APPAREL-INDUSTRY
(FABRIC & TEXTILE
TERMINOLOGY)
Hello Everyone!!!! Today
we are going to learn about Fabric and its complete descriptionAs of now we
have already seen various Dept of Apparel Industry . But we should also have
precise knowledge of Fabric .Fabirc contains
of 70% of Garment . So Knowledge
of fabric and Textile process is also necessary for our growth in Apparel
Sector. Today we will learn How fabric
is being
processed , What is fiber? What is Yarn? , Natural Manmade . So lets
Start….
Small Introduction of Fabric.
Fabrics are the materials used for
clothing,home textiles, and different domestic and industrial usage.The word
fabric means fabrication for the purpose and predetermined objective.They
are pliable,soft , strong,warm,cool and elastic in nature according to the
properties of their respective fibres , construction methods, structure and
finishing. There are different methods to produce fabrics like Felting,
knitting, weaving and non-woven.Felt or Felting is the oldest
method of producing fabrics by matting,condensing and pressing the fibres.Knitting
and Weaving are most commonly used methods of producing the
fabrics.Interlooping and interlacing are the properties of yarn path following
in knitted and wovens respectively.Knitted fabrics-The yarn is interloop with
other yarn to form fabrics,The change in the path of interlooping the yarn
produces the different structure like single jersey,Pk knit, Interlock and
Fleece etc.The knitted fabrics are more stretchable and comfortable.The major
use of knitted fabrics are in under garments, casual wear,sports wear and sleep
wear.Wovens fabrics -The yarn is interlaced in Warp and weft direction to
produce fabrics.Two distinct yarns are interlaced to form fabric structure.The
longitudinal yarns are called Warp and the lateral are called weft.The fabrics
are used in Denims, Suiting and Shirting andhome textiles etc.Non wovens (Fabrics
by entangled/ intermingled fibres directly) which is used in wet wipes,napkins
and technical textiles.
Now we will
understand compete fabric making process in by considering by both Woven and
knitted fabric .
First We
will discuss Woven fabric.
Woven
fabric manufacturing.
There are six stages:
·
Spinning
Cultivating and harvesting
Cotton is grown
anywhere with long, hot dry summers with plenty of sunshine and low humidity.
Indian cotton, Gossypium arboreum,
is finer but the staple is only suitable for hand processing. American
cotton, Gossypium hirsutum,
produces the longer staple needed for machine production.[3] Planting
is from September to mid-November and the crop is harvested between March and
June. The cotton bolls are harvested by stripper
harvesters and spindle pickers that remove the entire boll from the plant. The
cotton boll is the seed pod of the cotton plant; attached to each of the
thousands of seeds are fibres about 2.5 cm long.[4]
·
Ginning
The seed cotton goes into a cotton gin. The cotton gin separates seeds
and removes the "trash" (dirt, stems and leaves) from the fibre. In a
saw gin, circular saws grab the fibre and pull it through a grating that is too
narrow for the seeds to pass. A roller gin is used with longer staple cotton.
Here, a leather roller captures the cotton. A knife blade, set close to the
roller, detaches the seeds by drawing them through teeth in circular saws and
revolving brushes which clean them away.[5] The ginned cotton
fibre, known as lint, is then compressed into bales which are about 1.5 m tall
and weigh almost 220 kg. Only 33% of the crop is usable lint. Commercial cotton
is priced by quality, and that broadly relates to the average length of the
staple and the variety of the plant. Longer staple cotton (2½ in to 1¼ in) is
called Egyptian, medium staple (1¼ in to ¾ in) is called American upland, and
short staple (less than ¾ in) is called Indian.[6] The cotton seed is
pressed into a cooking oil. The husks and meal are processed into animal feed,
and the stems into paper.
Preparatory processes - preparation of yarn
·
Ginning, bale-making and transportation is done in the country
of origin.
·
Opening and cleaning
Platt Bros.
Picker
Cotton is shipped to mills in large 500 pound bales. When
the cotton comes out of a bale, it is all packed together and still contains
vegetable matter. The bale is broken open using a machine with large spikes,
called an opener. In order to fluff up the cotton and remove the
vegetable matter, the cotton is sent through a picker or a similar machine. In
a picker, the cotton beaten with a beater bar in order to loosen it
up. It is then fed through various rollers, which serve to remove the vegetable
matter. The cotton, aided by fans, then collects on a screen and gets fed
through more rollers till it emerges as a continuous soft fleecy sheet, known
as a lap.
Scutching refers to the process of cleaning cotton
of its seeds and other impurities. The first scutching machine was invented in
1797, but did not come into further mainstream use until after 1808 or 1809,
when it was introduced and used in Manchester, England. By 1816, it had become
generally adopted. The scutching machine worked by passing the cotton through a
pair of rollers, and then striking it with iron or steel bars called beater
bars or beaters. The beaters, which turn very quickly, strike the cotton hard
and knock the seeds out. This process is done over a series of parallel bars so
as to allow the seeds to fall through. At the same time, air is blown across
the bars, which carries the cotton into a cotton chamber.
·
Carding
Carding
machine
A Combing
machine
In the carding process, the fibres are separated
and then assembled into a loose strand (sliver or tow). The cotton comes off of
the picking machine in laps, and is then taken to carding machines. The carders
line up the fibres nicely to make them easier to spin. The carding machine
consists mainly of one big roller with smaller ones surrounding it. All of the
rollers are covered in small teeth, and as the cotton progresses further on the
teeth get finer (i.e. closer together). The cotton leaves the carding machine
in the form of a sliver: a large rope of fibres.
Note: In a wider sense carding can refer to
these four processes: Willowing- loosening the fibres; Lapping- removing the
dust to create a flat sheet or lap of cotton; Carding- combing the tangled lap
into a thick rope of 1/2 inch in diameter, a sliver; and Drawing- where a
drawing frame combines 4 slivers into one, repeated for increased quality.
·
Combing is optional, but is used to remove the shorter fibres, creating a
stronger yarn.
·
Drawing the fibres are straightened
Several slivers are combined. Each sliver will
have thin and thick spots, and by combining several slivers together a more
consistent size can be reached. Since combining several slivers produces a very
thick rope of cotton fibres, directly after being combined the slivers are
separated into rovings. These rovings (or slubbings) are then what are used in the
spinning process.[10]
Generally speaking, for machine processing, a
roving is about the width of a pencil.
·
Drawing frame: Draws the strand out
·
Slubbing Frame: adds twist, and winds onto bobbins
·
Intermediate Frames: are used to repeat the slubbing process to produce
a finer yarn.
·
Roving frames: reduces to a finer thread, gives more twist, makes more
regular and even in thickness, and winds onto a smaller tube.[11]
Spinning - yarn manufacture
Main
article: Cotton-spinning
machinery
Most spinning today is done using Break or Open-end spinning, this is a
technique where the staples are blown by air into a rotating drum, where they
attach themselves to the tail of formed yarn that is continually being drawn
out of the chamber. Other methods of break spinning use needles and electrostatic forces.This method has
replaced the older methods of ring and mule spinning. It is also easily adapted
for artificial fibres.
The spinning machines takes the roving, thins
it and twists it, creating yarn which it winds onto a bobbin.
In mule spinning the roving is pulled off
a bobbin and fed through some rollers, which are feeding at several different
speeds. This thins the roving at a consistent rate. If the roving was not a
consistent size, then this step could cause a break in the yarn, or could jam
the machine. The yarn is twisted through the spinning of the bobbin as the
carriage moves out, and is rolled onto a cylinder called a spindle, which then
produces a cone-shaped bundle of fibres known as a "cop", as the
carriage returns. Mule spinning produces a finer thread than the less
skilled ring spinning.
