Fabric Facts: Jobelan Fabrics by Beryl Lee
Jobelan is the name given to a range of high-quality easy-care evenweave fabrics produced by a factory that is famed for supplying tablecloths and napkins to top hotels. When using Jobelan, you will usually be stitching over two threads of the fabric, with two strands of embroidery thread. Jobelan comes in various forms and across the range there are as many as 60 different colours. Most of the fabrics are 140cm (55in) wide, and consist of a mixture of cotton and Modal (a wood-pulp derivative).
Jobelan NJ416 is a 16-count (16 threads per inch/2.5cm) fabric available in four shades. It is great for stitching chunky cross-stitch cushions.
The 19/20-count NJ419 (Jobelan Easy Stitch), available in 13 colours, is ideal for Hardanger embroidery.
The most popular Jobelan fabric is NJ429, a 28-count evenweave which makes an excellent substitute for 14-count aida. It comes in 54 delectable colours, with many being the exact match required for Lavender & Lace charts. Look out for English Rose, Blue Wing, Dusty Green, and Wood Violet – they are really enticing!
The following two fabrics are wider, which, combined with their superb washing qualities, makes them perfect for tablecloths. The 28-count NJ449 (Country-style Linen Look) is 160cm (63in) wide and is available in seven shades. The 30-count NJ737 (Salisbury) is a linen-and-cotton mix available in two widths: five shades in the 170cm (67in) width, and white and cream only in 140cm (55in) width.
To add a little sparkle to your stitching, try using NJ772, a 28-count luxury lurex fabric, 170cm (67in) wide, which is white with a silver lurex thread. Small pieces of this can be used to great effect on Christmas cards.
The Jobelan range also includes a damask weave with 11-count aida panels, which is suitable for cushion fronts or tablecloths.
All of these Jobelan fabrics are distributed in the UK by Fabric Flair and you should find a selection available at your local Guild Partner Shop.
