Energy impact of awnings

May 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case How do I prove to my customers that having awnings gives savings on energy costs? In 2007, IFAI’s Professional Awning Manufacturers Association (PAMA) commissioned a study by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Sustainable Building Research (CSBR) on awnings an…
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Adler 167 sewing machine manual

May 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I bought an Adler 167 sewing machine at an auction. Where can I get the instruction manual? Probably the best place to start is with the machine’s manufacturer, which in this case is Durkopp Adler. In the download section of the website, the company has the instruction ma…
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Flammability specifications

May 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I’m making some fabric structures that are being used in a camp for kids, and the local inspector is asking if the fabric meets ICC. I tried to tell him that ICC is the group that writes the International Building Code, but he says I should know what the flammability of &…
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Applying for a grant

April 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We’re applying for a grant, and we need to show how many women/minority owned businesses there are in the sewn products industry. Where should we look for that information? Special programs or consideration are sometimes given to companies that are women- or minority-owne…
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Gripper fabric

April 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We’re looking for a fabric called Narraganset. It looks like the gripper fabrics that you see on the palms of gloves, except that it’s in colors—red, orange and yellow. Any idea where it comes from? We’re familiar with the type of fabric you describe, wh…
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The Vinyl Institute

April 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case What is the Vinyl Institute? The Vinyl Institute is a trade association that represents the vinyl industry, including manufacturers of vinyl and its related chemical components. The organization produces educational materials and represent vinyl plastics manufacturers in issues…
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Fabric temperature range

April 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case I’m having a hard time figuring out how far from the fabric the lights on my rental tents need to be hung. The fabric the tents are made from is certified to the California State Fire Marshal requirements, but the people I’ve talked to in their office tell me that d…
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R value

March 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case What is R value? R value has to do with a material’s resistance to heat flow and is most often referenced with relation to insulation, although it is also used with some interior fabric applications such as draperies and carpet. R value is the ratio of the thickness of a …
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CPAI-84 for fabrics

March 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case My customer, a national retailer, is telling me to have the tents I produce for them tested to CPAI-84. Isn’t that for fabric? CPAI-84, titled “A Specification for Flame-Resistant Materials Used in Camping Tentage,” was written by IFAI when our name was the Ca…
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Camouflage goes high tech

March 1, 2011  |  Resources

Compiled by Juli Case We’ve heard that there’s a camo pattern newer than MARPAT. What can you tell us about it? It used to be that camouflage came in a limited range of patterns: woodlands for forested terrain and desert for drier climes. Like so much else in the world, however, camoufla…
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