·
The mule was an intermittent process, as the frame advanced and returned
a distance of 5ft.It was the descendant of 1779 Crompton device. It produces a
softer less twisted thread that was favoured for fines and for weft.
·
The ring was a descendant of the Arkwright Water frame 1769. It was a continuous
process, the yarn was coarser, had a greater twist and was stronger so was
suited to be warp. Ring spinning is slow due to the distance the thread must
pass around the ring, other methods have been introduced.
Sewing thread, was made of several threads
twisted together, or doubled.
·
Checking
This is the process where each of the bobbins
is rewound to give a tighter bobbin.
·
Folding and twisting
Plying is done by pulling yarn from two or
more bobbins and twisting it together, in the opposite direction that in which
it was spun. Depending on the weight desired, the cotton may or may not be
plied, and the number of strands twisted together varies.
·
Gassing
Gassing is the process of passing yarn, as
distinct from fabric very rapidly through a series of Bunsen gas flames in a
gassing frame, in order to burn off the projecting fibres and make the thread
round and smooth and also brighter. Only the better qualities of yarn are
gassed, such as that used for voiles, poplins, venetians, gabardines, many
Egyptian qualities, etc. There is a loss of weight in gassing, which varies'
about 5 to 8 per cent., so that if a 2/60's yarn is required 2/56's would be
used. The gassed yarn is darker in shade afterwards, but should not be
scorched.
Mule spinning
Mule spinning
Ring spinning
Ring spinning
Measurements
·
Cotton Counts: Refers to the thickness of the cotton yarn where 840
yards of yarns weighs 1 pound (0.45 kg). 10 count cotton means that 8,400
yards (7,700 m) of yarn weighs 1 pound (0.45 kg). This is coarser
than 40 count cotton where 40x840 yards are needed. In the United Kingdom,
Counts to 40s are coarse (Oldham Counts), 40 to 80s are medium counts and above
80 is a fine count. In the United States ones to 20s are coarse counts.
·
Hank: A length of 7 leas or 840 yards (the worsted hank is only 560 yd
·
Thread: A length of 54 in (the circumference of a warp beam)
·
Bundle: Usually 10 lb
·
Lea: A length of 80 threads or 120 yards
·
Denier: this is an alternative method. It is defined as a number that is
equivalent to the weight in grams of 9000m of a single yarn. 15 denier is finer
than 30 denier.
·
Tex: is the weight in grams of 1 km of yarn.
Weaving-fabric manufacture
The weaving process uses a loom.
The lengthway threads are known as the warp, and the cross way threads are known
as the weft. The warp, which must be strong, needs
to be presented to loom on a warp beam. The weft passes across the loom in
a shuttle,
that carries the yarn on a pirn. These pirns are
automatically changed by the loom. Thus, the yarn needs to be wrapped onto a
beam, and onto pirns before weaving can commence.
·
Winding
After being spun and plied, the cotton thread
is taken to a warping room where the winding machine takes the required length
of yarn and winds it onto warpers bobbins
·
Warping or beaming
A Warper
Racks of bobbins are set up to hold the
thread while it is rolled onto the warp bar of a loom. Because the thread is
fine, often three of these would be combined to get the desired thread count.
Slasher sizing machine needed for
strengthening the warp by adding starch to reduce breakage of the yarns.
·
Drawing in, Looming
The process of drawing each end of the warp
separately through the dents of the reed and the eyes of the healds, in
the order indicated by the draft.
·
Pirning (Processing the weft)
Pirn winding frame was used to transfer the
weft from cheeses of yarn onto the pirns that would fit into the shuttle
At this point, the thread is woven. Depending
on the era, one person could manage anywhere from 3 to 100 machines. In the mid
nineteenth century, four was the standard number. A skilled weaver in 1925
would run 6 Lancashire Looms.
As time progressed new mechanisms were added that stopped the loom any time
something went wrong. The mechanisms checked for such things as a broken warp
thread, broken weft thread, the shuttle going straight across, and if the
shuttle was empty. Forty of these Northrop Looms or automatic looms
could be operated by one skilled worker.
A Draper loom
in textile museum, Lowell,
Massachusetts
The three primary movements of a loom are
shedding, picking, and beating-up.
·
Shedding: The operation of dividing the warp into two lines, so that the shuttle
can pass between these lines. There are two general kinds of
sheds-"open" and "closed." Open Shed-The warp threads are
moved when the pattern requires it-from one line to the other. Closed Shed-The
warp threads are all placed level in one line after each pick.
·
Picking:The operation of projecting the shuttle from side to side of the loom
through the division in the warp threads. This is done by the overpick or underpick
motions. The overpick is suitable for quick-running looms, whereas the
underpick is best for heavy or slow looms.
·
Beating-up: The third primary movement of the loom when making cloth, and is the
action of the reed as
it drives each pick of weft to the fell of the cloth.
The Lancashire Loom was the first
semi-automatic loom. Jacquard looms and Dobby looms are looms that have
sophisticated methods of shedding. They may be separate looms, or mechanisms
added to a plain loom. A Northrop Loom was fully automatic and
was mass produced between 1909 and the mid-1960s. Modern looms run faster and
do not use a shuttle: there are air jet looms, water jet looms and rapier looms.
Measurements
·
Ends and Picks: Picks refer to the weft, ends refer to the warp. The
coarseness of the cloth can be expressed as the number of
picks and ends per
quarter inch square, or per inch square. Ends is always written first. For
example: Heavy domestics are made from coarse yarns, such as 10's to
14's warp and weft, and about 48 ends and 52 picks.
Associated job titles
·
Piecer
·
Weaver
·
Tackler
·
Draw boy
Issues
When a hand loom was located in the home, children
helped with the weaving process from an early age. Piecing needs dexterity, and
a child can be as productive as an adult. When weaving moves from the home to
the mill, children are often allowed to help their older
sisters, and laws have to be made to prevent child labour becoming established.
Knitted
Fabric Manufacturing.
Knitting
by machine is
done in two different ways; warp and weft. Weft knitting (as seen in the
pictures) is similar in method to hand knitting with stitches all connected to
each other horizontally. Various weft machines can be configured to produce
textiles from a single spool of yarn or
multiple spools depending on the size of the machine cylinder (where the
needles are bedded). In a warp knit there are many pieces of
yarn and there are vertical chains, zigzagged together by crossing the cotton
yarn.
Warp knits do not stretch as much as a weft knit,
and it is run-resistant. A weft knit is not run-resistant, but stretches more.
This is especially true if spools of spandex are processed from separate
spool containers and interwoven through the cylinder with cotton yarn, giving
the finished product more flexibility and
making it less prone to having a 'baggy' appearance. The average t-shirt is a weft knit.
Finishing — processing of textiles
The woven cotton fabric in its loom-state not only
contains impurities, including warp size, but requires further treatment in
order to develop its full textile potential. Furthermore, it may receive
considerable added value by applying one or more finishing processes.
·
Desizing
Depending on the size that has been used, the
cloth may be steeped in a dilute acid and then rinsed, or enzymes may be used
to break down the size.
·
Scouring
Scouring, is a chemical washing process
carried out on cotton fabric to remove natural wax and non-fibrous impurities
(e.g. the remains of seed fragments) from the fibres and any added soiling or
dirt. Scouring is usually carried in iron vessels called kiers. The fabric is boiled in an alkali, which forms a soap with free fatty
acids (saponification).
