Fibres And Fabrics Flashcards
Cotton properties
Strong Cool to wear Creases easily Easy to sew/handle Non-stretchy
Cotton uses
T shirts
Denim
Bed sheets
Canvas
Linen properties
Strong
Cool to wear
Creases easily
Easy to handle/sew
Linen uses
Bed sheets
Suits
Upholstery
Tablecloth
Wool properties
Strong
Insulator
Crease resistant
Wool uses
Jumpers
Blankets
Insulation
Carpet
Silk properties
Good handle
Good lustre
Crease resistant
Difficult to handle/sew
Silk uses
Evening wear
Gowns
Ties
Bed sheets
Polyester properties
Non-absorbent
Durable
Crease resistant
Easily metlts
Polyester uses
Clothing
Wadding
Rope
Sails
Nylon properties
Non-absorbent
Very strong
Durable
Abrasion resistant
Nylon uses
Seat belts
Tents
Tights
Acrylic properties
Water resistant
Quick drying
Strong
Good insulator
Acrylic uses
Ski jacket
Outdoor furniture
Viscose properties
Absorbent
Good insulator
Creases easily
Weak especially when wet
Viscose uses
Table cloths
Sportsweat
Elastane
Non-absorbent
Elastic
Quick drying
Elastane uses
Swimwear
Jeans
Tights
Leggings
Why do we mix/blend fibres
Benefits of properties from more than 1 fibre
Polycotton benefits
Polyester- strength, durability, cheaper, stain/crease resistant
Cotton- drape, cool to wear, absorbency
Cotton elastane
Cotton- drape, absorbency, cool to wear
Elastane- crease resistant, stretchy
Acrylic wool
Acrylic- fast deying, strength, cheap
Wool- insulator, crease resistant, absorbency
Two types/origins of natural fibres
Natural proteins (wool/silk/cashmere) Natural cellulose (cotton/linen/hemp/jute)
Synthetic fibres from petrochemicals
Coal/oil —> hydrocarbon monomers —> polymer chains
Finite/unsustainable
Regenerated fibres
Natural polymers, plant based sources
More sustainable
Technical textile
Altered polymerisation process, achieve a certain characteristic
Eg. Kevlar - parrallel, strong bonds
Cotton source
Cotton grown Seed pod harvested Ginning (circular saws separate seed from fibre) Dried (prevent clumping) Baled and shipped Cleaned/bleached Spun into yarn
Linen source
Stem of flax plant Uprooted NOT cut Retted (rot) away outside layer Stems broken Cleaned Spun into yarn
Wool source
Sheep sheared
Grades (Eg coarser: insulation, finer: clothes)
Scoured (remove grease)
Silk source
Silkworms bred in captivity Silkworm cocoons Silk fibre forms Boiled NOT cut Pull silk fibre, wind onto bobbins Cleaned/dried
Three types/scales of fibres
Staple
Filament
Micro
Staple fibre
Short
Crimped
Mesh well
Natural fibres
Filament fibre
Long
Smooth
Dont mesh well
Synthetic and silk
Microfibres
Drape
Breathability
Durability
Synthetic polymers
Woven fabric with an example
Warp (vertical/stronger) and weft (horizontal/weaker) yarns
Cotton
Three types of weave
Plain
Twill
Satin
Plain weave
Versatile
One vert, one horiz
Eg. muslin
Twill weave
Diagonal pattern
Heavier
More durable
Eg. Denim/canvas
Satin weave
Weft woven under warp Larger surface area —> shiny Smooth, lustrous, good handle/drape Weak Snags/frays easily
Non woven examples and properties
Eg. Felt Uses: surgical masks, wet wipes, craft uses Short and crimped fibres Mesh well Bonded with oressure/heat/adhesive Doesnt fray Weak especially when wet Bad environmental footprint
Two types of knitted fabrics
Weft
Continuous yarn, interlocking loops
Hand/machinery
Socks
Warp
Machinery
Sportswear
Doesnt unravel
Ecological imapct of natural cellulose
Intensive farming, meet demand
Excess water
Pesticides/fertilisers (kill wildlife, pollute water/air)
Ecological impact of natural protein fibres
Overgrazing
Deforestation
Insecticides- pollution
Methane
Ecological impact of synthetic fibres
Finite resource, crude oil, greenhouse gases
Water pollution/contamination
Social/ethical textile issues
Poor working conditions
(Long hours/low pay/no safety equipment/no lighting/heating/air con)
Child labour
Life cycle natural textile vs synthetic
Natural- biodegradable, carbon dioxide, dyes/chems pollute
Synthetic- very slow to biodegrade, toxins, greenhouse gases
Three levels of recycling textiles
Primary- pass on
Secondary- upcycle
Tertiary- broken down to original state, uses energy, not infinitely possible
Thermoplastic: cleaned, shredded, melted, reformed, spun
Natural: shredded, bleached, spun
Drill
Cotton
Upholstery
Jersey
Cotton/wool/polyester
Tshirts
Denim
Cotton/elastane
Jeans
Voile
Silk/cotton
Mosquito nets
Tweed
Wool
Jackets
Gaderdine
Wool
Suits
Felt
Wool/acrylic
Craft
Broadcloth
Cotton
Dresses
Sheeting
Cotton/polyester
Bed sheets
Damask
Silk/cotton/polyester
Napkins
Muslin
Cotton
Sheer curtains
Satin
Silk/polyester
Occassion dresses
Crepe
Silk/polyester/viscose
Blouses
Velvet
Cotton/polyester/viscose
Evening wear
Corduroy
Cotton/polyester
Trousers
Four types of thread
Machine threads
Tacking thread
Embroidery thread
Monofilament
Machine thread
Strong
Move smoothly through machine
Tacking thread
Strong
Thick
Hand sewing
Embroidery thread
Thick
Luxurious
Decorative work
