Twin ply fabric, uses and manufacture thereof

A process for forming a puffed, smock-like quilted finished fabric comprising an exterior layer of non-stretchable material and an interior layer of bi-axial stretchable interior material, stitched together in automated manner, comprising the steps of:

• (a) winding non-stretchable and stretchable layers on separate rollers,
• (b) positively feeding the layers from the rollers in an alignable quilting arrangement to a bidirectional acting sewing assembly to provide essentially zero elongation for the non-stretchable layer and essentially 100 to 250 per cent stretch for the bi-axial stretchable layer in an axial stretch direction parallel to advancement of said stretchable and non-stretchable layers,
• (c) sewing the arranged layers in sets of sinusoidal-like seam patterns across the layers wherein each of said seam patterns has an axis of formation essentially parallel to said axial stretch direction of the bi-axial stretchable layer,
• (d) allowing the stretchable layer to relax to a natural state wherein a series of puffs are formed in rows across the layers normal to said axial stretch direction of the stretchable layer thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.

A puffed, smock-like quilted finished fabric comprising an exterior layer of non-stretchable material and an interior layer of bi-axial stretchable material stitched together in automated manner having a series of puffs and columns of even number in a constant amount, formed by the steps of:

• (a) winding non-stretchable and stretchable layers on separate rollers,
• (b) positively feeding the layers from the rollers in a quilting arrangement to a bidirectional acting sewing assembly to provide essentially zero elongation for the non-stretchable layer and to provide essentially 25 to 300 per cent stretch for the bi-axial stretchable layer in an axial stretch direction parallel to advancement of said stretchable and non-stretchable layers,
• (c) sewing the arranged layers in sets of sinusoidal-like seam patterns across the layers wherein each of said sinusoidal-like seam patterns have an axis of formation essentially parallel to said axial stretch direction of the bi-axial stretchable layer,
• (d) allowing the stretchable layer to relax to a natural state wherein a series of puffs are formed in rows across the layers normal to said axial stretch direction the stretchable layer, and columns of puffs of even numbered rows are aligned with each other but are laterally offset with respect to puffs of odd numbered rows a constant amount thereby creating an aesthetically pleasing finished fabric.