A kier is usually enclosed, so the solution of sodium hydroxide can be boiled under
pressure, excluding oxygen which would
degrade the cellulose in the
fibre. If the appropriate reagents are used,
scouring will also remove size from the fabric although desizing often precedes
scouring and is considered to be a separate process known as fabric
preparation. Preparation and scouring are prerequisites to most of the other
finishing processes. At this stage even the most naturally white cotton fibres
are yellowish, and bleaching, the next process, is required.
·
Bleaching
Main
article: Textile bleaching
Bleaching improves whiteness by removing
natural coloration and remaining trace impurities from the cotton; the degree
of bleaching necessary is determined by the required whiteness and absorbency.
Cotton being a vegetable fibre will be bleached using an oxidizing agent, such as dilute sodium hypochlorite or
dilute hydrogen peroxide.
If the fabric is to be dyed a deep shade, then lower levels of bleaching are
acceptable, for example. However, for white bed sheetings and medical
applications, the highest levels of whiteness and absorbency are essential.
·
Mercerising
Main
article: Mercerized cotton
A further possibility is mercerizing during
which the fabric is treated with caustic soda solution to cause swelling of the
fibres. This results in improved lustre, strength and dye affinity. Cotton is
mercerized under tension, and all alkali must be washed out before the tension
is released or shrinkage will
take place. Mercerizing can take place directly on grey cloth, or after
bleaching.
Many other chemical treatments may be applied
to cotton fabrics to produce low flammability, crease resist and other special
effects but four important non-chemical finishing treatments are:
·
Singeing
Main
article: Singe § Textiles
Singeing is designed to burn off the surface
fibres from the fabric to produce smoothness. The fabric passes over brushes to
raise the fibres, then passes over a plate heated by gas flames.
·
Raising
Another finishing process is raising. During
raising, the fabric surface is treated with sharp teeth to lift the surface
fibres, thereby imparting hairiness, softness and warmth, as in flannelette.
·
Calendering
Main
article: Calender
Calendering is the third important mechanical
process, in which the fabric is passed between heated rollers to generate
smooth, polished or embossed effects depending on roller surface properties and
relative speeds.
·
Shrinking (Sanforizing)
Main
article: Sanforization
Finally, mechanical shrinking (sometimes
referred to as sanforizing), whereby the fabric is forced to shrink width
and/or lengthwise, creates a fabric in which any residual tendency to shrink
after subsequent laundering is minimal.
·
Dyeing
Main
article: Dyeing
Finally, cotton is an absorbent fibre which
responds readily to colouration processes. Dyeing, for instance, is commonly
carried out with an anionic direct dye by completely immersing the fabric (or
yarn) in an aqueous dyebath according to a prescribed procedure. For improved
fastness to washing, rubbing and light, other dyes such as vats and reactives
are commonly used. These require more complex chemistry during processing and
are thus more expensive to apply.
·
Printing
Printing, on the other hand, is the
application of colour in the form of a paste or ink to the surface of a fabric,
in a predetermined pattern. It may be considered as localised dyeing. Printing
designs onto already dyed fabric is also possible.
Processing of other vegetable fibres
Flax
Flax is a bast fibre, which means it comes in bundles
under the bark of the Linum usitatissimum plant. The plant flowers and is
harvested.
·
Retting
·
Breaking
·
Hackling or combing
It is now treated like cotton.
Jute
Jute is a bast fibre, which comes from the inner bark
of the plants of the Corchorus genus. It is retted like flax, sundried and
baled. When spinning a small amount of oil must be added to the fibre. It can
be bleached and dyed. It was used for sacks and bags but is now used for the
backing for carpets. Jute
can be blended with other fibres to make composite fabrics and work continues
in Bangladesh to refine the processes and extend the range of usage possible.
In the 1970s, jute-cotton composite fabrics were known as jutton fabrics.
Hemp
Hemp is a bast fibre from the inner bark of
Cannabis sativa. It is difficult to bleach, it is used for making cord and
rope.
·
Retting
·
Separating
·
Pounding
Other bast fibres
Other leaf fibres
Processing of animal and insect fibres
Wool
Wool comes from domesticated sheep. It forms two
products, woolens and worsteds. The sheep has two sorts of wool
and it is the inner coat that is used. This can be mixed with wool that has
been recovered from rags. Shoddy is
the term for recovered wool that is not matted, while mungo comes
from felted wool. Extract is recovered
chemically from mixed cotton/wool fabrics.
The fleece is cut in one piece from the sheep.This
is then skirted to remove the soiled wool, and baled. It is graded into long
wool where the fibres can be up to 15 in, but anything over 2.5 inches is
suitable for combing into worsteds. Fibres less than that form short wool and
are described as clothing or carding wool.
At the mill the wool is scoured in a detergent to
remove grease (the yolk) and impurities. This is done mechanically in the
opening machine. Vegetable matter can be removed chemically using sulphuric acid (carbonising). Washing
uses a solution of soap and sodium carbonate. The wool is oiled before
carding or combing.
·
Woollens: Use noils from the worsted combs, mungo and shoddy and new
short wool
·
Worsteds
Combing: Oiled slivers
are wound into laps, and placed in the circular comber. The worsted yarn
gathers together to form a top. The shorter fibres or noils remain behind and
are removed with a knife.
·
Angora
Silk
The processes in silk production
are similar to those of cotton but take account that reeled silk is a
continuous fibre. The terms used are different.
·
Opening bales. Assorting skeins: where silk is sorted by colour, size
and quality, scouring: where the silk is washed in water of 40 degrees for 12
hours to remove the natural gum, drying: either by steam heating or centrifuge,
softening: by rubbing to remove any remaining hard spots.
·
Silk throwing (winding). The skeins are placed on a reel in a frame with
many others. The silk is wound onto spools or bobbins.
·
Doubling and twisting. The silk is far too fine to be woven, so now it
is doubled and twisted to make the warp, known as organzine and the weft, known
as tram. In organzine each single is given a few twists per inch (tpi), and
combine with several other singles counter twisted hard at 10 to 14 tpi. In
tram the two singles are doubled with each other with a light twist, 3 to 6
tpi. Sewing thread is two tram threads, hard twisted, and machine-twist is made
of three hard-twisted tram threads. Tram for the crepe process is twisted at up
to 80 tpi to make it 'kick up'.
·
Stretching. The thread is tested for consistent size. Any uneven
thickness is stretched out. The resulting thread is reeled into containing 500
yd to 2500 yd. The skeins are about 50 inches in loop length.
·
Dyeing: the skeins are scoured again, and discoloration removed with a
sulphur process. This weakens the silk. The skeins are now tinted or dyed. They
are dried and rewound onto bobbins, spools and skeins. Looming, and the weaving
process on power looms is the same as with cotton.
·
Weaving. The organzine is now warped. This is a similar process to in
cotton. Firstly, thirty threads or so are wound onto a warping reel, and then
using the warping reels, the threads are beamed. A thick layer of paper is laid
between each layer on the beam to stop entangling.[39]
Environmental consequences of wool and silk manufacture
Both wool and silk require farmland. Whereas silkworms require
mulberry leaves, sheep eat grass, clover, forbs and other pasture plants.
Sheep, like all ruminants emit CO2 via their digestive system.[40] Also,
their pastures may sometimes be fertilised which
further increases emissions.
Discussion of types of synthetic fibres
Synthetic fibres are
the result of extensive development by scientists to improve upon the
naturally occurring animal and plant
fibres. In general, synthetic fibres are
created by forcing, or extruding, fibre
forming materials through holes (called spinnerets) into the air, thus forming
a thread. Before synthetic fibres were developed, cellulose fibres were made from natural cellulose, which comes from plants.
