Specialist

• natural fibres come from animals or plants

  • plant fibres include cotton, linen, jute, sisal and more unusual fibres
  • animal fibres include wool, silk and hair
• synthetic fibres are created by scientists from artificial sources, eg by refining crude oil or regenerating wood pulp

  • refined fibres include polyester, nylon , lyocell and acrylic
  • regenerated fibres include viscose
• Cotton

  Strong and absorbent but not very durable or warm

  T-shirts, jeans, towels
• Wool

  Absorbent and warm but not very strong or durable

  Knitwear, socks, suiting
• Silk

  Very absorbent and also strong, warm and durable

  Shirts, dresses and ties
• Polyester

  Strong and durable but not very absorbent or warm

  School blazers, trousers
• Acrylic

  Very warm, also strong and durable but not absorbent

  Knitwear
• Nylon

  Very strong, also durable but not very warm or absorbent

  Carpets, fishing nets
• Elastane

  Strong and durable but not very warm or absorbent

  Sportswear, swimwear
• Fibres are first spun together to make a yarn, which is then made into fabrics by being:

  • woven
  • knitted
• There are different weaves available:

  • plain - strong and hardwearing, eg calico and drill cotton, used for fashion and furnishing fabrics
  • twill - strong and drapes well with a diagonal pattern on the surface, used for jeans, curtains and jackets
  • satin - fabric can be woven to give the surface a 'right' side with a shine, created by long floats on the warp or weft threads, and a ‘wrong’ side that is matt
  • pile - woven in two parts together that face each other and sliced apart down the centre once off the loom to create the pile, eg velvet
• • weft knit - created by looping long lengths of yarn together; if a stitch is dropped, it will cause a ladder to run down the length of the fabric; used in socks, tights and jumpers
• warp knit - created by a knitting machine interlocking the yarn along the length of the fabric; as a result, they do not ladder; used in swimwear, underwear and geotextiles
• felted - the most common is made from wool fibres matted together using moisture, heat and pressure; it has little strength, drape or elasticity and is expensive but is warm and does not fray; used for hats, slippers and in handcrafts
• bonded - made from webs of synthetic fibres bonded together with heat or adhesives; they are cheap to produce, easy to sew, crease-resistant, do not fray and are stable to washing and dry-cleaning - but are not as strong as woven or knitted fabrics; mainly used for interlining
• • Texture - Does it feel rough, smooth or soft?
  • Density - What is the weight in grams per cm2? This affects physical properties such as stiffness and strength.
  • Fineness - How many fibres are there in a cross section of yarn?
  • Allergenic - Will it irritate the wearer’s skin in any way?
• • tensile strength - the ability to resist stretching or breaking under tension
  • absorbency - the ability to absorb and hold liquid
  • breathability - the ability to allow air to pass through easily so that clothing does not become too warm
  • electrical conductivity - the ability to conduct electricity
  • heat conductivity - the ability to conduct heat
• A company’s social footprint measures their effect on people and communities. Textile factories can have a negative impact on communities in a variety of ways
• • noise - yarn, knitting and weaving manufacturing can be loud
  • waste disposal - this must be dealt with responsibly, especially any hazardous chemicals like some used in cotton production
  • child labour - the use of children in textile production remains a challenge for the clothing industry
  • fibre dust - the dust released in textile processing can cause respiratory diseases for those in close proximity
  • worker’s rights - consideration needs to be given to the working conditions and pay of skilled and unskilled textile workers
• Textiles are sold as different stock forms, depending on the standard sizes and thicknesses:

  • rolls and bolts - fabric is sold by the metre in the roll (circular) or bolt (flat roll) and standard sizes are 90 cm, 137 cm and 154 cm
  • denier - the unit of weight that measures fineness, used to describe the thickness of tights, where 30 denier is thin and 100 is thick, increasing commonly in increments of 10
  • ply - yarn (wool) is sold in coils, reels or balls, and ply is the number of threads spun together to create a yarn
• buttons - available in a range of sizes, colours and materials, such as plastic, wood and metal
• zips - fabric sides with plastic or metal teeth, sold in a variety of lengths with open (for coats) or closed (for trousers) end
• eyelets - usually made of metal and used as a strengthening edge to small holes like lace holes in shoes
• buckles - an adjustable fastening made of plastic or metal for straps
• hook and eye - a two-piece fastening usually made of metal for either side of a join, such as at the top of a zip
• Velcro - hook and loop fastening that is usually made from nylon and can be repeatedly ripped open and closed
• press studs - A two-piece fastening made from plastic or metal
• • tension - a pulling force
  • compression - a pushing force
  • bending - forces at an angle to the material
  • torsion - a twisting force
  • shear - forces acting across the material
• gathering - achieved by sewing two parallel lines to the top of a piece of fabric that can be pulled gently to ruffle up the fabric and create fullness
• pleats - folds of fabric that are sewn into place and used to shape skirts
• shirring - created by sewing thin elastic, known as shirring elastic, into a garment in rows, creating elasticated panels
• darts - used to shape a garment on the bust, waist or back by sewing parallel lines on the inside.
• seams - formed at the point where two pieces of fabric are joined; they can be plain or overlapped to be hidden
• hems - used to neaten edges and to finish raw edges; they are generally straight but can be used to create a decorative edge
• felting - uses bonded fabrics, such as felt, which can be moulded over a former by heating and wetting it; the fibres can be pulled into shape and permanently set; used to make seamless hats
• • ease - instructions on patterns to suggest how to fit a bigger piece of fabric onto a smaller one, eg easing a sleeve of a garment into an armhole
  • under stitching - a line of stitching on the underside of a seam used to prevent rolling, eg on a collar
  • interfacing - often added parts of garments that need extra structural support, eg collars and cuffs
• • die cutters - shaped blades inside a foam stamp that can press through and cut several layers of fabric at once
  • laser cutters - use a computer aided design (CAD) drawing to make controlled laser cuts through fabric accurately and quickly
  • shears - sharp scissors are used to cut a clean edge in fabric
  • pinking shears - a type of scissor that cuts a zigzag edge to stop fabrics fraying
  • heat element - a hot blade that can be used to cut through synthetic fabrics
• • a godet - a pleat of fabric that is sewn to the underside of a fabric. It can be made in a contrasting colour and adds volume to a dress skirt
  • piping - created using a thin strip of fabric cut on the bias, stitched around cord and inserted into the seam around the edge of soft furnishings or bags to improve wear and look attractive
  • quilting - achieved using layers of fabric that are stitched together around a central wadding to create a thick, warm quilt
  • boning - rigid rods of metal or plastic sewn into channels in a bodice; used in corsetry
• • plain seam - commonly used and gives a flat result; used on non-fraying and thick fabrics
  • overlocked seam - neatening seams to prevent fraying can be completed by adding a line of zigzag stitch or by using an overlocker for a professional finish, which sews and trims in one process
  • French seam - a strong but bulky seam used on fine fabrics, underwear and children’s clothes as the raw edges are concealed
  • flat felled seam - strong but bulky and visible
  • bound seam - uses bias binding to neaten and encase the raw edge of the fabric
• • blind hem - the fabric is folded over and attached with tiny stitches by a special presser foot; invisible stitching can be used if hemming by hand
  • rolled hem - narrow hems used on fine, delicate fabrics such as chiffon