CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

THE BIG PICTURE

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 1 Creative Arts | Fabrics

Fabric is all around us—you are almost always in close contact with fabrics. We are touching, looking at, and using them all the time. Where do these fabrics come from? Who makes them, and out of what?

Let’s investigate several properties of fabric—the fiber content (what raw materials make up the fabric), the construction (how fabric is made out of fibers), and the creation of designs and application of color.

In this photograph you can see two mechanics fixing a circular knitting machine. Almost all the fabric we use now is made in factories on large, high-volume machines that need specially trained technicians to run them.

#TRY THIS

Take a piece of paper and a pencil, and spend one minute (time it!) looking around to notice as many different fabrics as you can.

¨ Create a “flash list” of as many examples of fabric that you observe around you.

¨ Fold the paper and spend another minute writing down as many uses for fabric that you can think of.

¨ Share the lists and see if you can come up with anything else as a group!

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 2 Creative Arts | Fabrics

ZOOMING INIn order to be knowledgeable about fabric, it is important to understand the different ways it can be made, or its structure, the material, or fiber, that makes it, and the colors and patterns that decorate it.

FABRIC STRUCTUREFabrics can be distinguished by whether or not they are made from yarns (or threads). Fabrics made from yarns are either woven or knit. Wovens, also called textiles, are made on a loom where vertical threads or yarns called the warp are laid flat, and horizontal threads called the weft are interlaced one at a time through the warp. Modern mechanized looms can weave much more quickly and at a greater volume than in the past, but the basic method is very old. Most stretchy fabrics are knits, and they are made with one or more threads that loop and stretch around themselves. A single knit uses one continuous thread to create a flat fabric—if you have seen someone knitting or crocheting, that is a method of creating a fabric out of one continuous yarn. Most t-shirts and sweaters are single-knit. A complex or warp knit has several threads that are mechanically knit from several yarns. There are also some other less common ways to make a fabric from yarn, like laces made by twisting and knotting. Yarns can also be used for tufting (as in rugs), or in embroidery or embellishment after a basic fabric has been made, and extra steps can be added to either a woven or knit fabric process to make pile or fuzzy fabrics like velvet or looped towels.

#ONE MORE THING

When was fabric invented?

This question is almost impossible to answer, since the natural fibers that ancient fabric was made of quickly decompose. Most of the oldest fabrics that we know of are wrappings used to bury the dead, such as Egyptian mummies wrapped in linen bandages. Artifacts, such as needles and other tools to create and manipulate fabric, have been found all over the world. Archeologists and historians think that people invented simple fabrics any place where they began to live a lifestyle that wasn’t entirely nomadic. Fabric can be used for clothing, for shelters, and for the storage and transportation of other materials. It is also a way that people can express their creativity and embellish their living and working environments. Felting was probably the first type of fabric that was created, because animal hairs or plant fibers can be moistened, matted, and then dried again to make a flat, continuous fabric, requiring little in the way of tools or elaborate techniques. There are pictures of fabric and looms on ancient artifacts, and even evidence linking prehistoric people to the breeding of sheep for wool, the use of flax for linen, and the use of papyrus to make papers. Therefore, we know that many methods familiar to us today were invented by people long ago to create useful fabrics out of the natural materials in their environments.

This illustration shows a knit construction, where yarns loop around each other,

rather than being woven on a loom. Knit fabrics, like t-shirts, sweaters, and most

sportswear are stretchy.

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 3 Creative Arts | Fabrics

There are some fabrics that are not made from yarn. Nonwovens are made directly from fibers, which haven’t been made into a yarn. The most well-known nonwoven is felt, but there are types of cloth made from bark, or even paper-like fabrics such as Tyvek®, or the material used in honeycomb window blinds. Another common nonwoven is a film, like vinyl. A synthetic material is heated and poured to make an even, waterproof, smooth surface. A film can be made alone, or bonded to a fabric or paper backing. While leather and cork are not really fabrics, they are natural materials that are sometimes used like a fabric.

