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

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 Common uses***: Underwear Socks Shirts, blouses
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 Common uses***: Sweaters Tailored suits *Coats *Blankets
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. Flax The fiber that comes from the stem of a flax plant. Common uses:
Grown primarily in Eastern Europe
Linen is flax fabric.
Common uses:
Pants
Blazers
Table linens
Upholstery

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
Silk

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

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 Resembles wool Soft and warm Wrinkle resistant Static buildup
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. This weave produces a **diagonal design on the surface.
Twill weave:
Used for **durability
This weave produces a **diagonal design on the surface.
Examples: **denim, gabardine
Twill weave

31. Weave that produces a **smooth, shiny-surfaced fabric
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 ***Constructing fabric by looping yarns together.
**Weft knits: Knits made with only one yarn that runs crosswise forming a horizontal row of interlocking loops.
Grandma’s knitting

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. Finish categories
**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
**Mechanical: Finishes that are applied mechanically rather than chemically.
Affect size and appearance
Examples: glazing, embossing, brushing/napping/cutting (corduroy)

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.