How fabric is made
Dec 14, 2015
Natural Fibers Come from plants and animals General Characteristics
Hydrophilic (Absorb Water) Most wrinkle easily
Aren’t completely uniform in look and quality, because they are affected by weather, nutrients in the soil, insects, and disease.
Price continues to increase because of limited supply.
Cotton advantages
Mildews Does not spring
back into shape Wrinkles easily Burns readily Shrinks
Strong, durable Soft Absorbs moisture Breathes well Washes easily Low cost Comfortable
Cotton Disadvantages
Linen (Flax) Disadvantages
STRONG, stronger than cotton & even stronger when wet
Absorbs moisture Comfortable in warm
weather Washes easily Nice texture
Linen (Flax) Advantages
Mildews WRINKLES Burns easily Difficult to process Not very elastic and
will break if folded over and over in the same place
Wool Advantages
WARM Durable ABSORBENT Resilient (returns to
original shape quickly) Resists wrinkling Fire Retardant Can keep you cool or
warm Does not soil easily
Wool Disadvantages
Requires special care Shrinks sometimes if
washed, or dried in dryer Absorbs odors Requires protection
against insects More expensive, so often
blended with other fibers
Silk Advantages
Soft and Smooth
Lustrous and Luxurious
Strong Doesn’t wrinkle
easily Drapes well Dyes well
Silk Advantages
Shows water spots
Sensitive to sunlight and can yellow
More expensive
Synthetic Fibers Made from petrochemicals Many made to resemble natural fibers at
lower costs Characteristics
Hydrophobic (water resistant) Promote static cling Heat Sensitive Many pill Most are wrinkle resistant Must press at low temperatures
Polyester Excellent WRINKLE RESISTANCE Resistant to abrasion Dries quickly Blends well with other fibers Retains heat-set pleats and creases Absorbs oily stains Low absorbency of moisture Easily laundered Needs little or no pressing
Nylon Very Strong Resilient Lustrous Dries quickly May yellow or gray Heat Sensitive Low moisture absorbency Easily laundered Iron at low temperature Blend well with other fibers Melts
Acrylic Soft, Warm Wool-like Light weight Wrinkle resistant Resistant to moths and sunlight Pills Static electricity Heat sensitive Usually dry clean, iron at low temp.
Rayon
Made from wood pulp Made to resemble cotton or silk Soft and comfortable High moisture absorbency Drapeable May wrinkle or shrink unless treated May mildew Usually dry cleaned, sometimes washable Iron at low temperature
Spandex Excellent elasticity and recovery Stronger and more durable than rubber Light weight Resistant to body oils Damaged by chlorine bleach Damaged by heat
Acetate Silk look-alike Used in formal wear Soft, Drapeable Dries quickly Resistant to shrinking Not very strong Can wrinkle Low abrasion resistance Heat sensitive Damaged by acetone
Once the fiber is collected, the fiber is spun into yarns Yarn – made by spinning or twisting fibers
together Blended Yarn – often times yarn is made by
more than one type of fiber. They are blended to get the best qualities from each.
Fabric Construction Woven – interlocking yarns in an
over-under pattern
Knit – interlocking loops
Non-woven – fibers are pressed
together in no specific pattern.
Parts of a woven fabric1. Bias – the stretchiest direction of the fabric. Diagonal line between lengthwise and crosswise grains.
2. Selvage – tightly woven edge. Looks different than the rest of the fabric.
3. Warp Yarns/Lengthwise grain – strongest direction of fabric because those yarns are placed on the loom first. Least amount of stretch. Parallel to the selvage.
4. Weft yarns/Crosswise grain – a little less strong than warp because these are the yarns that are woven in. A little more stretch than warp. Perpendicular to warp and selvage.
Satin WeaveNo definite pattern, passes over more threads to give
it a lustrous, silk-like appearance
Non Woven• fibers are pressed together in one big mass
•no grain
• no stretch or give• requires special sewing techniques