FIBER CONTENTFiber is the material that fabric is made from, which can be naturally occurring, or can be manufactured. Fabric can be made entirely from one fiber, or from a mix of types. Natural fibers can come from plants (cellulosic) or animals (protein). Cotton is a plant fiber that is widely used in clothing and other fabrics. It is soft, comfortable, durable, versatile, and it is easy to dye and can be grown in many climates. Linen is a fiber made from the stem of flax plants, and it is cool, comfortable and durable. Other plant fibers that are used to make fabric include sisal, jute, hemp (historically very important as a strong and durable material for making rope), bamboo, and even grasses used for mats and baskets. Some of the most common animal or protein fibers are wool (from fur of sheep) and silk (which comes from cocoons). Certain goats are raised for their fur (such as angora), and fabrics can even be made from rabbit (angora), camel, alpaca, and horsehair.

This windbreaker is made from an orange polyester fabric. Polyester is a synthetic fabric made from chemical compounds

created from petrochemicals (petroleum).

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 4 Creative Arts | Fabrics

Man-made fabrics can come from “natural” materials. Rayon and acetate are made from wood pulp. Fiberglass and other insulating materials are made from glass. Latex can be made from natural rubber. But most man-made fabrics are synthetic—they are made from chemical compounds created from petrochemicals (petroleum). These fibers include polyester, nylon, acrylic, and spandex.

#NOW TRY THIS

Go back to the list you made earlier of the fabrics you observed around you. Either alone or in small groups, examine some of the fabrics that you identified (and check the labels, if you can). Write your answers below and share them as a group.

+ Identify two or three different kinds of fabric structure, and list them below.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

+ Identify at least two different fiber types.

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

+ Identify in your environment, a specific example of the following:

Dyed fabric: __________________________________________________

Printed fabric: ________________________________________________

Pattern or design created by the fabric construction:

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

COLOR AND PATTERN Some fabrics simply are made from fibers in their natural state, and the material and the construction determine what the fabric looks like. Most fabrics, however, are decorated with different kinds of dyes. Many have patterns created either by their construction, by printing, or by how they are modified and decorated after being used. Yarns can be dyed before they are used, and/or the whole fabric can be dyed after it has been made. Geometric patterns such as plaid, tweed, and stripes can be woven into the fabric, and embroidery; applique and quilting are methods for decorating the fabric after it has been constructed. Other patterns and designs may be printed or dyed after the fabric is manufactured and even sometimes after it has been sewn or used (as in a tie-dye t-shirt). Close inspection of both sides of a fabric will often help you determine if the design and color come from how the fabric has been made, or if they were added afterwards.

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers 5 Creative Arts | Fabrics

ACTIVITY | FABRICS

GO DO SEE BE NAME:

DATE:

To achieve your emblem, you will construct at least one swatch of fabric.

Your guide will lead you through the process! Use this log to record the details of your project and attach a photo of your finished product (if possible).

PROJECT: _________________________________________________TOOLS & MATERIALS RESOURCES USED PROJECT DURATION

Answer the following questions:What was the hardest part?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

What did you enjoy most about it?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Were you able to finish the project? If not, why?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Would you recommend this to someone else? Why or why not?

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-1 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-1 Creative Arts | Fabrics

This topic aims to introduce boys to fabric as a concept as well as a material. Many boys may have preconceived notions about working with fabric and the activities associated with it, such as knitting and sewing being “for girls.” In fact, working with fabric is a wonderful way to sharpen fine motor skills, to utilize creative thinking, and to relieve stress through repetitive motion. Women and men have been working with materials to make clothing, create household items, and construct shelters since biblical times! At the end of this unit, each boy will create at least one small swatch of fabric themselves using a simple handworking technique.

To introduce the topic, we include Try This! activities, which allow the boys to see the pervasiveness of fabric in their everyday lives. We also provide two group tasks to introduce the boys to both weaving and knitting. We encourage you to conduct these activities with the whole group and give them time to examine their surroundings to see that fabrics are everywhere!

X Differentiation point: The vocabulary for this topic is quite specialized. Many boys will benefit from pictures or videos of different materials. We include online resources in this topic guide. You may also find it useful to cut out pictures or bring in samples of different fabrics, yarns, threads, and/or looms.

