About

The Fabric Almanac

Every pattern has a paper trail. Gingham to herringbone to Harris tweed, each named cloth has a place it was first woven, a thing it was named for, and a route it traveled to reach us. This is a catalogue of those records.

Each entry is one numbered specimen: the geometry of the pattern, rendered from its own specification rather than photographed, alongside its documented origin, trade history, and sources. The aim is a reference work for sewists, designers, and anyone who has ever wondered why a check is called a tattersall or a stripe a Breton.

The Almanac is an independent project. It is published under its own name rather than a personal byline, and there is no company, no staff, and no editorial board behind it.

It earns nothing. There are no adverts, no sponsored entries, and no affiliate links. The one bookshop link in the catalogue points to an author's own storefront, added at their request, and pays the Almanac nothing. No one can buy an entry, a placement, or a mention.

New specimens are added regularly, and existing entries are corrected as better sources turn up. If you find an error, or know a source that would improve an entry, please get in touch.

Read more about how entries are sourced and rendered in the methodology.