4.01 fibers and fabrics

1. 4.01 fibers and fabrics

2. Vocabulary • ***Fiber: The smallest unit in a textile fabric. • Yarn: A group of fibers twisted together to form a continuous strand. • Fabric: Any material that is made by weaving, knitting, braiding, knotting, laminating, felting, or chemical bonding. • Hand: The way a fabric feels to the touch. • ***Denier: Thickness or diameter of a fiber. • Microfibers: man-made, Ultra fine, soft, luxurious fibers • CAD (Computer Aided Design): Computer system software used for designing textiles, fashion, apparel, and other products.

3. Natural Fibers Fibers from plants or animals. • Staple fibers: Lower quality, short fibers. • Filament fibers: Long, continuous fibers of higher quality. • Cellulosic fibers***: Fibers from plants. • Protein fibers: Fibers derived from animals or insects.

4. Manufactured fibers Fibers that are man-made and are created by combining various substances with chemicals. • Solid raw materials and chemicals are melted or dissolved to form a ***thick liquid. • The liquid is forced through the tiny holes of a mechanical device known as a spinnerette to form filaments. (Similar to pushing dough through a pasta machine to make spaghetti.) • The filaments are then stretched, hardened, and crimped and/or cut into lengths.

5. Cellulosic manufactured fibers are made from cellulose from plants such as soft wood pulp and are changed into usable fibers by applying chemicals. • Noncellulosic manufactured fibers are made from various petrochemical mixtures of crude oil, natural gas, air, and water.

6. Blend: A combination of two or more fibers that maximizes the best features of each fiber. • Example: Combining cotton with polyester

7. Cotton Wool Flax (linen) Silk ***Natural fibers***

8. Cotton The soft, white, downy fiber (boll) attached to the seed of a cotton plant. • Most widely used of all natural fibers*** • Grown in the southern U.S. and other warm climates • Characteristics: Strong and durable Absorbent Cool to wear Shrinks in hot water Wrinkles easily

9. Cotton • Proper care • Machine wash • Tumble dry at moderate temperatures • Press with warm to hot iron • Common uses***: Underwear Socks Shirts, blouses Jeans Towels, sheets

10. Wool The coat (fleece) of sheep***. • Characteristics: • ***Warmest of all natural fibers • Soft and resilient • Naturally flame retardant • Absorbs moisture more slowly than cotton • Shrinks if machine washed or dried unless chemically treated • Affected by moths

11. Wool • Proper care for untreated wool: • Dry clean or hand wash in cool water and a mild detergent • Do not place in dryer • Common uses***: • Sweaters • Tailored suits • *Coats • *Blankets • Upholstery • Rugs, carpets

12. The fiber that comes from the stem of a flax plant. Grown primarily in Eastern Europe Linen is flax fabric. Common uses: Pants Blazers Table linens Upholstery Flax

13. Flax • Characteristics • Durable and strong • Lustrous and smooth • Comfortable and cool to wear • Wrinkles easily • Proper Care: • Hand wash or dry clean (according to garment label) • Iron while damp

14. Silk ***The fine, lustrous fiber that comes from a cocoon spun by a silkworm. • Primarily produced Thailand, China, India

15. Silk • Characteristics: • Luxurious appearance and feel • Strongest of all natural fibers • Drapes nicely • Expensive • Easily spots if fabric becomes wet

16. Leather and Fur • Hides or skins of animals. • ***Leather: A tough, flexible material made by preserving animal hides through a process called tanning.

17. Leather is used for: Handbags Shoes Belts Jackets • Primary sources: • Cattle • Goatskins • Sheepskins • Reptiles Suede: Leather with a napped surface on the flesh side.

18. Fur ***The soft, hairy coat of an animal. • Fur is used for***: • Coats • Outerwear • Trimmings Common Sources • Mink • Chinchilla • Fox • Rabbit

19. Polyester Nylon Acrylic Rayon Acetate Spandex Manufactured fibers***each has it’s own slide

20. Polyester • **Made from coal or petroleum • **Often blended with other fibers • Resists wrinkling • **Great washability • Pills easily • Static buildup • Common uses: • Children’s wear, shirts, suits

21. Nylon • **First fiber to be manufactured totally from chemicals • Strong, durable • Dries quickly • Resists wrinkles and soil • Washes easily • Heat sensitive • Clings to the wearer • Common uses: • Hosiery, swimwear, windbreakers

22. Acrylic • Common uses: • Knitted garments • Outdoor furniture fabrics and awnings • Rugs • Resembles wool • Soft and warm • Wrinkle resistant • Static buildup • Pills easily