X Differentiation point: You may wish to have a conversation, perhaps in the beginning of your study, about the assumption in many cultures that working with fabric is often considered a feminine task. You might ask: Why is working with fabric often associated only with girls and women? Why would it be important for boys and men to learn how to work with fabric? You can point out, as will be discussed in the closing task, that both men and women were involved in constructing the meeting tent in the desert in order to properly worship God. Similarly, all Israelites worked hard to construct materials fit for the temple built under the guidance of King Solomon in Jerusalem. Therefore, working with fabrics has a long, godly history for both men and women.

X Differentiation point: Some boys may learn best by watching, while others learn better by listening; still others learn best by doing. This topic is wonderful to engage all different types of learners. Be sure to both show and tell boys how to proceed as they work, and allow them to try a task several times if they wish!

In order to be successful and maximize your resources, this topic takes a bit of preparation. Be sure to leave time to gather and prepare materials. If you are located in an after-school program or community center, you may have materials available to you. If you ask local craft stores or groups, or even knitting and sewing enthusiasts in your community, you may well be able to get donations of materials to use in these activities. Secondhand stores often have yarn, knitting needles, and crochet hooks. You can even make your own knitting needles by sharpening takeout chopsticks in a pencil sharpener (but don’t make them too sharp!). Be a little creative in sourcing materials for the activities and ask around for donations.

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-2 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-2 Creative Arts | Fabrics

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

MATERIALS

¨ Nametags (if needed)

¨ Fabrics manual make sure you have enough copies for every student, or have a plan for sharing copies

¨ Pictures, graphics, or samples of different fabrics and yarns, threads, and/or looms online resources provided

Find out from the boys what resources they have. Do any of them have experience with creating or decorating fabrics? Do they know how to make friendship bracelets, or woven potholders? Do they have a rainbow loom? If so, they may already know quite a bit about weaving and/or knitting! Perhaps they have family members or friends who knit, crochet, hook rugs, or quilt. It may be possible for one or more boys get a lesson at home and/or have an adult come in to teach the group a skill. Be sure to honor the many and varied experiences and knowledge that your boys may have!

TOPIC GUIDE: INTRODUCTION1. Welcome students and have them sit down.

2. Read the Big Picture together, and complete the Try This! You or a few students can read it aloud, or you can give them a moment to read to themselves. (NOTE: If you do chose to have students read aloud, the students should not feel like they are being tested on their reading or pronunciation. The purpose of the lesson is to learn about fabrics, so the read aloud should be low pressure!)

3. Read the Zooming In together. Complete the Now Try This!

GROUP TASK 1: PAPER WEAVING1. Display or print diagrams of the three basic weaves: Plain Weave, Twill Weave,

and Satin Weave.

2. Provide the boys with a cardboard or paper base, tape, scissors, and paper strips. They should tape a “warp” (vertical strips) to the top edge of their base, and then weave with the other strips for their weft. Challenge the boys to create patterns using the weaves. Can they make a checkerboard? Can they make a plaid? Can they create diagonal stripes or a chevron pattern with a twill weave? Can they use scissors to vary the width of their strips and make other pattern variations that way?

NOTE: Prepare colored paper strips for weaving. If you have access to a paper cutter, it will be easier to make them regular widths. Make sure to have several colors, and to have at least two widths.

GROUP TASK 2: FINGER KNITTINGEither with the boys or before you introduce this task, view the clip on finger knitting, which gives step-by-step, visual and verbal instructions on how to knit with one hand while using your fingers on the other hand as a loom! www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZsUBYU0qU

MATERIALS

¨ Diagrams of weaves

¨ Cardboard or paper for base

¨ Scissors

¨ Paper strips of varying colors and widths

MATERIALS

¨ Yarn or string

¨ Scissors

¨ Laptop or mobile device for viewing clip

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-3 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-3 Creative Arts | Fabrics

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

INDIVIDUAL TASKSChoose an activity that is doable within the limitations of your budget and space, and which you think may be of interest to your group. Unless the boys already have skills in some of these techniques, expect that it will likely take at least two sessions to master the basics and create a small finished textile.