The first artificial fibre, known as art silk from 1799 onwards, became
known as viscose around 1894, and finally rayon in
1924. A similar product known as cellulose acetate was discovered in
1865. Rayon and acetate are both artificial fibres, but not truly synthetic,
being made from wood. Although these artificial fibres were
discovered in the mid-nineteenth century, successful modern manufacture began
much later in the 1930s. Nylon, the first
synthetic fibre, made its debut in the United States as a replacement
for silk, and was used for parachutes and other military uses.
The techniques used to process these fibres in yarn
are essentially the same as with natural fibres, modifications have to be made
as these fibres are of great length, and have no texture such as the scales in
cotton and wool that aid meshing.
Unlike natural fibres, produced by plants, animals
or insects, synthetic fibres are made from fossil fuels, and thus require no farmland.
How to
Calculate Fabric Weight in Textile Industry?
Fabric Weight Calculation in
Weaving:
Fabric weight calculation is one of the most important factors to
know for all the textile engineers. A few times you have to ask by someone
about fabric weight calculation in your job profession. There are so many who
still don’t know the manual calculating process of it. We know that, fabric
weight can be calculated in different ways, where one of is by using GSM (Gram per square meter)
cutter.
After cutting the fabric by using GSM cutter, fabric has to weight in
yards per one pound. After that, weight of the one yard or meter is recorded in
grams or ounces and the fabric is then classified by its weight. This article
has presented an easy manual method for calculating fabric weight which will be
very useful for your textile job profession.
Woven Fabric Weight Calculation
Method Followed in Textile:
Fabric weight calculation has to solve from fabric specification.
In textile weaving sector,
fabric specification has mentioned by the following ways:
Fabric specification,
Ends per inch (EPI) × Picks per inch (PPI)
=……………………………………………….......….. × Fabric width
Warp count ×
Weft count
Or,
Warp count × Weft count
=……………………………………………………….. ×
Fabric width
Ends per inch
(EPI) × Picks per inch (PPI)
Example:
Calculate the fabric weight of
1200m fabric by following the below fabric specifications:
10×10
=……………… × 50
75×60
Solution:
Given that,
In case of warp,
Ends per inch (EPI) = 75,
Warp count= 10,
So,
Fabric weight= (warp weight+
weft weight) …………………………….. (1)
In case of warp,
Total number of warp= (75×50)
=3750
Length of each end= (1200m+
1200×2% crimp) = 1224m
Total length of warp,
= (Total number of warp×
Length of each end)
= (3750×1224) m
= 4590000m
Now,
Warp count,
Length (m) ×
unit weight (kg)
=………………………………………….
Unit length (m)
× weight (kg)
Or,
Weight (kg),
Length (m) ×
unit weight (kg)
=………………………………………….
Unit length (m)
× warp count
{4590000×
(1×0.4536)}
=……………………………….…..
{(840×0.9144) ×10}
N.B:
{(1pound=1×453.6gm=0.4536kg) and (840yds=840×0.9144m)}
= 271.06kg
So, weight of warp is
271.06kg
In case of weft,
Picks per inch (PPI) = 60,
Weft count= 10,
Fabric length= 1200m,
Now,
Length of each weft=
(50+50×5% crimp) = 52.5inch= (52.5/39.37)m= 1.33m
Total number of weft=
(60×39.37×1200×1.33) m= 3770071.2m
Again,
Weft count,
Length (m) ×
unit weight (kg)
=…………………………………………….
Unit length (m)
× weight (kg)
Or,
Weight (kg),
Length (m) ×
unit weight (kg)
=…………………………………………….
Unit length (m)
× weft count
{3770071.2×
(1×0.4536)}
=………………………………………
{(840×0.9144) ×10}
= 222.64kg
So, weight of weft is
222.64kg
Finally, from equation (1),
we get,
Fabric weight= (271.06kg +
222.64kg) = 493.7kg
So, fabric weight for this
calculation is 493.7kg
Knit Fabric Consumption Formula for a Basic T-Shirt
Fabric Consumption:
Fabric consumption is an important factor
in garments merchandising. Profit of an order mostly depends
on it. As a result, fabric consumption should be done accurately after
receiving the order.
As its vast importance on garments merchandising, today I will
discuss about the knit fabric consumption formula for T-Shirt.
You may follow How to Calculate Apparel Costing for T-Shirt?
Method of Knit Fabric
Consumption:
Knit fabric
consumption should be done by using the following formula-
Fabric consumption per dozen, (All
measurements in cm),
Note:
1.
Types of fabric and fabric GSM will be confirmed by the buyer.
2.
For body length and sleeve length, approximate sewing allowance
(12cm) should be needed at body hem, shoulder joint, sleeve hem and armhole
joint.
3.
For chest width, approximate sewing allowance (6cm) should be needed
at both side seams.
4.
And approximate fabric wastage in various stages is 10%.
Now, I will
provide an example for knit fabric consumption in the following. After that,
all the confusion about the above discussion will be cleared I think.
Example:
Suppose, one of the buyer has provided you the
following measurement chart of a basic T-Shirt by mentioning the order quantity
and fabric GSM. (Where Fabric is 100% cotton single jersey
and fabric GSM is 160 and order quantity is 10000pcs). Then calculate the
fabric consumption for this order.
Solution:
Here, we will follow the measurement chart for
XL size.
§
Fabric GSM- 160,
§
Total order quantity- 10000
§
Body length or shirt length- 79cm
§
Sleeve length- 43cm
§
½ Chest width- 61cm
Now, all the
measurements are applied on the following formula-
Fabric consumption per dozen, (All measurement
in cm),
= 3.45 + 10% (in kg)
= 3.795 kg per dozen.
= 3.45 + 10% (in kg)
= 3.795 kg per dozen.
So, fabric
needed for 10000pcs (833.33 dozen) garments is 3162.5kg.
Glossary of
Fabric
A
Absorbency - The ability of a fabric to
take in moisture.
Acetate - A manufactured fiber formed
by compound of cellulose, refined from cotton linters and/or wood pulp, and acedic
acid that has been extruded through a spinneret and then hardened.
Acrylic - A manufactured fiber; its
major properties include a soft, wool like hand, machine washable and dryable
and excellent color retention.
Alpaca - A natural hair fiber obtained
from the Alpaca sheep, a domesticated member of the llama family.
Angora - The hair of the Angora goat.
Also known as Angora mohair. Angora may also apply to the fur of the Angora
rabbit.
Antique Satin - A reversible
satin-weave fabric with satin floats on the technical face and surface slubs on
the technical back created by using slub filling yarns. It is usually used with
the technical back as the right side for drapery fabrics and often made of a
blend of fibers.
Argyle - A pattern designed with
different color diamond shapes knit into a fabric.
Aubusson - Fine, hand woven tapestry
used for wall hangings or carpets.
B
Bamboo Fabric - Bamboo fabric is
a natural textile made from the pulp of the bamboo grass. Bamboo fabric has
been growing in popularity because it has many unique properties and is more
sustainable than most textile fibers. Bamboo fabric is light and strong, has
excellent wicking properties, and is to some extent antibacterial.
Bark Cloth - A textured woven, usually
printed cotton fabric that was popular in the 30’s40’s and 50’s as an interior
fabric. The prints were often large vines, leaves and florals.
Basket Weave - Plain weave
where two or more warp yarns interlace with the same balance of filler yarns so
that the fabric surface resembles a basket.
Batik - A method of dyeing fabric where some areas are
covered with wax or pastes made of glues or starches to make designs by keeping
dyes from penetrating in pattern areas. Multicolored and blended effects are
obtained by repeating the dying process several times, with the initial pattern
of wax boiled off and another design applied before dyeing again in a new
color.
