Textiles revision

Textiles, also called fabrics, can be made from natural or synthetic fibres.

Natural fibres are absorbent and strong when dry but have poor resistance to biological damage, e.g. from moths and mould.

Natural fibres:

• Cotton-Strong, hard wearing can srink when washed.
• Wool-Warm, absorbent, good elasticity, crease resistant.   Fairly expensive, can feel itchy.
• Silk-Smooth, resistant to shrinking/stretching, lightweight.

Synthetic fibres are man made, they are made from polymers, which come from oil or coal.

Synthetic fibres are therefore not sustainble. 

Elastane, Sportswear.

Polyester, Sportswear, bed sheets, curtains and cushons.

Polyamide, Sportswear, socks, tights, carpets.

Fabrics are made with fibres that are spun into yarns

• Yarns are threads that are woven or knitted fabrics.
• Yarns are made from fibres.   These come in either short lengths (staple fibres) or longer lengths (filaments).
• Filaments can be spun or used as they are.   Staple fibres are spun to produce yarns.

There are three main ways of turning fibres or yarns into fabric:

• Woven fabrics-are made by nterlacing two sets of yarn, the weft which travels right to left and the warp, which travels up and down the weave.
• Knitted fabrics-two main types weft and warp knitted.
• Non woven fabrics-These are webs of synthetci fibres that are glued, needle-punched, stitched, or melted together.

Fibres can be combined by blending or mixing.

Fabric made from a combination of different fibres can give you better properties.