Fabric in Fashion Lecture 1 – Fabric Types & Fibre Identification

By Maria Lui

Contents: �  Introduction

�  Fabric Types:

A. Woven Fabrics

B. Jersey Knit

C. Knitwear

�  Fibre Types & Origins: 1.  Natural (Plant & animal) 2.  Synthetic

�  Assessment Task 1 - Part 1: Purchase 20 Fabrics

�  Assessment Task 1 - Part 2: The Simple Burn Test

�  Assessment Task 1 - Part 3: Presentation of

Introduction

�  Fabrics are often the starting point for the first stage of the Fashion Design & Development process.

�  Therefore it is very important to acquire as much knowledge of fabric types, origin, characteristics, performance, fibre content etc. as possible.

�  There are many resources available today to acquire knowledge: including textbooks, websites, videos, or simply physically visiting retail fabric stores for that visual and tactile experience!

�  Following pages gives you a basic overview of some different types of fabrics.

A. Woven Fabrics

�  Made on a loom with warp & weft. Traditionally by hand but nowadays by industrial machines.

�  No stretch (unless it has elastane).

�  Can be made from either natural or man-made fibres or a blend of both.

Types of Woven Fabrics: (Weaves)

�  Plain weave:

�  Twill weave:

�  Sateen weave:

�  Satin weave:

�  Pile weave:

�  Jacquard weave:

B. Jersey Fabrics

�  Made on an industrial circular knitting machine, and fabric is initially created as a tube but can then be cut and put on a roll.

�  Stretch but not always made with elastane yarn.

�  Made of natural or man-made fibres, pure or mixed e.g. 100% cotton or cotton/Lycra.

�  Most common examples of jersey wear is T-shirt and swimwear, which require different patterns with less body shaping (e.g. darts), as fabric stretches over body.

�  Can be from very light weight to heavy, matt to shiny. It can have patterns knitted into it e.g. stripes, patterns etc. So they can be used for casual to evening dresses.

C. Knitwear

�  Hand knitwear is made with knitting needles.

�  Commercial knitwear is made on knitting machines.

�  Knitted pieces are sewn together with yarn – not yardage of fabric.

�  Patterns & shape designs can be knitted.

�  Yarn is measured in “Gauge”, describing weight & thickness: 5gg, 12gg, 16gg and 24g.

1.Natural Fibres – Plant based / Vegetable origin (cellulosic)

�  Cotton

�  Flax (Linen)

�  Ramie

�  Hemp

�  Bamboo

�  Jute

Note: More in-depth information can be sourced from various websites online.

Natural Fibres – Protein (Animal based)

�  Wool (Sheep)

�  Silk (Worm)

�  Mohair (Goat)

�  Cashmere (Goat)

�  Alpaca (South American Ilama type mammal)

�  Angora (Rabbit)

Note: More in-depth information can be sourced from various websites online

2. Synthetic Fibres – Man-made (artificial)

�  Rayon

�  Polyester

�  Nylon

�  Acrylic

�  Acetate

�  Modal

�  Elastane (Spandex/Lycra tm)

�  Viscose.

Note: More in-depth information can be sourced from various websites online.

Assessment Task 1 - Part 1

�  Find / purchase 1 meter of fabric of at least 20 different fabrics, covering a range of:

- Natural fibres: e.g. Cotton, Flax (linen), Wool, Silk etc. in both woven & knit.

-  Man-made / Synthetic fibres: e.g. Rayon, Polyester, Nylon, Acrylic, Acetate. (Preferably pure i.e. 100% if possible, otherwise a majority mix is acceptable), in both woven & knits, if available.

-  Note: Fabrics can be found retail fabric stores or online.

-  Important: Take note of fabric name (e.g. & fibre content. If it is not on the roll then ask for it!!!

Assessment Task 1 – Part 2 Burn Test

�  Conduct a burn test on each different fabric. (see following youtube video links to show you how to do it:

1.  http://youtu.be/xmKKvepQujo

2.  http://youtu.be/kb4tCcnA6jo

3.  http://youtu.be/_vU9Ciuejmk

4.  http://youtu.be/-SriB05FLU4

5.  Or slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/tahmidurrahman52/identification-of-textile-fibers

Equipment Required:

�  Pre-cut small snippets of fabric (approx. 2.5cm x 0.5cm)

�  Large Candle or small tea light

�  Lighter or matches

�  Tweezers (preferably large size)

�  Non-flammable surface: e.g. aluminum or metal tray, glass bowl

Safety Precautions for Burn Test: Before you start please take the time to:

�  Tie your hair back.

�  Do not wear loose clothing.

�  Make sure you are working on a stable surface e.g. kitchen bench.

�  Have a bucket of water close by.

The Simple Burn Test Method: �  Do Burning Test with caution. All fabrics will burn.

�  Hold snippet of fabric with a pair of tweezers (not your fingers).

�  Burn: Move one end of snippet slowly towards small flame until it catches on fire. Carefully observe reaction to heat.

�  Put other end directly into flame to determine its burning rate & characteristics.

�  Most fabrics burn & need to be extinguished. Some fabrics burn until there is nothing to burn, or they burn & go out on their own after leaving remaining unburned fibre (self-extinguishing). Certain other fabrics do not burn even with a flame held directly to it.

�  Take note of burning odour & characteristics of ash: e.g. amount, form, hardness & colour.

�  If fabric content is unknown, fibres can be identified by conducting this simple burning test. There are many helpful sites online, such as: TE Textile Exchange.com Textile Learner.com

Assessment Task 1 – Part 3: Presentation

Record Evidence of Tests:

�  List each of your 20 fabrics by name e.g. Denim (include swatch image).

�  Identify fibre content & type e.g. 100% Cotton, Natural plant fibre.

�  Record all results & observations: e.g. burns, ash/remains, smell & any further comments.

�  Note: If fabrics are blends, the blend of fibres may make the burn test unreliable for the FIBRE CONTENT. Some fabrics may also have chemical finishes that may change the way they burn.

�  It is recommended that all information is presented as a chart with information arranged in columns.

Assessment Task 1 – Part 3: Presentation of work:

�  Presentation of work needs to be in written form, which must include text as well as images of the different types of fabrics, present task as outlined on following pages. It can include video documentary.

�  Use a clear, organized layout for your presentation of work.

�  You can look at example in “RECOURCES” in this subject menu, but you can design your own layout. You can be creative. Also you can expand on this example further as this is an extract of a full presentation only.