Carhartt Canvas

**Southern Breeze** · 12th October 05, 06:43 PM

As most of you know,Carhartt Canvas when new is STIFF.I bought a 12 yard roll of it today and plan on making several kilts from it.So far there are only a few ways to soften it up that I know of-soaking in downy,normal washing and wearing and if desperate laying it on the highway during rush hour.I've bought a lot of Carhartt pants and overalls over the years and thought I knew what stiff was.This stuff is in a class by itself.Any advice on softening it would be greatly appreciated.

**Alan H** · 12th October 05, 09:10 PM

Originally Posted by Southern Breeze

As most of you know,Carhartt Canvas when new is STIFF.I bought a 12 yard roll of it today and plan on making several kilts from it.So far there are only a few ways to soften it up that I know of-soaking in downy,normal washing and wearing and if desperate laying it on the highway during rush hour.I've bought a lot of Carhartt pants and overalls over the years and thought I knew what stiff was.This stuff is in a class by itself.Any advice on softening it would be greatly appreciated.

Beats me. three washing and two soaking in Downy and my canvas kilt is stiff as a board. Problem is it creases in a flash, so you HAVE to iron the pleats, and guess what.

That just makes it stiffer.

**bubba** · 12th October 05, 10:10 PM

Maybe drag it behind your car or tow it behind a speedboat.

**Yaish** · 12th October 05, 10:13 PM

To soften my Workmans Utilikilt I just wash and then put it in the dryer on no heat. The tumbling softens it and if you take it out when the cycle is done it doesnt wrinkle.

Its the thing I've found that works best. After a run in the cold dryer the material is about as soft as the average pair of heavy jeans. Adding any sort of heat though, either from the dryer or an iron will stiffen it back up though.

**Southern Breeze** · 13th October 05, 04:27 AM

Thanks for the advice so far.If you're the regimental type,buy a hardhat for MR HAPPY when wearing a kilt made from this stuff.

**Miah** · 13th October 05, 02:32 PM

Sta-flo starch, I know it is odd but soak it in heavy starch.

Soak it and then let it hang dry. after it is all kinds of supper stiff toss it in the dryer on low heat with a ball or something.

The starch will make it so stiff that when it gets tossed around in the dryer it will help break up the fabric enough to sofften it.

**Southern Breeze** · 13th October 05, 02:51 PM

Just so everyone knows-this is the raw fabric,it hasn't been made into a kilt yet.I have a workmans uk and this stuff is ten times stiffer than it.
I may have found a way to really soften it up though.I took a small piece to work today and put it in a cement mixer.I added some downy,water and a couple handfuls of smooth river rock.After turning on the mixer and letting it run for ten minutes,the sample was soft and as a bonus had that stonewashed look.I'm going to do this with the first piece of fabric before I make a kilt from it and see how it turns out.