Batiste - A lightweight, plain weave
fabric, semi sheer and usually made of cotton or cotton blends.
Bedford Cord - A cord cottonlike
fabric with raised ridges in the lengthwise direction. Since the fabric has a
high strength and a high durability, it is often used for upholstery and work
clothes.
Bengaline - A fabric with a crosswise
rib made from textile fibers (as rayon, nylon, cotton, or wool) often in
combination.
Bleeding - A printing imperfection
where the dyestuff runs from the screen of one area onto the motif of another.
Block Printing - A hand printing
process where the motifs have been carved on wooden blocks. The dye is applied
to the fabric from these blocks in a procedure similar to the rubber stamp
technique.
Blotch - A screen used in printing
that fills in the ground (or white) remaining after the full design has been
printed. This becomes the fabric's background color.
Boiled Wool - Felted knitted wool, it
offers the flexibility of a knit with great warmth.
Border - A border is a gimp, but
wider. This trim is sometimes woven in plain patterns, such as stripes or
chevrons.
Boucle - A knit or woven fabric with
small curls or loops that create a nubby surface. The fabric has a looped,
knotted surface.
Broadcloth - A plain weave tightly woven
fabric that is usually made from 100% cotton or a cotton blend.
Brocade - A heavy jacquard type fabric
with an all over raised pattern or floral design.
Brocatelle - A heavy fabric similar in
appearance to a damask. The filler yarns (often linen) give it an embossed
look.
Brush Fringe - A brush fringe
is a cut fringe that has a flat skirt made of thin yarns.
Buckpress - Transfer machine used to
produce small samples strictly used for the heat transfer process.
Buffalo Plaid - A plaid with
large blocks formed by the intersection of two different colored yarns. Can be
found in multipurpose or upholstery weight fabrics.
Bullion Fringe - Bullion Fringe
is made of cords, rather than yarns. The heading can be plain or decorative.
Burlap - A loosely constructed, heavy
weight, plain weave fabric. It has a rough hand.
Burn Out or Etched Printing - The
application of an acid solution to dissolve an opaque fiber from a translucent
sheer of blended yarns. After this process, the desired motifs appear in
silhouette on the surface of the fabric.
Burn Out Velvet - Created from two
different fibers, the velvet is removed with chemicals in a pattern leaving the
backing fabric intact.
C
C.O.M. - Customer’s Own Material.
CAD Strike Off - Also referred to
as a paper strike off. Generated in the Design Studio using in house equipment.
Calendering - The procedure of pressing
fabric between heated and rotating cylinders to give a smooth glossy surface.
Calico - A lightly woven cotton type
fabric with an all over print, usually a small floral pattern on a contrasting
background color.
Cambric - A fine thin white linen
fabric.
Camel's Hair - A natural fiber
obtained from the underhair of the camel. It is relatively close to cashmere.
Very soft hand.
Canvas - A strong, durable, closely
woven cotton fabric.
Casement Cloth - A light weight
textile made in a combination of fibers usually dyed in light neutral colors.
Cashmere - A natural fiber obtained
from the soft fleecy undergrowth of the Kashmir goat. A luxury fiber with
a very soft hand.
Challis - A lightweight, soft plain
weave fabric with a slightly brushed surface. The fabric is often printed,
usually in a floral pattern. Challis is most often seen in fabrics made of
cotton, wool, or rayon.
Chambray - A plain woven fabric that
can be made from cotton, silk, or manufactured fibers, but is most commonly
cotton. It incorporates a colored warp (often blue) and white filling yarns.
Chantilly Lace - This lace has a
net background, and the pattern is created by embroidering with thread and
ribbon to create floral designs. The pattern has areas of design that are very
dense, and the pattern if often outlined with heavier cords or threads.
Charm Quilt - A quilt made of many, many
small patches (traditionally 2” or so) where each piece is a different fabric.
The pattern is usually a one patch design and often involves swaps and trades
with friends to gather many fabrics.
Charmuese - A luxurious, supple silky
fabric with a shiny satin face and a dull back. Generally either silk, rayon,
or polyester.
Check - A pattern consisting of crossed horizontal and
vertical bands in two or more colors in a woven cloth, can be found in
upholstery, multipurpose or drapery weight fabrics.
Cheesecloth - A lightweight, sheer,
plainwoven fabric with a very soft texture. It may be natural colored,
bleached, or dyed.
Chenille - A fuzzy yarn whose pile
resembles a caterpillar. Used mainly for decorative fabrics, embroidery,
tassels and rugs. Sometimes used broadly to define a fabric woven from chenille
yarns.
Chevron - Very similar to a flame
stitch, but found mostly in multi-purpose weight prints. The chevron is not an
embroidered flame stitch, but is composed of zigzag lines that are printed onto
the fabric. Can be found in an array of colors and printed on different fabric
grounds, ranging from cotton, linen, rayon and polyester.
Chiffon - Lightweight, extremely sheer
and airy fabric, containing highly twisted fibers.
Chinoiserie - A Chinese decorative style
that was extremely popular in France and exemplified by its vogue in England
especially during the reign of Queen Anne.
Chintz - A plainweave fabric, which
has been glazed to produce a polished look. Fabric must be dry cleaned as the
glazing will wash off the machine laundering.
Chite - Painted linens that originated in Chitta (India) in
the 17th century.
Color Flag - A series of small swatches
attached to a large full patterned sample which illustrates the complete color
line or colorways.
Color Line - The range of available
colors of a solid or printed fabric.
Contemporary - An upholstery,
multipurpose or drapery weight fabric that has a modern look to the design and
pattern. Often characterized by geometric or abstract shapes and designs. Can
come in a magnitude of different color ways.
Contract - Heavy duty wearing material,
made to certain specifications, for example, particular flammability codes or
abrasion resistance. The end use is normally hospitality or public places. For
contract use, a fabric must meet a minimum abrasion resistance of 30, 000
double rubs.
Cord - Cords consist of plied yarns (plies) that have been
twisted together. Cords are frequently used in place of fabric welting.
Corduroy - A cloth made with cut pile
ribs (or wales) running the length or width of the fabric. The ribs are
produced by wefts yarns that are carried over the fabric face and then cut.
Cotton - A white vegetable fiber
grown in warmer climates in many parts of the world, has been used to produce
many types of fabric for hundreds of years. Cotton fabric feels good against
the skin regardless of the temperature or the humidity.
Crepe - Used to describe all kinds of fabrics; wool,
cotton, silk, rayon, synthetics and blends that have a crinkle, crimped or
grained surface.
Crepe Charmeuse - A smooth, soft
luster fabric of grenadine silk warp and filling, with latter given crepe
twist. It has the body and drape of satin.
Crepe de Chine - Silk crepe de
Chine has a slightly crinkly surface created with highly twisted fibers.
Crepe-back Satin - A satin fabric
in which highly twisted yarns are used in the filling direction. The floating
yarns are made with low twists and may be either high or low luster. If the
crepe effect is the right side of the fabric, the fabric is called satin back
crepe.
Crewel - A true crewel fabric is
embroidered with crewel yam loosely twisted, two-ply wool on a plain weave
fabric. Traditional crewel fabrics are hand woven and embroidered in India. The
design motif for crewel work is typically outlines of flowers, vines, and
leaves, in one or many colors. Modern weaving technology and inventive
designers create traditional “crewel” looks with weave effects alone, without
the use of embroidery.
Crocheted - Loose, open knit made by
looping thread with a hooked needle.
D
Denim - A twill weave cotton fabric made with different
colored yarns in the warp and the weft. Due to the twill construction, one
color predominates on the fabric surface.
