At Bella + Canvas, one of our most popular materials is our sponge fleece. We use this favorite fabric in everything, including hoodies, full-zip sweatshirts, crewnecks, sweatpants, and more.
We love this material for its softness, warmth, and breathability.
We’re here to give you a behind-the-scenes look at our dye house to show you how to make this comfortable, plush fabric. First, we’ll go through the production process, showing how this luxe material is created and becomes soft. Then, once finished, the fabric it’s cut and made into all those cozy garments you know and love.
Here’s an inside look to show you how to brush our signature sponge fleece to make it irresistibly soft. Keep reading to learn how we make our sponge fleece from start to finish.
A Perfect Blend of Materials
Before we delve into how to make our sponge fleece, we’ll cover the materials that go into making it. Then, we use the perfect blend to create a fleece that’s soft, comfortable, and breathable at the same time.
- Airlume Combed and Ring-Spun Cotton: This cotton is Bella + Canvas’ signature cotton — 25% cleaner than other alternatives. We never use C.O.E. cotton, which can be itchy and less durable. Our signature cotton gives all of our garments — sponge fleece styles included — an extra-soft, comfortable, luxurious fee.
- Premium Polyester: The polyester in our fabrics gives them an added layer of warmth, providing more coziness. While many other polyester fabrics act like synthetic fiber, ours acts more like a natural fiber, making it ideal for printing. It also helps add some structure to the garments, giving them the perfect amount of framing.
Now that you know the premium materials that go into making our signature sponge fleece, let’s dive into the behind-the-scenes of making it.
Behind-the-Scenes of Creating Bella + Canvas Sponge Fleece
Our sponge fleece has raised the bar for expectations on just how soft a sweatshirt should be. So here’s the process into that soft material that our customers know and love.
Dyeing
First, send the material through our state-of-the-art, eco-friendly dying process, just like our infamous Airlume Combed and Ring-Spun Cotton Products. Therefore, allowing the color to hold in the fabric better over time than dyeing the fibers after being brushed or made into their final shape. As a result, it keeps the garment looking bold and keeps customers happier as it wears better.
We have dozens of color variations across our styles, so there’s something for everyone to love.
Pre-Shrinking and Drying
Next, the sponge fleece material goes through our pre-shrink machines and dryer. Pre-shrinking the fabric before cutting it into garments — or sent to you and your customers — allows it to retain as much size as possible over time.
Gone are the days of a garment shrinking up or in after the first wash. Instead, your customers will be happy their garments are pre-shrunk, with little worry over them changing size in the washer after one wear.
Brushing
After it’s pre-shrunk and dried, the material gets moved over to our brushing station.
The material appears similar to a terry cloth or a bath towel. However, the result after brushing is entirely different. The fabric runs through a machine where ceramic-tipped bristles brush out the material. Our machines evenly brush out the material, giving you a smooth and consistent finish whenever you order our sponge fleece.
The result is a fabric that is luxe, comfortable, and plush on the skin. In addition, it’s exceptionally soft and keeps the wearer warm.
Finishing
After it’s brushed, it’s ready to be cut and sewn into the garments in the styles you know and love. Then, it’s prepared to head to you and your customers, where it can be sold in blank styles or customized with whatever printing and embroidery you know and love.
The Sponge Fleece Difference
If you’re wondering what sets Bella + Canvas fleece garments aside from the competitors, here’s what you need to know.
Quality: At Bella + Canvas, we prioritize creating quality garments you and your customers love. With a focus on premium materials, you’ll feel the difference our top sponge fleece makes compared to competitors.
Ethical Production: It’s a priority for us to ensure those who bring our garments to life are given fair pay and treated with the respect they deserve. Creating over 1,200 American jobs each year, we ensure all our workers have fair rights. And we use automated cutting machines — not hand cutters — to ensure our workers’ safety. In addition, all of our facilities are W.R.A.P. certified, so you know we’re committed to providing our team is treated fairly.
Eco-Friendly: We also prioritize using eco-friendly practices in our production. For example, we complete most of our dyeing at home in Los Angeles, where we adhere to the strictest water regulations in the US. We also go above and beyond to recycle all of our waste. We’re also working to neutralize our carbon footprint and build solar farms.
Easy Ordering: At Bella + Canvas, we make ordering easy with no minimums on domestic orders. Therefore, you can order the exact size, style, and color quantity you need — and nothing you don’t. No more case minimums here.
Discover Bella + Canvas Sponge Fleece Styles
And there you have it: behind-the-scenes on making Bella + Canvas premium sponge fleece. Now that you know everything about making this ever-loved material, discover the different sponge fleece styles available.
We offer men’s, women’s, unisex, and kids’ styles, so there are lots to explore. Some of the many different garments we offer with this material include full-zip hoodies, pullover hoodies, crewnecks, sweatpants, shorts, and more. And there are dozens of color options.
Whether you’re looking for blank, minimalist styles to sell as-is, or you want to customize a sponge fleece crewneck or another style with custom embroidery or printing, there’s something for everyone to love.
We hope you learned something today about the process of making one of Bella + Canvas’ favorite materials!
