General Information

• Design Elements


  • Colour
  • Value
  • Texture
• Colour


  • Most important element of design- the first to draw us in
  • We respond to colour emotionally, physically, and psychologically
  • Levels of colour: Hues, value, intensity
• Types of colours


  • Primary: red, yellow, blue
  • Secondary: purple, green, orange
  • Monochrome: black and white – limited
• Value


  • Range of lightness or darkness in a piece > Depth > 3D
  • Characteristics: Tint, Shade
• Texture


  • Describes the way something looks
  • 3D quality
  • Perpendicular/parallel
• Principles of Design


  • Proportion
  • Balance
• Proportion


  • Relationship between two parts of a design or the relationship of one part of the design compared to the whole
  • Types: A comparison of sizes, shapes or amounts of specific design elements, Distance, segments, or other parts that determine proportion
• Balance


  • Gives design stability and strength. Refers to the visual weight of shape/texture/line/colour/space
  • Types: Symmetrical
• Fibre Classifications


  • Animal (protein)
  • Plant (cellulose)
  • Regenerated (cellulose and chemical)
  • Synthetic (chemicals)

  
• Types of Fibres


  • Sheep (wool)
  • Cotton
  • Viscose Rayon (wood pump + chemicals)
  • Nylon
  • Goat (cashmere)
  • Coir (from coconuts)
  • Acetate (cotton pump + chemicals)
  • Acrylic
  • Silkworms (silk)
  • Linen (from flax)
  • Polyester
  • Sheep's Wool
  • Cotton plant
  • Elastomeric
• Fibre properties


  • Aesthetics
  • Durability
  • Comfort
  • Appearance
  • Care
• Lustre


  Gloss, sheen, sparkle or shin caused by light reflecting form the surface
• Drape


  How fabric hangs or falls
• Abrasion resistant


  Withstand rubbing or wear and tear
• Strength


  Ability to resist breaking
• Absorbency


  Ability to absorb moisture
• Thermal properties


  Ability to withstand and transfer heat
• Resilience


  Ability to return to original shape from being scrunched, folded or creased
• Dimensional Stability


  Inability to shrink of stretch
• Elasticity


  Ability to return to the original state after being stretched or pulled
• Sun, shrink resist


  Ability to withstand deterioration when exposed to the sun
• Cotton


  • Cellulosic fibre (plant)
  • Known for durability, appearance, comfort
  • Crystalline
  • Poor lustre
  • Poor Drape
  • Relatively strong
  • Good insulator
  • Dimensional stability
  • Moderate thermal properties
• Burning Test: Shrinks away from flame, burns slowly with melting, thick black smoke, self-extinguishing, hard black bead, sweet smell
• Nylon


  • Synthetic fibre
  • Crystalline
  • Made into filament fibres that can be cut into staple fibres
  • Strong
  • Good drape
  • Low absorbency
  • Excellent abrasion
  • Good dimensional stability
• Burning Test: Shrinks away from flame, burns slowly with some melting, hard grey bead, smells like celery
• Fibre Blends


  Fabrics in which two or more textile fibres are used
• How are they made

  Created by finely spinning or splitting synthetic materials like polyester and nylon into micro threads
• Bamboo


  • Natural lustre, gentle drape
  • High abrasion resistance
  • Fine and strong yarns
  • Thermoregulating
• End-Uses of Bamboo


  • baby clothing
  • apparel
• High Twist Yarn


  • Firm, smooth, good lustre, strong, poor absorbency: used for warp yarns, workwear, and sewing yarns
• Ply yarn


  • Formed by twisting two or more yarns
  • Increased strength or stretch
  • Two polymers spun together from the same spinneret as a multifilament
  • Benefits are soft, inexpensive, non-fraying, durable
  • However, often made from manufactured sources so non-biodegradable
  • Complex cross-sectional shapes are formed
• Ways to make ply yarn

  • Side-by-side
• Twill weave


  • Interlacing warp and weft yarns forming diagonal lines through the fabric
  • Weft over two under one
  • Has a right and wrong side
  • Extremely strong
  • Easily identifiable (clearly see diagonal pattern
• Satin weave


  • Soft, luxurious surface
  • Stretch widthways- easily disorted
  • Low- medium drape
• Double Knit


  • Double Weft knit
  • Same on both sides
  • Good drape
  • Less elastic
  • Absorbent
  • Smooth
• Weft Knitting


  Uses one length, loops are formed along the width
• Consumer Advantages


  • low cost
  • Does not fray
  • Crease resistant
  • Stable to washing and dry-cleaning
• Consumer Disadvantages


  • Not lifelong, mostly dingle or limited use products
  • Not as strong as knitted or woven
• Manufacturer Advantages


  • Cheap to produce
  • Can be combined by any fibres to create super fabrics
  • Many military application
• Manufacturer Disadvantages


  • Low durability