Fibres and Fabrics - libvolume8.xyz realize how fibres become fabric through weaving, knitting and non-woven methods. ... The carding process can also now be done on an industrial

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Textiles

Fibres and Fabrics


Learning objectives


Lea

rnin

g o

bje

cti

ves

To understand what fibres are, and recognize the

differences between natural and manufactured

fibres.

To realize how fibres become fabric through

weaving, knitting and non-woven methods.

To research and record the fabric properties of a

selection of natural and manufactured fabrics.


Fabrics are made up from fibres.

Introduction

Staple fibres are only a few

centimetres in length and are

normally spun into a yarn.

Filament fibres are usually several

kilometres in length, and can be

chopped up or left as they are.

Filament fibres can be twisted or looped to produce thicker yarns.

Fibres come in different lengths:

This wool yarn is made

from staple fibres.

Dyed viscose filament yarn


What are fibres?


Fibres can be broken down into two main categories –

natural and manufactured.

Natural fibres are either animal or plant-based.

Natural fibres

Cotton fibres grow on

cotton plants, forming

around the seeds in the

cotton boll.

Silk, wool and hair are all animal fibres.

Silk is made by silk worms, wool comes

from sheep and hair can come from a

number of animals including rabbit

(angora), camel, horse and goat (cashmere and mohair).

Plant fibres include cotton and linen. The fibres come from different parts of plants.

Cotton and coir come from the seed,

while linen comes from the stem of flax

plants.


Synthetic fibres

Synthetic fibres are all man-made

from organic polymers, made by

refining crude oil or coal. Polyester,

nylon and acrylic are synthetic fibres. Nylon was the first

synthetic fibre to be

created from chemicals

obtained from crude oil.

Synthetic fibres and regenerated fibres are manufactured.

All manufactured fibres start as filament fibres.

Regenerated fibres are made from natural

materials, such as cellulose from wood, that

are chemically processed. Viscose and

rayon are regenerated fibres.


Microfibres are very fine synthetic

fibres, often made from polyester

and polyamide. They can be

blended with other fibres such as

cotton. Fabric made from microfibres is lightweight and

durable, and can be waterproof.

Modern fibres

‘Smart’ fibres are synthetic fibres which alter their

properties in response to their environment, for example,

changing colour in reaction to light or heat.

This top is made from lyocell, a microfibre made from cellullose-

derived wood-pulp. It is lightweight, breathable and crease-resistant.


Where do fibres come from?


Staple fibres are matted together and need to be pulled

apart. Traditionally, this was done using two wire brushes

(carders), pulled in opposite directions.

The carding process can also now be done on an industrial

scale.

Turning fibres into yarns – carding


Yarns are fibres that have been spun (twisted) together.

There are two methods of spinning: the Worsted Spinning

System which produces a smooth yarn and the Woollen

Spinning System which produces a more hairy yarn.

Z twist is spun in a clockwise direction

S twist in spun in an anticlockwise direction.

Turning fibres into yarns – spinning

Yarns can be spun in two directions:


Fabric types


A loom is used to weave fabric.

The vertical yarns or warp yarns

are connected to the loom.

Woven fabric

This weaver in Mali, West

Africa, is using a hand

loom to produce strips of

cotton cloth, which will

then be sewn together

and dyed.

Then weft yarns are

threaded alternatively over

and under the warp yarns to

produce the fabric.

This method produces plain weave.


Alternative weaves


Jacquard weave is an extremely complex fabric that uses

its own specific loom. It uses CAM (Computer Aided

Manufacture) to produce the end piece. Therefore, this

method is expensive but the end product is of a high

quality.

Alternative weaves


There are two types of knitted fabrics. Both processes work

by forming interlocking loops of yarn.

Weft knitting is when the loops run

across the fabric. Weft knitting can be

constructed by hand and will unravel if

the yarn is broken. The most common

example of weft knitting is jersey.

Warp knitting is when the loops run

vertically. This is constructed using a

machine and produces a sturdier fabric.

This method hardly ever ladders and

keeps its shape.

Knitted fabrics


Felting is a quick and cheap method

of producing fabric. A combination of

pressure, moisture and heat is used

to form the fibres into fabric. Felt is not

very strong but will not fray when cut. It can be formed (steamed) into shapes

without the need for seams.

Bonding is another method of producing non-woven fabric.

The fibres are bonded together by using stitching or

adhesive.

Laminating is when a number of fabrics are bonded

together. Woven, knitted, felted or bonded fabrics can be

combined to produce a fabric with a mixture of properties.

Non-woven fabrics


Fabrics


Designers will always take fabric properties into consideration

when designing a garment/textile product. To choose the

correct fabric they will ask a number of questions.

Does the item need to be windproof?

Will the item need to keep heat in?

Does the item need to be waterproof?

How often will the item be washed?

Does the item need any special protection? How will the item be manufactured?

Does the item need to stretch?

Will the item be subjected to much wear and tear?

Fabric properties

Sailing clothes need

to be wind and

waterproof.


All fabrics have properties that make them suitable for

particular end products.

Creases easily/cheap

Cotton Polyester

Crease resistant/stretchy

When you know a fabric’s properties it makes it easy to

understand why mixing or blending fibres can produce an

enhanced fabric.

Cotton Polyester

Poly/cotton

Crease resistant/cheap/stretchy

Fabric properties


Task

Take a swatch sample of the following fabrics and draw up

your own chart with the following headings: Warmth,

Elasticity, Strength, Durability, Crease Resistance,

Absorbency, Flammability. Include your own personal

description.

COTTON

POLYESTER SILK

ELASTANE

LINEN WOOL

NYLON

Fabric properties

ACRYLIC


Which fabric am I?


Key points


Key p

oin

ts

Fibres come in two lengths – staple fibres and

filament fibres.

Fibres can be natural or manufactured.

Manufactured fibres can be synthetic or

regenerated. Fibres are spun to make yarn.

Fibres are made into fabric by weaving, knitting or

non-woven methods, such as bonding.

Fabrics have different properties depending on the

fibres they have been made from. These properties make them suitable for different uses.

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Fibres and Fabrics - libvolume8.xyz realize how fibres become fabric through weaving, knitting and non-woven methods. ... The carding process can also now be done on an industrial