INTRODUCTION TO TEXTILES

What Are Textiles?

There is a group of materials we call
textiles. The name comes from the Latin
word textilis that means woven. The
earliest textiles were made by a process
known as weaving where threads, yarns
or strips were interlaced.
Today there are processes other than
weaving, but we still use the word textiles
to describe this group of materials.
 Ropes
Rope, string and cords are

 
made out of natural and
synthetic fibres. Before
                                     
manufactured fibres, ropes
                            
were made out of jute fibres.
Modern ropes are now made
from manufactured fibres,
such as nylon.

Parachutes
Parachutes are made out of
light and strong fabrics. Nylon

 
is a material with these
properties and it has been
used in parachutes since the
early days of World War 2.
Before that time silk was the
                             
preferred fabric.
                        
 Sails
Today sails are made out of
a range of synthetic fibres.

 
Kevlar is a new, very strong
fabric and it is used in high
quality sails on yachts and
sailboards.
In the past sails were made
                                    
of canvas, which is a closely
woven, plain-weave fabric
      
made of natural or
synthetic fibres. Canvas was
also known as sailcloth.

Umbrellas
Umbrellas need a fabric
that is light, strong and will

 
not absorb moisture. Nylon
is a popular fabric for
umbrella making.
Umbrellas used for shade,                                       
like those in outdoor cafes,
should resist fading when                           
open on sunny days.
Polyester and cotton are
used in these umbrellas.
Hot air balloons and blimps
The desirable properties of
fabrics used to make the

 
envelope for hot air balloons
include strength, light weight,
long life, UV resistance, heat
resistance, abrasion resistance
and appearance. The fabric
                              
with all these properties is
high quality nylon.
                             

Blimps

Blimps are like giant balloons.

 
The outside envelope is made
of fabric and filled with
helium gas. One fabric that is
used for the envelope is                                    

polyester coated with                               

neoprene rubber. The fabric
has a shiny and metallic
appearance from a distance,
but it is actually soft and
flexible.
Industry

Fabrics are used in industry for making many

different products. Nylon is used to make hoses,

 
seat belts and V-belts for machines. People who
work in high places use nylon safety belts.
Nylon ropes and straps are used to secure
objects in place. Filters used to clean hot air in
machines are made from aramid, which is a
manufactured fibre.                                                        

      
Camping and outdoor equipment

People who like camping and outdoor

recreation will use many fabric products.

 
Hikers will carry tents, sleeping bags and
backpacks. Rock climbers will use nylon
ropes and skiers wear warm waterproof
clothing. Bags of all shapes and sizes are
used to carry a wide range of items,
including water and food.                                                 

          
Furniture
Many pieces of furniture, such as sofas, are
covered with fabrics. Some times the

 
padding in chairs and the filling in pillows
are also made of fibres. The word
upholstery is used to describe the padding
and covering of furniture.
                                                  

              
Curtains and drapes

The windows in our homes

are usually covered with

 
curtains and drapes. Curtains
are made from fabrics that
are thin and have small gaps
or holes to let the light                                  
through.
Drapes are usually made from                                 
thicker fabrics that will not let
the light pass through.
Kitchen and bedrooms

In the kitchen, fabrics are used to make

tablecloths and tea towels. Fabrics are

 
used to make many things in our
bedrooms, such as sheets, pillowslips,
quilts, bedspreads and doonas.
Mattresses have fabric covering and fibre
is used in the padding.                                                  

               

Carpets and rugs

Floors can be covered by carpets and

rugs made from natural and synthetic

 
fibres. Floor coverings made from
fibres act as an insulating material to
keep rooms warm in winter.

                                             

                    
The first fibres
About 6000 to 7000 years ago people

 
discovered that they could make
fabrics from natural substances, such
as wool. At first people would have                                                                  

plucked the fleece from the sheep and

goats. The fibres were then rubbed
and twisted together by hand to form
the yarns that were use to make
fabrics.
The first clothes
Humans have basic

 
needs and they are the
things we must have to
live. We need food and
water, air to breathe                                   

and protection from the                                

weather.
To keep warm our
earliest ancestors used
animal skins to make
cloaks and rugs.
Classification Of Textiles
People who make and use textiles usually divide
them into two groups.
Natural fibres
Natural fibres
Manufactured fibres

 
Natural fibres come from natural raw
materials such as wool, cotton, silk, flax
and jute.

People make manufactured fibres                      

in laboratories and factories. Some                               

are made from a natural substance                   
The natural and manufactured fibres can be divided
called cellulose and others from
into smaller groups.
chemicals.

                                                                                                                         
Converting fibres into yarn
Natural fibres are first
washed and cleaned. The

 
fibres then pass through
rollers with lots of wire
pins, like a large wire
brush. The brush teases                                 

the fibres so they all point                                         

in the one direction. The
process is called carding
Cotton yarn
and it is like brushing hair
to get rid of knots and
tangles.
THREE TECHNIQUES OF YARN SPINNING
Cotton, wool, and man-made staple products are converted to yarn by a process called spinning.
Upholstery fabric yarns are spun by three basic methods:

                                                                                                       

•Warp Spinning
•Ring Spinning
.                                                                                                                             

Open end spinning

Weaving

The most popular process used to make fabrics is

weaving. There are different types of weaving and
the most are the plain, twill and satin weaves. In the
plain weave two sets of yarns run at right angles to
each other. The yarn running along the piece of
fabric is called the warp, and the yarn across the
fabric is the weft. The yarn is woven by threading
the warp and weft under and over each other. Other
forms of weaving involve threading the warp and
weft over more than a single strand each time.
                                                                   

Plain weave
Plain weave
(magnified 60 times)
(magnified 10 times
Knitting Knitted fabrics are elastic and
resist creasing. They are
comfortable to wear, and the
Knitting is also a common
spaces between the threads
process for making fabrics. A
allow the fabric to 'breathe'.
single yarn is used to produce
the fabric by forming loops and Knitted fabrics can be made
then drawing new loops through form different fibres, such as
the previous ones. Weft knit is a wool, cotton, nylon and
common knitting process. Hand polyester.
knitting is an example of the Knitted woollen garments
weft knit process. The three are very popular because
basic stiches used to produce they look good and keep the
weft knitted fabrics are plain, wearer warm in winter.
purl and rib. Women's stocking are made
from knitted nylon yarn.
 
                                                                        

Weft knit
                                                                  

Knitted nylon stocking

(magnified 10 times (magnified 200 times)
 Silk
History

The Chinese have used silk for

nearly five thousand years.
They discovered the method of
feeding silk worms with
mulberry leaves. The silk worm
cocoons were then unwound to
produce long strands of silk
fibre. China exported silk fabric
to the countries that made up
the Roman Empire. The silk
was moved across land along
what was called the Silk Road.
Properties
Very comfortable
Absorbs moisture
Cool in summer and warm in winter
The strongest of the natural fibres
Smooth and shiny
Retains its shape
Can be easily dyed
Poor resistance to UV light (sunlight)