A delicate fringe of dimension, texture, and surface interest
Journal
Weaving fil coupé
Fil coupé, meaning ‘cut thread’ in French, is a fancy or novelty yarn which resembles embroidery but is in fact woven into the jacquard weave of a lightweight fabric.
During weaving, extra weft threads (fil) are floated between sections of the pattern or motifs on the reverse of the fabric. Once woven, these threads are cut (coupé) either manually or mechanically and removed, leaving a tactile frayed edge on the remaining pattern or motif. The delicate fil coupé weave is generally bordered by a tight plain or twill weave to increase the fabrics stability. The cut threads can be brought to the face of the fabric to provide a decorative effect, as in Mokum’s Quadrata drapery.
Incorporating these extra weft threads into a design adds dimension and surface interest to an otherwise plain fabric, either in a contrasting colour or material to enhance texture. Fil coupé designs can be as intricate as paisley, or as simple as our geometric Scandi by James Dunlop.
Cowrie by Mokum
Cowrie by Mokum
Balancing subtlety with allure, Cowrie is a wide-width fil coupé sheer. Space-dyed woollen yarns form irregular stripes drifting gently across the natural linen ground. Adding quiet movement and textural depth, these decorative yarns catch the light to invite a dreamlike quality. Available in a trio of nuanced neutrals Cowrie captures the essence of understated elegance, offering a whisper of pattern within a serene backdrop.
Scandi by James Dunlop
Scandi by James Dunlop
Blending the imperfection of Japanese wabi-sabi with Scandinavian minimalism, Scandi is a soft, geometric sheer crafted in a fil coupé construction.
“For me, the beauty of Scandi is in the tone-on-tone fil coupé yarn, which offers a subtle hint of pattern. Although initially reading as a plain, when the light hits just right you see an organic geometric pattern hanging delicately amongst the curtain folds.” – Annie Moir, James Dunlop Design Director
Quadrata by Mokum
Quadrata by Mokum
Our elementary large check, Quadrata, is enhanced by transparency, tactile yarn, and a sublimely soft drape. The fil coupé weave technique was the perfect solution to create this translucent and textural geometric sheer. The clipped yarns are brought to the face of the sheer to add further dimension and energy to the finished design.
Salento by Mokum
Salento by Mokum
Woven in solution dyed acrylic, Salento is an indoor-outdoor sheer featuring a broken fil coupe within the tumbled cloth. Coordinating with the melange yarns of Sardina, Salento is coloured in four naturalistic shades and ideal for applications where resistance to the elements is beneficial. Salento is UV resilient, bleach cleanable, salt, mould, and stain resistant and woven continuously for seamless application.
Tumble Tuft by Villa Nova
Tumble Tuft by Villa Nova
A charming sheer fabric featuring playful, fluffy shapes with delightful fil coupé details that appear to tumble down the cloth.
Varenne Reversible by Villa Nova
Varenne Reversible by Villa Nova
A linen mix sheer with an abstract stripe design featuring solid geometric shapes, a fil coupé outline adds a stylish design element.
Aleuj by Mokum
Aleuj by Mokum
Inspired by traditional French lace, Aleuj is a deconstructed stripe using our favoured fil coupé weaving style, adding intricacy through bindings and woven within a semi-transparent linen ground. Aleuj takes its name from a traditional embroidery style originating in the province of Fez, in keeping with the collections Moroccan influence.
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