Textiles+-+Natural+fibres

toc =Introduction to natural fibres = These fibres are found in the natural surroundings, in plants and animals, which then have to be processed into yarns. The characteristics of the fibre either short (staple) or long (filament) in turn determine the characteristic of the yarn and then the fabric. Short fibres tend to produce slightly hairy yarns when spun, and longer fibres tend to produce smoother yarns and fabrics. Natural fibres come from sustainable sources and are very versatile, they are used in a very wide range of textile products. You will need to learn about the properties of fibres to justify your fabric choices during your design and make projects, you will also need to be able to name fabrics and the fibres that they are made from. =Properties & Characteristics = it is important to understand the aesthetic, functional and structural composition, working characteristics and advantages/disadvantages of the following fibres in the design and production of textile yarns, fabrics and products, as well as describe the process from natural fibre to finished fabric using a simple flow chart:

overlapping scales that may expand at their free edges causing fibers to intermesh; elasticum, the inner layer; and a core. When soaked, the elasticum and core contract, shrinking the fiber. Elasticity resulting from the molecular structure of wool and resiliency from its crimp make wool fabrics crease resistant. ||  || Silk, fine, horny, translucent, yellowish fiber produced by the silkworm in making its cocoon and covered with sericin, a protein. Many varieties of silk-spinning worms and insects are known, but the silkworm of commerce is the larva of the Bombyx mori, or mulberry silkworm. ||  || Cotton fiber starts out as a single cell in the epidermis of the seed coat in the cotton plant. T he fiber grows about 1,000 times its width as the cotton boll matures ||  || Linen, fabric or yarn made from the fiber of flax Linen exceeds cotton in coolness, luster, strength, and length of fiber, the expense of production limits its use. The flax fiber is removed from the stems, it is hackled to separate and straighten the fibers, overlapped on a spreadboard to form a continuous ribbon, drawn out through rollers, then wound from the roving frame on bobbins in a loosely twisted thread. || -new 'cool wools' - cool to wear - very absorbent - low flammability - lambswool & merino, very soft next to skin ||  || - cool and warm next to skin - high absorption of moisture - very soft & comfortable - very fine ||  || - strong - very absorbent, dries slowly - cool to wear - hard wearing - creases easily ||  || - cool to wear - very hard wearing, - high absorption of moisture - has no drape (hang) || - elasticity ||  || - good handle (feel) - natural lustre (slight sheen) - strong when dry ||  || - soft smooth handle (feel) - good drape <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5;">- can be washed & ironed <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.5;">easily ||  || - good handle (feel) - dull luster (sheen) - strength - natural look || - merino - superwash - felt - harris tweed - gaberdine ||  || - chiffon - crepe - dupion - damask - shantung - organza - duchess - taffeta ||  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- calico <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- denim <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- gabardine <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- terrycloth (towelling) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- lawn <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- muslin <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- corduroy <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- drill <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- poplin <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- velvet ||  || - duck - huckaback || - lightweight for suiting, dresses & knitwear - soft furnishings, carpet, blankets ||  || - luxury clothing - dresses, shirts, etc - underwear & lingerie - knitwear - soft furnishings ||  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- clothing (all items) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- spun into yarn for knitting <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- soft furnishings ||  || - lightweight clothing - summer clothing - soft furnishings, table linen, tea towels, sheets, curtains || - does not crease easily - wide range of fabric weights - comfortable - excellent for knitted fabrics - low flammability ||  || - soft, smooth finish - lustrous sheen - drapes well - wide variety of textures - easy to print on - comfortable to wear ||  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- absorbent <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- strong when wet <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- durable comfortable to wear <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- relatively inexpensive <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- environmentally sustainable ||  || - highly absorbent - stronger when wet - durable, smooth finish - slight sheen - comfortable to wear - very hard wearing || - absorbent, takes a long time to dry - can be itchy next to skin ||  || - expensive - may not wash well - can be weaker when wet - may crease easily ||  || <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- burns easily <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- high flammability <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- may creases easily <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">- shrinks ||  || - creases badly - can be expensive || the cashmere goat's fine undercoat ||  || Camel hair - collected from camels, they are not shorn ||  || Kapok - hair cells come from the kapok fruit ||  || Hemp - fibres come from the hemp plant || from the angora goat ||  || Angora - hair is shorn and taken from the angora rabbit ||  || Jute - fibres come from the jute grass ||  || Milkweed - hair cells come from the milkweed fruit || You can download this table for your own notes: =<span style="color: #289a9a; font-family: &#39;Courier New&#39;,Courier,monospace;">Flow charts fibre to fabric =
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Properties ** ||  ||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wool ** ||   ||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Silk ** ||   ||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cotton ** ||   ||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Linen ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fibre base ** ||  ||||||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Animal ** ||   ||||||= **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Plant ** ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Image - fibres **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">source ** ||  || [[image:TT sheep.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT silk source.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Cotton plant1.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Flax.png align="center"]] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Structural **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">composition ** ||  || Wool consists of the cortex,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I**mage - fibres**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Close up ** ||  || [[image:TT - wool fibre closeup.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT silk fibre.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:msc-ks4technology/TT Cotton fibre.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT linen fibres.png align="center"]] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Functional **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">composition **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(physical) ** ||  || - warm to wear
 * **Image - fabric**
 * close up** ||  || [[image:TT wool fabric Close up.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT silk fabric Close up.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Cotton fabric Close up.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT linen fabric Close up.png align="center"]] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Aesthetic ** ||  || - good handle (feel)
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Logo ** ||  || [[image:msc-ks4technology/TT wool logo.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT silk logo.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Cotton logo.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT linen logo.png align="center"]] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fabric names ** ||  || - lamb
 * **Image - fabric** ||  || [[image:TT wool fabric.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT silk fabric.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Cotton fabric.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT linen fabric.png align="center"]] ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Working **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">characteristics **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">(Uses) ** ||  || - warm clothing
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Advantages ** ||  || - warm
 * **<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Disadvantages ** ||  || - may shrink when washed
 * ||  ||||||= **Animal** ||   ||||||= **Plant** ||
 * **Other natural**
 * fibres & fabrics** ||  || Cashmere - comes from
 * **Image - fibre**
 * source ** ||  || [[image:TT - cashmeer.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT - camel.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT - Kapok.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT Hemp.png align="center"]] ||
 * **Other natural**
 * fibres & fabrics** ||  || Mohair - shorn & taken
 * **Image - fibre**
 * source ** ||  || [[image:TT - angora goat.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT - angora bunny.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT - jute.png align="center"]] ||   || [[image:TT - milkweed.png align="center"]] ||
 * Animal**
 * wool
 * silk @http://organicclothing.blogs.com/my_weblog/2007/03/raw_organic_sil.html
 * ethical silk also known as //**<span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: #545454; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ahimsa Peace Silk **//


 * Vegetable**


 * cotton
 * linen

=<span style="color: #289a9a; font-family: &#39;Courier New&#39;,Courier,monospace;">Links =

@http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cotton @http://www.cottoninc.com/ @http://www.macmillandictionary.com/thesaurus-category/british/Cloth-and-fibres-made-from-plants http://www.sandiegosilkguild.org @http://www.pfaf.org/user/cmspage.aspx?pageid=48 @http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/wool-composition-characteristics.html http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/silk.html#ixzz2snWPWzC0 @http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/society/linen.html