Digital Strike Off - A method to
produce a computer generated fabric strike off of a new design without cutting
screens.
Direct Dyes - A category of dyes that are
used on cellulosics and need no fixatives to secure them to the fabric.
Dobby - A decorative weave, characterized by small figures,
usually geometric, that are woven into the fabric structure.
Dobby Loom - A type of loom on which
small geometric figures can be woven in as a regular pattern. Originally this
type of loom needed a “dobby boy” who sat on the top of the loom and drew up
warp threads to form a pattern. Now the weaving is done entirely by machine.
This loom differs from a plain loom in that it may have up to thirty two
harnesses and pattern chain. This is an expensive form of weaving.
Document - A term used to describe
fabric reproductions of original textile and wallpaper patterns. These
reproductions may be exact replicas, or adaptations incorporating current
colors, proportions, or textures.
Doeskin - Generally applied to fabric
with a low nap that is brushed in one direction to create a soft suede like
hand on the fabric front.
Dotted Swiss - A lightweight,
sheer cotton or cotton blend fabric with a small dot flock like pattern either
printed on the surface of the fabric, or woven into the fabric.
Double Cloth - A fabric
construction, in which two fabrics are woven on the loom at the same time, one
on top of the other. In the weaving process, the two layers of woven fabric are
held together using binder threads. The woven patterns in each layer of fabric
can be similar or completely different.
Double Knit - A weft knit fabric in which
two layers of loops are formed that cannot be separated. A double knit machine,
which has two complete sets of needles, is required for this construction.
Drill - Strong, medium to heavyweight, warp faced, twill
weave fabric.
Duck - A tightly woven, heavy, plain weave, bottom weight
fabric with a hard, durable finish. The fabric is usually made of cotton.
Dupioni Silk - A crisp fabric
with irregular slubs.
Duragard - Soil and stain repellent
treatment. A chemical finish is applied on the surface of the fabric and create
an invisible protection which prevents liquid or stain to penetrate the fiber
which makes it much easier to remove the soil and stain.
E
Elasticity - The ability of a fiber to
return to its original length, shape, or size immediately after the removal of
stress.
Embossing - A calendering process in
which fabrics are engraved with the use of heated rollers under pressure to produce
a raised design on the fabric surface.
Embroidery - An embellishment of a fabric
or garment in which colored threads are sewn on to the fabric to create a
design. Embroidery may be done either by hand or machine.
Eyelet - Fabric with patterned cutouts,
around which stitching or embroidery may be applied in order to prevent the
fabric from raveling.
F
Faille - A glossy, soft, finely
ribbed, silk like woven fabric made from cotton, silk, or manufactured fibers.
Faux Fur - Artificial fur made from synthetic
material.
Felt - A nonwoven fabric made from wool, hair, or fur, and
sometimes in combination with certain manufactured fibers, where the fibers are
locked together in a process utilizing heat, moisture, and pressure to form a
compact material.
Flannel - Usually a 100% cotton fabric
that has been brushed on one or both sides for softness.
Flax - The plant from which cellulosic linen fiber is
obtained.
Fleece - Synthetic knit fabric that
stretches across the grain.
Foil - A thin piece of material put under another material
to add color or brilliance.
Foulard - A lightweight twillweave
fabric, made from filament yarns like silk, acetate, polyester, with a small
all over print pattern on a solid background.
Frieze - A strong, durable, heavy
warp yarn pile fabric. The pile is made by the over wire method to create a
closed loop pile.
G
Gabardine - A worsted twill weave that
is wrinkle resistant.
Gauze - A sheer, open weave fabric usually cotton or silk.
Georgette - A drapery woven fabric
created from highly twisted yarns creating a pebbly texture.
Gimp - Gimps are flat, narrow, woven textiles made in many
styles. One or both edges of a gimp can plain or cut or have scalloped loops.
Gingham - A medium weight, plain weave
fabric with a plaid or check pattern.
Gossamer - Very soft, gauze like
veiling originally of silk.
Gravure Cylinder - A method of
printing paper through the use of an engraved copper plate.
Grois Point - A fabric which features
large points of yarn on the surface of the fabric.
Grosgrain - A tightly woven, firm, warp
faced fabric with heavy, round filling ribs created by a high warp count and
coarse filling yarns. Grosgrain can be woven as a narrow ribbon or a full width
fabric.
H
Habutai - A soft, lightweight silk
fabric, is heavier than China silk.
Hand - Literally, the feel of the goods in the hand, a
qualitive term used to describe the tactile properties of a fabric.
Heather - A yarn that is spun using
predyed fibers. These fibers are blended together to give a particular look.
The term, heather, may also be used to describe the fabric made from heathered
yarns.
Herringbone - A variation on the twill
weave construction in which the twill is reversed, or broken, at regular
intervals, producing a zig zag effect.
Homespun - Refers to a coarse, plain
weave fabric with a hand woven look.
Houndstooth Check - A variation on
the twill weaves construction in which a broken check effect is produced by a
variation in the pattern of interlacing yams, utilizing at least two different
colored yams.
I
Ikat - A method of printing woven fabric by tie dying warp
yarns, the weft yarns or both before weaving. The Ikat pattern resembles a
tribal pattern and is usually very bright and bold. Can be found in multi
purpose or upholstery weight fabrics.
Imberline - An effect produced by laying
a variety of colors in the warp which reveals a stripe running through the
overall design of the fabric.
Interlining - An insulation, padding, or
stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the lining or the inner
side of the outer shell fabric.
Interlock Knit - Also known as
Tshirt knit. It usually has stretch across the grain.
Iridescent - A color effect created by
weaving warp ends of one color and a weft of another color. The taffeta weave
creates the best iridescent effects.
Irish Poplin - There are two
types of Irish poplin: (1) Originally a fabric constructed with silk warp and
wool filling in plain weave with fine rib. (2) Fine linen or cotton shirting
also made in Ireland.
Jacquard - Intricate method of weaving
invented by Joesph J.M. Jacquard in the years 1801-1804, in which a head motion
at the top of the loom holds and operates a set of punched cards, according to
the motif desired. The perforations in the cards, in connection with the rods and
cords, regulate the raising of the stationary warp thread mechanisms. Jacquard
knitting is a development of the Jacquard loom and its principles. Jacquard
fabrics, simple or elaborate in design, include brocade, brocatelle, damask,
neckwear, evening wear, formal attire, some shirting's, tapestries, etc.
Jersey Fabric - Usually thinner
or lighter weight than interlock knit with less stretch.
Jute - A base fiber, chiefly from India, used primarily
for gunny sacks, bags, cordage, and binding threads in carpets and rugs.
K
Kapok - A short, lightweight, cotton like, vegetable fiber
found in the seed pods of the Bombocaceae tree. Because of its brittle quality,
it is generally not spun. However, its buoyancy and moisture resistance makes
it ideal for use in cushions, mattresses, and life jackets.
Khaki - A tan or dusty colored warp face twill, softer and
finer than drill. Name derived from East India word meaning “earth color”.
Fabric made of cotton, linen, wool, worsted, or manmade fibers and blends.
Knit Fabrics - Fabrics made
from only one set of yarns, all running in the same direction. Some knits have
their yarns running along the length of the fabric, while others have their
yarns running across the width of the fabric. Knit fabrics are held together by
looping the yarns around each other. Knitting creates ridges in the resulting
fabric. Wales are the ridges that run lengthwise in the fabric, courses run
crosswise.
Knit-de-Knit - A type of yarn
texturizing in which a crimped yarn is made by knitting the yarn into a fabric,
and then heat setting the fabric. The yarn is then unraveled from the fabric
and used in this permanently crinkled form.