Monofilament
Very strong
Usually clear
Invisible stitching
Fastenings and an example of use
Button (shirt) Poppers (baby clothes) Zips (cushions) Velcro (shoes) Hook and eye (bras) Toggle (coats)
3 factors to comsider about thread
Weight
Strength
Texture
Appearance
3 factors to consider fastenings
Aesthtic
Function
Safety
3 structural components
Boning
Petersham
Interfacing
Boning
Metal/plastic strip
Reinforce seams
Give shape
Corsets
Petersham
Heavyweight ribbon
Stiffen/reinforce button bands
Interfacing
Medium weight bonded fabric
Stiffen collars/cuffs
Bias binding
Strip of fabric finish seam edge
Elastic
Various weights/widths
Waist bands, underwear
Decorative components
Ribbon
Sequins
Beads
Cutting lines
Guide cutting
Fold lines
Symetrical doubled fabric pieces
Balance notches
Match pieces
Increase accuracy
Darts/pleats/tucks/bust/hip placements
Lines brought together
Grain line
Directionnof straight grain
Adjustement lines
Lengthened/shortened
Dots
Placement of components (buttons)
Four types of cutting, properties and uses
Scissors: easy, cheap, bespoke
Roller blade: sharp, cheap, bespoke
Laser cutter: quick, expensive, complicated patterns (lace)
Band saw: requires training/equipment, efficient, industrial production
4 types of seam
Plain seam
French seam
Flat felled seam
Finishing seams (top stitching, biased binding, piping)
Plain seam
Low strength
Not enclosed/ visible edges
1 line of stitching
T shirts
French seams
Medium strength
Lingerie
Enclosed/hidden edges
2 lines of stitching
Flat felled seams
High strength
Jeans
Enclosed/hidden edges
2 lines of stitching
Pleats
Fold fabric back on itself
Narrows width
Adds shape/body
Gathers
Sew along edge
Thread ends pulled
Narrows width
Fullness
Darts
Improve shape/fit
Taper to a point
Bust/bodice
Clipping seam
Seam along curve
Little triangle cut ohts
Lie flatter
Neckholes/armholes
Boning
Structure
Corsets
Interfacing
Non woven
Bonded
Sewn/ironed
Stiffens necklines/cuffs/collars
Interlining
Layer of fabric
Insulation/structure
Lining
Lightweight fabric
Comfort/aesthetics
Underlining
Beneath sheer fabric
Opacity
Toiles
Test/adapt pattern
Cotton/paper (cheap material)
Product testing
Small samples (tension/dyes)
Swtaches (abrasion/stain resistance/strength/weight
Stakeholder feedback/opinions
5 times to dye
Polymer- liquid solution, no fade/transfer
Fibre- raw fibre, consistency
Yarn- inconsistent, can create stripes/tartan
Piece- length of fabric, inconsistent
Garment- range of colours
Mechanical finishes (2)
Brushing- wire brush, soft, can weaken fabric
Calendering- pressing, smooth
Chemical finishes (4)
Mercerising- swell, lustrous, absorb more dye
Crease resistant- resin, stiffens, dries faster
Flame resistant- durbale, high risk products
Bleaching- removes colour, consistency
Biological finishes (1)
Stone washes- denim, distressed, add stones to industrial washing machines
4 smart finishes
Thermochromic
Photochromic
Microencapsulation
Surface decoration
Thermochromic
Inks change colour acfording to temp
Baby clothes
Photochromic
Changes according to natural light
Summer clothing
Microencapsulation
Tiny capsules contqin fragrance/chemicals
Repellents/ perfumed fabric
Surface decoration
Applique, embroidery, patchwork, quilting, laser etching
Rapid prototyping
Laser cutter + 3D printer
Digital manufacture
Digital fabric printing- Large inkjet printer
Sublimation- heat + pressure, crisp, washable
Laser cutting- 2D CAD, etch/cut, accurate
Interpretations of plans
Digital lay planning- software, decrease waste
CAD- evaluate prototypes
CAM- semi/fully automatic machines, increase consistency, decrease error
Scales of manufacture
One of/bespoke- inefficient, wedding dress, 100 garments
Batch- production line, seasonal lines, 10,000 garments
Mass- constant production, cheap, 100,000, t shirts
Just in time- quick response, little storage, little waste
Large scale production processes (6)
Band saw- templates, chainmail, skilled workers, efficient
Flatbed printing- conveyor, variety of patterns
Rotary screen printing- converyor, fast, continuous pattern
Industrial sewing machines- constant use, heavy duty
Automated presses- remove creases, efficient, heat and pressure
Steam dollies- press abstract shapes
Manufacturing specificiation (ppcc)
Details of product, pattern, components, construction
Quality control checks
Critical points Ensure consistency, remove faults Material (snags/patterns/holes/stains) Components (size/colour/damage) Seams (tolerance/oreintation/holes) Construction (pockets/buttons/zips/sleeves/alignment)
Correcting faults
Name - misaligned button Appearance - button/holes dont match Cause - error in measurement Effect - hem doesnt meet Repair - unpick, resew Action - change specification Prevention - check specification
Why is quality control important
Good qaulity, good reputation, more sales
Tolerance/minimisng waste
Seam allowance/room for error
Lay plans/pattern cutters
