Fibers and Fabrics

1
Fibers and Fabrics
2
Fibers

• Natural Fibers- produced by nature
• Cotton- absorbs moisture, comfortable to wear,
  strong, dyes well negatives- wrinkles and
  shrinks
• Linen- strong, absorbent, but wrinkles easy so
  used in the wrinkled look or has a wrinkle
  resistant finish applied
• Ramie-strong and durable, absorbs moisture and
  dries quickly it is brittle when dry and
  wrinkles so it usually combined with other
  fabrics
• Wool- valued for warmth, wears well, resists
  wrinkling, absorbs moisture and feels dry will
  shrink in hot water and can burn easily when put
  with high heat
• Silk- strongest fiber, comfortable to wear and
  resists wrinkles

3
Pictures
4
Fibers

• Manufactured Fibers- produced in laboratories
  through chemical processes feel like real fibers
• Acetate- used for evening wear and lining fabric
  comfortable to wear, doesnt wear well though-
  weak fabric
• Acrylic- known for warmth machine washable and
  wrinkle-resistant but can form little balls on
  the surface
• Nylon- strong and durable repels water
• Polyester- used alone or blended with other
  fibers
• Stays fluffy even when wet
• Rayon- comfortable, combined with other fabrics
• Minimizes wrinkling and shrinking
• Spandex- stretches and recovers to normal shape

5
Pictures
6
Blends

• Every fiber has good qualities , but none are
  perfect
• Most are blended with two or more fibers
• Manufactured fibers have two names
• Generic- common name for similar fibers
• Trade- manufacturers name
• Dotrel, Fortrel, Kodel- manufacturer name for
  polyester fabric

7
Fabric Construction

• Weaving
• Plain weave- yarn passes over and under
• Twill weave- passes over two then under two
  (denim)
• Satin weave- pass over four or more then under
  one ( shiny but not strong)
• Pile weave - 3 sets of yarn used to make it,
  woven in plain, twill, or satin then an extra
  set of yarn is woven so that loops or cut ends
  are produced on the fabric surface
• Knitting
• Single knits- t-shirts/ simple dresses smooth
  appearance on front and back
• Rib knits- made with two sets of needles,
  vertical ribs on both sides-used for close
  fitting tops and stretch trim
• Interlock knits- smooth surface on both sides
  less stretch used for soft casual garments
• Double knits- made with 2 interlocking layers-
  durable and wrinkle resistant
• Tricot knits-undergarments and night gowns-
  narrow vertical ribs on the front and cross wise
  on the back

8
Examples
9
Fabric Construction

• Bonding- fibers are mechanically or chemically
  joined together with steam or heat used with an
  adhesive
• Gives shapes to non woven fabric

10
Fabric Finishes

• Color
• Piece dyed- color added into yarn before woven
  into fabric
• Print process- rolled onto fabric
• Screen printing- dyes are forced through a screen
  onto fabric
• Other finishes
• Flame-retardant- fabric resist burning
• Permanent or durable press- little or no ironing
  after washing
• Sanforized- prevents shrinking of more than 1
• Stain and spot resistant- helps to resists
  stains/spots
• Waterproof- prevents fabric from absorbing water
• Water-repellant- prevents from absorbing water,
  but not shedding it completely

11
Table Project

• Research a natural fiber
• Tell how and where it is produced
• Locate the area on the world map
• Explain why fiber grows well in this region