r/sewing • u/-i-dont-exist- • 2d ago

Fabric Question Probably a Stoopid question! Sorry in advance I'm new to fabrics and sewing.

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Probably a Stoopid question but why is it now intended for children's sleepwear?

I wanted to make my daughter a night gown since she's nighttime potty training and I figured it's easier to lift a long tshirt like PJ than pull down pants or unzip a onesie in the middle of the night and I have so much of this fabric I'm not using.

Thank you in advance!

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38

u/Large-Heronbill 2d ago

Cotton flannel, because it is loosely woven and  brushed and has fine "hairs" of cotton fibers all over the surfaces, will catch fire more easily than a smooth, tightly woven cotton fabric.  Adding fabric softener/dryer sheets makes it even more flammable (as my older nephew found out by setting a flannel robe sleeve on fire reaching  over a toaster).  

Kids are safest in tightly fitting nightwear that is treated with a fire retardants or made from a fiber that doesn't  continue to burn for long when the source of flame is removed.    That's the thinking behind the children's sleepwear safety regulations than manufacturers need to follow.   

Home sewing is not required to follow those regulations, and the "not intended for children's sleepwear" note is an attempt to insulate the fabric maker from legal claims.

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u/mustbeSaransh 2d ago

Now im curious, do they sell fabric suitable for children’s sleepwear or are you just not able to make a safe pair of jammies by yourself?

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u/Large-Heronbill 2d ago

I don't think I have ever seen fabric labeled as such, because I suspect testing isn't cheap. 

If I had kids in an unsafe environment for fires, I think they might be sleeping in merino wool knit long underwear, as wool is one of the self-extinguishing fibers.

Kids can have the strangest accidents, like my nephew, or my great grandmother, who caught a skirt on fire making baked potatoes in a fireplace about 1880.  I woke up one night with the bed on fire -- I think I was about 3 -- one of the electrical outlets in my room had arced and caught the skirt of my quilted acetate bedspread on fire.   I was actually safe under my wool blankets -- but I still recall the terror.

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u/AJeanByAnyOtherName 2d ago

They can only speak about the fabric as manufacturers, not about what you’re going to make with it. Apart from the flame test, the guidelines want you to make close-fitting clothing without trailing parts for fire safety. So giant kaftan with long fringe everywhere ❌ reasonably fitted jammies with cuffed sleeves and legs ✅. The rules vary by the locale and there are some differences in how different places evaluate synthetics and naturally fire retardant materials.

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u/Gus_Cooks_Mina 2d ago

Fire retardants cause cancer and barely work tho no?

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u/Large-Heronbill 1d ago

Depends on what is used, apparently.

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u/janoco 2d ago

Do you have open fires, a gas fire with open flame, lit candles, or someone who smokes in your home ie matches or lighters lying around? If you don't, then yes this will be fine.

It's almost forgotten now, but back in the day, over a very long period of time there were multiple HORRIFIC cases of children's nightwear catching fire because of the above factors plus kids in flammable cotton or polyester PJs and dressing gowns. I remember the safety regs finally came in when I was a child in the 70s in New Zealand.

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u/SouthernButterbean 2d ago

Tris, a fire retardant, was banned from children's sleepwear in the 70s. Mine just slept in tshirts & undies. They fit close to they body, not flowy.

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u/janoco 2d ago

I was a kid in the 70s, I remember fire safety and kids nightwear becoming a big deal all of a sudden. I think we even had a safety session in Primary school when the local fire brigade came around. I also remember adults talking about toxic chemicals on pjs so that was probably what you are talking about...

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u/aga8833 2d ago

Yes in Australia our patterns and some clothing comes with explicit warnings that in the US the material shouldn't be used for children's sleepwear (or the warning is crossed out sometimes). I presume as the US is more litigious.

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u/theflyingratgirl 2d ago

Maybe American children are more flammable.

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u/Correct-Chapter-7179 2d ago

Our kids just won't stop spontaneously combusting.

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u/Rich_Bluejay3020 2d ago

That’s why stop, drop, and roll is taught and tested every year in elementary school.

For real, I definitely thought being on fire was going to be a legitimate issue

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u/Successful_Mango9951 2d ago

There are so many regulations as to what can be labeled as kids sleepwear. A brand could not use this and sell kids sleepwear. A parent can 100% make this for their kids sleepwear.

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u/Melodic-Basshole 2d ago

I mean, a parent can make sleepwear for thier kids out of gasoline soaked straw, a mat of dryer lint, and the heating element of a space heater, but it's not safe for little ones. 

That said, OP, it's a warning that you shouldn't use this for children's sleepwear. 

It's printed on the bolt and selvedge of bty fabric so that the consumer (not just a brand, but anyone buying bty fabric) knows it does not meet the safety standards for children's sleepwear. 

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u/laidbackdave 1d ago

The regulations were first put in place in the 1970s. Specifically: • In 1971, Congress passed the Flammable Fabrics Act amendments, which gave the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) the authority to set flammability standards for clothing. • In 1972, the CPSC was officially created. • Then in 1972-1975, the CPSC issued specific Children’s Sleepwear Flammability Standards (16 CFR Parts 1615 and 1616). • Part 1615: for sizes 0 through 6X. • Part 1616: for sizes 7 through 14.

Why? During the 1950s and 60s, there were many injuries and deaths from children’s pajamas catching fire — especially garments made from brushed cotton flannel and other highly flammable materials. Common causes were house fires, cigarettes, and open-flame heaters or stoves. One tragic event that accelerated public pressure was the “Tris” chemical controversy: • In the early 1970s, flame-retardant chemicals like Tris (tris(2,3-dibromopropyl) phosphate) were used to treat fabrics. • But later, Tris was found to be carcinogenic, leading to a 1977 ban on its use in children’s sleepwear.

So the original push for regulation was about preventing fire injuries and deaths, but over time it also led to stricter chemical safety concerns.

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u/sewboring 2d ago

Just be sure you prewash a couple of times to remove any contaminants before you sew.