Alternatively, if resources permit, you may offer several options of textile-making to the boys, from which they can choose at least one task to complete. They could then compare their experiences working with different fabrics and techniques.

WEAVING: Cardboard LoomThis is fun and simple, but motivated boys can make the project more complex if they want: blog.etsy.com/en/learn-how-to-weave

(shorter and more basic instructions for a similar project: www.biglearning.org/article-cardboard-loom.htm)

If you wish, challenge some or all of the boys to make a picture or a pattern in the weaving, to use found materials, or to otherwise experiment with the basic plain weave to create a more complex final weaving.

WEAVING: “Looper” Potholder Loom1. Purchase or make your own loom. They are sold at craft stores and online.

NOTE: If you wish to make looms, there are several methods. Use a square cut of wood or MDF, (or make a frame) and then affix nails or trim screws around the edges (about 18-22 evenly spaced on each edge). The size of your loom should match the size of your loops, so check how far they stretch before you plan out your loom. The traditional size for this is 7”x7”.

www.blog.cupernickel.com/handmade-supplies/how-to-cheap-loom

jennybellairs.blogspot.com/2011/07/homemade-potholder-loom.html

2. Purchase loops (easiest to work with) or make them by cutting tube socks into rings for weaving.

Instructions on how to weave a simple potholder:

craftprojectideas.com/how-to-use-a-weaving-loom-to-make-a-potholder

www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-woven-potholder

NOTE: the long metal weaving loop for threading and the crochet hook for finishing are helpful, but not necessary; this can be done with fingers.

3. Challenge yourselves to weave patterns into the potholders. Can you predict how they will turn out? Here is a blog with some ideas about how to create color patterns:

www.weavezine.com/content/potholder-loom-basics-and-beyond.html

RESOURCES

WEAVINGCardboard Loom

» blog.etsy.com/en/learn-how-to-weave » www.biglearning.org/article-

cardboard-loom.htm“Looper” Potholder Loom

» www.blog.cupernickel.com/handmade-supplies/how-to-cheap-loom » jennybellairs.blogspot.com/2011/07/

homemade-potholder-loom.html » craftprojectideas.com/how-to-use-a-

weaving-loom-to-make-a-potholder » www.instructables.com/id/How-to-

make-a-woven-potholder » www.weavezine.com/content/

potholder-loom-basics-and-beyond.html » www.youtube.com/

watch?v=iWNdSYAbXLs » www.allfiberarts.com/2011/

aa040201.htm

Ask a community member! There might be people in your

immediate community who can teach knitting, crocething,

weaving, or assist with teaching the basic skills.

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-4 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-4 Creative Arts | Fabrics

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

KNITTING1. Using a yarn that is easy to work with, view online tutorials to learn to cast on,

then learn to make a knit stitch. Knit a small swatch of fabric that is roughly square, then learn to cast off. Next, knit a swatch where they learn to alternate knit and purl stitches. Compare the two swatches for size, stretch, texture, and how flat they will stay.

Knitting tutorials:

www.instructables.com/id/Knitting-Instructions-Learn-to-Knit

www.lionbrand.com/learn/how-to-knit

2. Use cotton yarn to make a washcloth. This blog has seed stitch and basketweave dishcloth patterns: justbcrafty.com/2013/09/seed-stitch-dishcloths.html

NOTE: If your group is having difficulty mastering the simple stitches with an acrylic or wool yarn, then cotton may be too advanced for them, and you might opt to make your square with another type of yarn.

CROCHET1. Use single chain to make a square of crochet fabric.

Crocheting tutorials:

www.craftyarncouncil.com/instructions_cr.php3

www.instructables.com/id/Beginning-crochet

Also see: www.lionbrand.com/learn/how-to-crochet

2. If step one is completed in one session, then use the second session to make a “granny square” or a basic building block for many crochet projects (which join together multiple squares into a large piece of fabric):

www.instructables.com/id/How-to-Crochet-a-Granny-Square

crafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/crochet-fundamentals-how-to-make-a-basic-granny-square--craft-11074

RESOURCES

KNITTING » www.instructables.com/id/knitting-

instructions-learn-to-Knit » www.lionbrand.com/learn/how-to-

knit » justbcrafty.com/2013/09/seed-stitch-

dishcloths.html » own-two-hands.livejournal.