L
La Coste - A double knit fabric made
with a combination of knit and tuck stitches to create a mesh like appearance.
It is often a cotton or cotton/polyester blend.
Lace - An openwork fabric with yarns that are twisted
around each other to form complex patterns of figures. Lace may be hand or
machine made by a variety of fabrication methods including weaving, knitting,
crocheting, and knotting.
Lame - A woven fabric using flat silver or gold metal
threads to create either the design or the background in the fabric.
Lawn - A light, fine cloth made using carded or combed
linen or cotton yarns. The fabric has a crease-resistant, crisp finish. Linen
lawn is synonymous with handkerchief linen. Cotton lawn is a similar type of
fabric, which can be white, solid colored, or printed.
Leather - Animal skin dressed for use
in clothing.
Leatherette - A simulated leather.
Linen - A natural plant fiber, linen fibers are stronger
and more lustrous than cotton.
Lisere - The design is created by
colored warp threads brought up on the face of the fabric, leaving loose yarns
on the back woven vertically, which gives it a vertical stripe effect. Liseres
are Victorian in appearance and have embroidered style patterns.
Loden Cloth - A heavily fulled or felted
fabric originating in Austrian Tyrol. Wool may be blended with camel hair or
alpaca. Thick, soft, waterproof without chemical treatment.
Loomstate - Goods as they come off the
loom before converting/finishing. Called gray or griege.
Lycra - A DuPont trademark for its spandex fiber. Any time
you see this fiber listed on a label, expect comfort, movement, and shape
retention that won't wash away.
M
Madras - A lightweight plain weave
cotton fabric with a striped, plaid, or checked pattern. A true madras will
bleed when washed. This type of fabric is usually imported from India.
Marabou - A thrown silk usually dyed
in the gum or a fabric made of this silk.
Matelasse - A medium to heavyweight
luxury fabric made in a double cloth construction to create a blistered or
quilted surface.
Melton - A heavyweight, dense,
compacted, and tightly woven wool or wool blend fabric used mainly for coats.
Merino - A type of wool that
originates from pure bred Merino sheep. The best Merino wool comes from Italy.
Mesh - A type of fabric characterized by its net like open
appearance and the spaces between the yarns. Mesh is available in a variety of
constructions including wovens, knits, laces, or crocheted fabrics.
Microfibers - An extremely fine synthetic
fiber that can be woven into textiles with the texture and drape of natural
fiber cloth but with enhanced washability, breathability, and water repellancy.
Mohair - Hair fibers from the Angora
goat.
Moiree - A corded fabric, usually
made from silk or one of the manufactured fibers, which has a distinctive water
marked wavy pattern on the face of the fabric.
Moleskin - It resists wrinkling and has
a beautiful sueded look on the face. The reverse has a satiny look and feel.
Monk's Cloth - A heavy weight
cotton fabric utilizing the basket weave variation of the plain weave. Used for
draperies and slip covers, monk's cloth is an example of 4 x 4 basket weave. It
has poor dimensional stability and tends to snag.
Muslin - An inexpensive, medium
weight, plain weave, low count (less than 160 threads per square inch) cotton
sheeting fabric. In it's unfinished form, it is commonly used in fashion design
to make trial garments for preliminary fit.
N
Nano-Tex - Nano-Tex protects your home
textiles with soft, durable applications that provide the right balance of
comfort and performance. Nano-Tex brings innovative solutions that resist
spills, repel stains, and keep you static-free. For more information, please
visit www.nanotex.com
Natural Fiber - Any textile
fiber manufactured from an animal or vegetable source. Cotton, linen, silk and
wool are the foremost examples.
Needlepoint - Hand embroidery in petit or
gros point stitch on a canvas foundation.
Net - Refers to any open construction fabric whether it
is created by weaving, knitting, knotting, or another method.
Nylon - A synthetic fiber known for its resistance to
abrasion, inherent elasticity and strength which makes it ideal for use in
upholstery fabrics. Nylon fabrics have a tendency to pill easily and to attract
surface soil.
O
Oilcloth - Sheetings or printcloth that
are printed, bleached, or dyed, and given a special linseed oil and pigment
preparation.
Oilskin - A cotton linen, silk, or
manmade material treated with linseed oil varnish for waterproofing.
Ombre - A fabric made by laying in wefts of yarn that are
closely colored hues that after weaving created a shaded effect.
Organdy - A stiffened, sheer,
lightweight plain weave fabric, usually cotton or polyester.
Organza - A crisp, sheer, lightweight
plain weave fabric, with a medium to high yarn count, made of silk, rayon,
nylon, or polyester.
Ottoman - A heavy, plain weave fabric
with wide, flat crosswise ribs that are larger and higher than in faille. It
sometimes comes with alternating narrow and wide ribs. When made of narrow ribs
only, it is called soleil. Warp may be silk or manmade fiber, filling may be
cotton, silk, wool, or manmade fiber.
Outline Quilting - A hand guided
quilting in which the stitching follows the motifs of the design in a printed
fabric.
Oxford - A fine, soft, lightweight
woven cotton or blended with manufactured fibers in a 2 x 1 basket weave
variation of the plain weave construction.
P
Paisley - A tear drop shaped, fancy
printed pattern. Paisley motifs have been described as a pine cone, mango, pear
and teardrop.
Peau de Soie - A heavy twill
weave drapeable satin fabric, made of silk or a manufactured fiber. It is used
to weave some of the popular quilting fabrics which have a silk like hand.
Percale - A superior quality plain
weave cloth of closely set combed and carded long staple cotton.
Petit Point - A needle point stitch made
on canvas with one foundation thread in contrast to two or more threads of a
gros point.
Pick - A filing thread or yarn that runs crosswise or
horizontally in woven goods. The pick interlaces with the warp to form a woven
cloth.
Piece Dyed - Cloth that is dyed in a vat
by the bolt (full piece) after weaving.
Pill - A fuzzy ball caused by the rolling up of abraded
surface fibers.
Pique - A medium weight cotton or cotton blend fabric with
a pebbly weave that looks almost like a check.
Plisse - A lightweight, plain weave,
fabric, made from cotton, rayon, or acetate, and characterized by a puckered
striped effect, usually in the warp direction. The crinkled effect is created
through the application of a caustic soda solution, which shrinks the fabric in
the areas of the fabric where it is applied. Plisse is similar in appearance to
seersucker.
Plush - A compactly woven fabric with warp pile higher than
that of velvet. Made of cotton, wool, silk, or manmade fiber, often woven as
double face fabric and then sheared apart. Higher pile gives bristly texture.
Usually piece dyed but may be printed.
Ply - The number of yarns twisted together to make a
composite yarn.
Pointelle - Very feminine, delicate
looking, rib knit fabric made with a pattern of openings.
Polyester - A manufactured fiber
introduced in the early 1950s, and is second only to cotton in worldwide use.
Polyester has high strength (although somewhat lower than nylon), excellent
resiliency, and high abrasion resistance. Low absorbency allows the fiber to
dry quickly.
Poplin - A fabric made using a rib
variation of the plain weave. The construction is characterized by having a
slight ridge effect in one direction, usually the filling.
Q
Quilting - A fabric construction in
which a layer of down or fiberfill is placed between two layers of fabric, and
then held in place by stitching or sealing in a regular, consistent, all over
pattern on the goods.
R
Railroad - To turn a fabric in a
direction where the selvages are in a horizontal postion. In a plain fabric or
when the design is non directional, you can avoid making seams when the width
of the goods will accommodate the height required. Some upholstery fabrics are
designed in this manner to be used exclusively for furniture.
