1. FIBER CHARACTERISTICS AND END USES Apparel Development I-Objective 1.04

2. COTTON  Produced mostly in the USA  Inexpensive  Strong  Easy to clean  Soft  Absorbent  Keeps body cool in warm weather  Wrinkles easily  Shrinks  Mildews if stored damp

3. COTTON IS USED FOR A VARIETY OF FABRICS FOR BOTH CLOTHING AND HOME FURNISHINGS  Shirts  Sweaters  Dresses  Jeans  Underwear  Socks  Diapers  Sheets Can you think of other end uses?

4. What types of items could cotton be used to make?

5. FLAX  Comes from a plant  Produced in Belgium, Ireland, and New Zealand  Absorbent  Expensive  Smooth  Lustrous  Stronger than cotton  Coolest fiber to wear  Not very resilient  Lint-free  Can be washed, bleached, and ironed at high temperatures  When made into fabric it’s called linen

6. What types of items could flax be used to make?

7. LINEN FABRIC IS USED FOR BOTH CLOTHING AND HOME DECOR  Towels  Tablecloths  Suits  Draperies  handkerchiefs

8. RAMIE  Comes from the stems of China grass  Grown in Southeast Asia  Strongest fiber known  Very resilient  Resistant to insects and mildew  Silk-like luster  Stiff  Brittle  Usually combined with other fibers

9. What types of items could ramie be used to make?

10. RAMIE IS COMBINED WITH OTHER FIBERS TO MAKE  Knitted tops  Shirts  Placemats  Upholstery

11. WOOL  Protein fiber  Warmest fiber  Comes from fleece of sheep  Natural heat insulator  Resilient  Should be dry cleaned or washed carefully by hand  Wrinkle resistant  Strong

12. What types of items could wool be used to make?

13. WOOL IS USED FOR  Coats  Suits  Slacks  Sweaters  Socks  Blankets  carpets Can you think of others?

14. SILK  Protein fiber  Comes from silkworm cocoons  Very soft and smooth  Strong  Lightweight  Absorbent  Drapes easily  Usually dry cleaned  Japan is the leading producer of silk

15. What types of items could silk be used to make?

16. SILK IS USED FOR A VARIETY OF FABRICS FOR BOTH CLOTHING AND HOME FURNISHINGS  Lingerie  Scarves  Ties  Dresses  Wedding gowns Can you think of others?