Ticking

Ticking is a type of cloth, traditionally a tightly-woven cotton or linen textile.^[1] It is traditionally used to cover tick mattresses and bed pillows.^[2] The tight weave makes it more durable and hinders the stuffing (straw, chaff, hair, down feathers, etc.) from poking through the fabric.^[1] To make it even tighter, ticking could be waxed, soaped,^[3] or starched.^[4] Tick materials designed to hold foam may be knit, or more porous.^[5] In English-speaking countries ticking commonly has a striped design,^[6] in muted colors such as brown, grey or blue, and occasionally red or yellow, against a plain, neutral background.

Although traditionally used for mattresses and pillows, the material has found other uses, such as serving as a backing for quilts, coverlets, and other bedding.^[1] It is sometimes woven with a twill weave.

Ticking is no longer restricted to a utility fabric and has found uses in interior decorating styles intending to evoke a homespun or industrial aesthetic. Modern uses for ticking include furniture upholstery, cushion covers, tablecloths, decorative basket liners, and curtains. Occasionally, lighter weight percale cloth is printed with a striped pattern made to resemble ticking fabric, and used to make garments.^{[citation needed]}

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  A hole in the ticking lets the straw out of a palliasse. Tufting (through stitches holding the stuffing) is also visible.
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  A 1940s USDA circular promoting home production of cotton mattresses.
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  Ticking used to make windproof parkas
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  An antique settee reupholstered in ticking fabric. Historically, ticking was not used to cover fine furniture.

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