com/55657.html » ravelry.com - search for “one hour

knitting projects”Finger Knitting

» www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsZsUBYU0qU

RESOURCES

CROCHET » www.craftyarncouncil.com/

instructions_cr.php3 » www.instructables.com/id/

Beginning-crochet » www.lionbrand.com/learn/how-to-

crochet » www.instructables.com/id/Howto-

Crochet-a-Granny-Squarecrafts.tutsplus.com/tutorials/crochet-fundamentals-how-to-make-a-basic-granny-granny-square-craft-11074 » mathandfiber.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/homework-instructions » mathandfiber.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/iff-crochetreef-howtohandout.pdf

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-5 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-5 Creative Arts | Fabrics

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

OPTIONAL ADDITIONAL SESSION(S)Extend the skills that the boys learned with a more complex activity using the same technique. This would also be the chance to try a new technique, or to share techniques for making different kinds of textiles (e.g. macramé, knotted “friendship” bracelets, make a straw loom, make a paper plate loom, arm knitting, rope weaving, or knots).

Another extension activity would be to plan a visit to a local textile artist/artisan, or a commercial textile operation.

1. Extend knitting by simply switching between knit and purl stitches to create patterns or even embossed pictures on a knitted square. The tutorial linked here explains how to chart your own pictures (this would be challenging but potentially quite fun): own-two-hands.livejournal.com/55657.html

2. Extend knitting or crochet by having the boys search for “one hour knitting projects” on ravelry.com, and have them complete a knitting project Note: make sure they have the tutorials available for other knitting techniques such as increasing and decreasing.

3. Extend crochet by making “hyperbolic planes” (crochet that looks like coral reefs). For basic instructions: mathandfiber.wordpress.com/2012/03/17/homework-instructions

For some more options: mathandfiber.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/iff-crochetreef-howtohandout.pdf

4. Extend weaving:

a. by using the potholder loom to make a bias–weaving (“weaving the square”: www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWNdSYAbXLs;

b. by joining several potholder squares together to make a placemat or a small rug; or

c. by using the cardboard loom to experiment with new weaving techniques or creating a picture in the weaving. This tutorial describes some more complicated weaving patterns on a slightly larger cardboard loom: www.allfiberarts.com/2011/aa040201.htm

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-6 Creative Arts | Fabrics

CREATIVE ARTS | FABRICS

The Salvation Army Adventure Corps: Rangers GR-6 Creative Arts | Fabrics

GUIDE’S RESOURCES

CLOSING TASK: FABRICS IN THE BIBLEFabrics played a crucial role in biblical times. In the books of Exodus and Leviticus, God gave the ancient Hebrews specific instructions concerning the construction and wearing of clothes. King David oversaw the use of fabric construction for both priestly clothes and hangings in the First Temple at Jerusalem. In the New Testament, both the birth and the death of Jesus are described with reference to swaddling or wrapping Him in cloths.

If you wish, you could read passages from the book of Exodus (such as chapter 28, describing priestly garments) to highlight the detail which with God dictated the construction of priestly garments for use in the Tent of Meeting.

You can then move from speaking to the importance that God placed on clothing to the fact that we continue to honor God by the way that we present ourselves. The kinds of clothes we wear demonstrate the amount of respect we have for ourselves and others as children of God.

The group could discuss the kinds of clothes that show respect to God, themselves, and others. For instance, clothes that cover our bodies in an appropriate way show modesty. The colors and patterns we choose are important as well: wearing clothes with words that curse others, insult others, or promote behavior that is not in line with peaceful, respectful Christian traditions dishonors God and disrespects brothers and sisters in Christ.

In addition to a discussion, you may wish to create a checklist on chart paper, a blackboard, or whiteboard that lists the kinds of clothes that honor God, oneself, and others.

Finally, close each session with a prayer, asking God to help each group member make choices to present himself in a way that honors the Lord and shows respect for others.

MATERIALS

¨ Chart paper

¨ Blackboard/whiteboard

¨ Chalk/dry-erase markers