23. Rayon • Soft, absorbent, and comfortable • Inexpensive • Stretches and is weak when wet • Mildews and wrinkles easily Common uses: • Linings • Sports shirts • Jackets

24. Acetate • Made from wood pulp • Silky, luxurious • Deep luster, soft • Wrinkles easily • Special care needed in cleaning • Common uses***: • Neckties • Lingerie • Blouses • Linings

25. Spandex • Stretchy • Easily damaged by bleach • Nonabsorbent • Common uses: • Swimwear • Dancewear • Exercise wear

26. Fabric Production Steps • Fibers are twisted together into yarns. • Yarns are woven or knitted to form fabric. • Color is added by dyeing or printing to enhance the fabric’s appeal. • A finish is applied to make the fabric suitable for its end use and to improve its appearance.

27. Turning Yarn into Fabric Weaving: The process of interlacing one or more sets of yarns at right angles on a loom. • Warp yarns: Yarns that run lengthwise in woven fabric. • Weft yarns: Yarns that run crosswise in woven fabric.

28. Grain: The direction of the lengthwise and crosswise yarns or threads in a woven fabric. • Bias**: The diagonal grain of a fabric. The bias provides the greatest stretch in the fabric.

29. Weaving • Plain weave: The simplest of all weaves in which the crosswise yarn is passed over then under each lengthwise yarn. • Examples: broadcloth, muslin, flannel Plain weave

30. Twill weave: • Used for **durability • This weave produces a **diagonal design on the surface. • Examples: **denim, gabardine Twill weave

31. Satin weave: • Weave that produces a **smooth, shiny-surfaced fabric • Examples: sateen, satin Satin weave

32. Other weaves • Pile weave—corduroy, velvet • Jacquard—brocade, damask (upholstery) • Leno—fabrics with an open, lacy appearance (like fruit bags)

33. Knitting **Weft knits: Knits made with only one yarn that runs crosswise forming a horizontal row of interlocking loops. Grandma’s knitting ***Constructing fabric by looping yarns together.

34. Warp knits: Knits made with several yarns creating loops that interlock in the lengthwise direction. Gauge: ***The number of stitches, or loops, per inch in a knitted fabric.

35. Other Fabric Construction • Nonwoven. ***Fibers are compacted together using moisture, heat, chemicals, friction, or pressure. Examples: quilt batting, garment interfacings, felt, artificial suede • Laces and nets. Made by knotting, twisting, or looping yarns. Example: lace • Quilted fabric. A layer of padding or batting is sandwiched between two layers of fabric and held in place by stitching. Examples of use: bedspreads, placemats, and outerwear

36. Fabric finishing ***Applying colors, designs or surface treatments that change the look, feel, or performance of fabrics. • ***Bleaching: Chemical processes that remove color, impurities, or spots from fibers. • Dyeing: A method of giving color to a fiber, yarn, fabric, or garment. • Printing: The process of adding color, pattern, or design to the surface of fabrics.

37. **Mechanical: Finishes that are applied mechanically rather than chemically. Affect size and appearance Examples: glazing, embossing, brushing/napping/cutting (corduroy) **Chemical: Finishes that become part of the fabric through chemical reactions with the fibers. Affect performance Examples: flame retardant, stain resistant, waterproof, permanent press, preshrunk Finish categories

38. Trends and Technology

39. Equipment and machinery • More automated weaving and knitting machines • Color management tools that can synchronize a colored design on a computer screen, a paper printout, and the actual fabric color • Sophisticated CAD tools with 3D capabilities • Processes constantly monitored by computer systems

40. Microfibers • Enhanced characteristics for high performance fabrics resulting in production of intelligent garments - wicking (a fiber’s ability to draw moisture away from the body so it can evaporate) - coolness - warmth - protection

41. Recycling • ***Plastic soda bottles converted into polyester fiber • used to make fabric for t-shirts and filling for pillows • can be recycled numerous times without losing its performance attributes • “Eco-spun”

42. Government regulations • The Wool Products Labeling Act (1939) provides that all garments made of wool have a label indicating the percentage and kind of wool used. • The Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (1958) requires that all clothing have a label listing the generic fiber content by percentage. • The Flammable Fabrics Act (1953) regulates the sale of highly flammable fabrics used in apparel and prohibits the sale of extremely flammable fabrics. • The Permanent Care Labeling Act (1972) requires that all clothing offered for sale in retail stores have a label indicating specific care instructions. New symbols for use in this labeling were introduced in 1997.