Ramie - A base fiber, similar to flax, taken from the stalk
of a plant grown in China.
Rayon - A natural fiber created from wood pulp, it usually
has good drape and a soft hand.
Repeat - One complete pattern of the
fabric measured vertically and/or horizontally.
Ripstop Nylon - A lightweight,
wind resistant, and water resistant fabric.
Roller Printing - A technique
first developed in 1783 done with engraved metal cylinders. Each color of the
design requires a separate cylinder. Sometimes referred to as cylinder or
machine printing.
Rotary Screen Printing - A process where
the cloth moves under a machine operated series of fast moving tubes. The dyes
are exuded from the inside through the pattern which perforates the tube. Each
color requires a separate tube.
Sateen Fabric - A fabric made
from yarns with low luster, such as cotton or other staple length fibers. The
fabric has a soft, smooth hand and a gentle, subtle luster.
Satin - With a lustrous, shiny surface, drapability depends
on fiber content. Silk and rayon satins have the best stitch results.
Satin Weave - A basic weave where the face
of the fabric is almost entirely warp threads on the surface.
Screen - An open mesh area which has
been stamped out to form a pattern.
Screen Printing - A hand or
machine table printing process in which a stenciled screen held in a frame is
positioned on the cloth and color is applied with a squeeze. Separate screens
are required for each color of the pattern.
Seersucker - A fabric with a woven
pucker, this fabric is traditionally cotton, but can be polyester.
Selvage - The edge on either side of a
woven or flat knitted fabric, often of different threads and/or weave, so
finished to prevent raveling.
Sequined - Ornamented with a small
plate of shining metal or plastic.
Sheer - Any very light weight fabric (e.g. chiffon,
georgette, voile, sheer crepe). Usually has an open weave.
Silk - A natural filament fiber produced by the silkworm
in the construction of its cocoon. Most silk is collected from cultivated
worms, Tussah silk, or wild silk, is a thicker, shorter fiber produced by worms
in their natural habitat.
Silk Shantung - Similar to
Dupioni silk, Shantung has a more refined appearance with smaller slubs.
Sisal - A strong base fiber that originates from the leaves
of the Agave plant, which is found in the West Indies, Central America, and
Africa.
Solid - An upholstery, multipurpose or drapery weight
fabric consisting of no pattern or repeat. The fabric is usually one colorway
but can resemble a two tone in some cases.
Spandex - A manufactured elastomeric
fiber that can be repeatedly stretched over 500% without breaking, and will
still recover to its original length.
Strie - A very fine irregular streaked effect made by a
slight variance in the color of warp yarns.
Strike - Off – A trial sample of
printed fabric made to indicate and verify color and pattern before printing
quantity.
Substrate - Refers to base cloth or
ground cloth for printing.
Suede - Leather with a napped surface.
Surah - A light weight, lustrous twill weave constructed
fabric with a silk like hand. It is available in silk, polyester, and
rayon.
Suzani - A heavy and soft upholstery
weight textile in a jacquard weave. Surface appears puffy or cushioned. The
pattern can vary in size or shape and can have multiple colorways.
Synthetic Fabric - Fabric made of
man made fibers. Examples are polyester, Avora and nylon.
T
T.S.O. - Table strike off generated
at mill.
Tabby - A plain weave construction in which one warp thread
passes over and under a single weft thread. The threads of the warp and weft
are of the same size and set with the same number per square inch thereby
resulting in a balanced weave.
Table Printing - A form of screen
printing in which the cloth is stretched and secured to the top of a table and
the screens are moved down the table either by hand or machine, pattern repeat
by pattern repeat.
Taffeta - With a crisp hand, taffeta
is typically used for formal wear like gowns and fuller skirts.
Tapestry - A heavy, often hand woven,
ribbed fabric, featuring an elaborate design depicting a historical or current
pictorial display. The weft-faced fabric design is made by using colored
filling yarns, only in areas where needed, that are worked back and forth over
spun warp yarns, which are visible on the back.
Tarpaulin - A waterproofed canvas
sometimes made of nylon or other manmade fiber.
Tassel - Tassels come in all sizes,
shapes and forms. A hanging ornament consisting of a head and a skirt of cut
yarn, looped yarns, or bullion fringe.
Tassel Trim - A plain or decorative gimp
with attached tassels.
Terry Cloth - Unclipped, looped pile, 100%
cotton terry cloth is highly absorbent.
Ticking - Originally hand woven of
linen as covering for feather mattresses, the characteristic herringbone weave
was intended to keep feathers in and ticks out. A closely woven cotton in a
twill or satin weave, and usually with woven (sometimes printed) stripes.
Toile - A type of decorating pattern consisting of a white
or off white background on which a repeated pattern depicting a fairly complex
scene, generally of a pastoral theme such as ( for example) a couple having a
picnic by a lake. The pattern portion consists of a single color, most often
black, dark red, or blue.
Tweed - A medium to heavy weight, fluffy, woolen, twill
weave fabric containing colored slubbed yarns.
Twill - A fabric that shows a distinct diagonal wale on the
face (e.g. denim, gabardine, tricotine).
U
Ultrasuede - An imitation suede fabric
composed of polyester microfibers combined with polyurethane foam in a non
woven structure. Hand and appearance resemble sheep suede.
Union Cloth - A cloth most often used for
printing that is woven with blended yarns. The filler is usually twisted linen
and cotton and the warp is generally cotton.
Velour - Usually with a knitted back,
velour resembles velvet, but has some stretch.
Velvet - With a longer pile, velvet
is the most luxurious fabric. Stretch velvet has some lycra, it can be machine
washed and will not create a shine in the seat or elbows.
Velveteen - A cotton or cotton blend
fabric with a short, dense pile. It lacks the sheen and drape of velvet.
Venice Lace - This lace often has a high
profile, and is made using a needlepoint technique rather than embroidery. A
heavier weight lace, the patterns vary from geometric to floral. Each pattern
is attached to the others by bars made of thread.
Viscose - The most common type of
rayon. It is produced in much greater quantity than cuprammonium rayon, the
other commercial type.
Voile - A crisp, lightweight, plain weave cotton like
fabric, similar in appearance to organdy and organza.
Waffle Cloth - Similar to pique
in texture. Waffle cloth has a honeycomb weave made on dobby loom. Usually made
of cotton.
Warp or End - The threads of a textile
that run vertically through the loom and are parallel to the selvage.
Warp Print - A fabric where the design
has been printed on the warp before it has been woven. This results in a
pattern with an indistinct image similar to the technique of impressionist
painting.
Weft or Filling - The horizontal
yarns in a cloth which run selvage to selvage across the fabric.
Wet Print/Direct Print - Colors are
printed directly onto the fabric in the same manner as the printing of
wallpaper or newspaper. There must be one screen for each color.
Wool - Wool is naturally stain and wrinkle resistant. It
can absorb up to 40% of it's weight in moisture without feeling damp. Wool
comes in many forms including crepe, challis, gabardine, merino, melton, jersey
and worsted wool suitings.
Wool Crepe - A lightweight worsted fabric
with a more or less crinkly appearance, obtained by using warp yarns that are
tightly twisted in alternate directions.
Woven - Woven fabrics are produced from virtually all types
of textile fibers and threads. The fabric is produced by weaving the
perpendicular threads, the warp and weft. The fabric is very durable and is
most commonly found in upholstery weight goods.
Yarn - A continuous strand of textile fibers created when
a cluster of individual fibers are twisted together. These long yarns are used
to create fabrics, either by knitting or weaving.
THE END
Comments
Post a Comment