 ft; hand-tufted wool rugs (from Bhadohi) start at ₹39,999. The construction is specified on every product page.
SOISU uses two grades of wool in its product range. Throws from Ludhiana (Punjab) use New Zealand or Indian wool blends — medium micron count (24–28 microns) that is soft enough for skin contact without irritation. The Kullu hand-loomed throws use Himalayan wool from herds in the Kullu Valley, HP — a coarser, warmer wool (28–32 microns) that is traditional to the region and gives the characteristic dense, protective warmth of Kullu shawls adapted to throw scale. Bhadohi hand-tufted rugs use Indian New Zealand wool yarn (20–24 microns) that is both soft underfoot and durable. All SOISU wool products are OEKO-TEX Standard 100 certified — free from harmful substances and safe for use in homes with children.
OEKO-TEX Standard 100 is the world's leading label for textiles tested for harmful substances — including heavy metals (lead, chromium), pesticide residues, formaldehyde, pH levels, and 100+ other regulated compounds. A product certified OEKO-TEX Standard 100 has been tested by an independent OEKO-TEX institute to be harmless to human health at the specified product class. For Indian home textiles, OEKO-TEX certification matters because: (1) Indian dyestuffs regulation historically had fewer restrictions than EU standards; (2) synthetic dyes can leach azo compounds (potential carcinogens) if not properly fixed; (3) infants and young children are in prolonged contact with soft furnishings. SOISU products are produced in audited facilities using certified dyestuffs. Request OEKO-TEX documentation by contacting decor@soisu.com.
Reactive dye penetrates the cotton or linen fibre permanently through a chemical bond — the colour becomes part of the fibre structure itself and cannot be washed off. It produces the most vibrant, colour-fast results and is the standard for premium quality block-print, digital print, and screen-print textiles. Pigment print uses a binding agent to attach pigment particles to the surface of the fabric — the dye sits on top of the fibre rather than bonding to it. Pigment print is cheaper to produce but fades faster under Indian UV conditions and can feel stiffer (the binding agent fills the weave). SOISU uses reactive dyes exclusively across its cushion cover range. The difference is visible over time: pigment-printed covers show 30–50% colour loss after 12 months in Indian conditions; reactive-dye covers show <15%.
— other topics —