WHY TEXTILE?

Clothing is one of the basic needs for mankind. It protects

the body from heat and cold, but also brings out ones
personality, enhances beauty, gives comfort and expresses the
status of living. Thus the need to study about fiber, fabric and
clothing.
What is Textile.

Textiles, generic term (from Latin texere - which means

capable of being woven, to weave) originally applied to woven
fabrics, but now also applied to natural and synthetic filaments,
yarns, and threads as well as to the woven, knitted, felted,
tufted, braided, bonded, knotted, and embroidered fabrics
made from them .
The term textile fibers refers to fibers that can be spun
into yarn or made into fabric.

FIBERS
Fibers are very small
visible units from which fabrics
are made by one process or

another. Take a yarn or thread and

untwist until it comes apart, or
pull a single strand from an

opened cotton ball or from a

bunch of wool.
Or

Fibers , which can be

spun into yarn or made in to a

fabric by interlacing or inter

looping

Staple - Fibers with the limited

length.

Filament Fibers with continuous length.

Synthetic staple fiber - Nylon

Natural staple fiber - cotton

Yarn
It is an assemblage of fibers twisted or laid together to
form continues strand suitable for use in weaving and
knitting.

Cotton
Cotton referred to as the King of fibers is most important

textile fiber in the world. Cotton fabrics were made by the ancient
Egyptian, Chinese and of course Indian civilizations.

Cotton is a vegetable cellulosic fiber grown widely in hot

climates the world over. It is non-allergenic, and absorbs moisture

and dries quickly, giving it a cooling effect. Since it is even stronger

wet than dry, it is also very easy to wash. Cottons treated with caustic
soda and then stretched to make them smoother, more polished in

appearance, stronger, and less prone to shrinkage than untreated

cotton yarns are referred to as' mercerized

Wool
Wool as protein fiber, spun from the fleece of sheep, is

versatile, durable and elastic. A single wool fiber can be twisted

and turned 20,000 times without breaking and can be stretched 30

to 50 percent beyond its original length and rebound without

damage, which is why a garment made of wool retains its original
shape and naturally resists wrinkles.

Air spaces between the elastic crimps in wool fibers create

an insulating barrier which shields the body from cold or hot air,

regulating the body's natural temperature. Its ability to absorb up

to one-third its weight before it feels wet to the touch allows wool

to absorb perspiration and release it gradually, preventing chills

under a variety of weather conditions.

Wool is a natural protein fiber and considered as Mans best friend. Sheepskin,

including the hair, was probably used long before it was discovered that fibers
could be spun into yarns or even felted into fabric. The earliest fragments of wool
fabric have been found in Egypt but Mesopotamia is the birth place of wool.

Silk
While silk is not spun from animal hair, it is considered an

animal fibre because it has a protein structure. Like animal hair

fibers, silk is also a good insulator, keeping you warm in winter, and

cool in summer. Silk yarn is made from the thread-like filaments the

silkworm spins around itself to form its cocoon. When unwound, a

single filament can be as long as 1000 metres, which explains silk's

beautiful luster, drape and strength .

Silk has been considered as one of the most elegant and

luxurious of fibers. It is popularly known as the Queen of fabrics.

The method of raising silk worms and removing the silk filaments

from the cocoons, and of using the silk in weaving for garments was

discovered byHsi-Ling-Chi, a little Empress of China

Jute
jute is commercial natural fiber of cellulosic origin.

Vegetable type bast fiber. It is the 2nd mostly used fiber after cotton
and also the oldest fiber.

Flax linen
A fiber obtained from the stem of the Flax plant

Ramie
It is also vegetable fiber origin bast fiber. Manufacturing is similar
to linen. It having good absorbency then cotton.

Hemp
It is also bast fiber. Stronger than jute and flax. Same
manufacturing process as flax. Hemp is a vegetable fibers that are
heavier and coarser than either linen or ramie. It is often used to
make twines and sacking. Hemp come from the stems of the hemp.

Alpaca and Camel

Alpaca and camel-hair yarns are all spun from the fleeces of animals

which are members of the camel family. These fibers are luxurious,

soft and warm, and also very lightweight --their inner cores are

actually hollow, which also adds significantly to their insulating

properties.

Angora
The very best angora, which is combed from the Angora
rabbit, is an extremely soft, fluffy, and warm fiber. Each rabbit can
only provide a small amount of angora, so the expensive fiber is
often combined with other fibers. This process also helps to
alleviate some of the shedding that occurs with angora due to the
shortness of its fibers.

Cashmere
While somewhat weaker than wool, cashmere is luxurious-extraordinarily soft, resilient, and receptive to dyes. This rare and
expensive fiber is combed once a year from the bellies of the
cashmere goat, which lives only in the mountains of China and
Tibet.

Comparison of normal wool to cashmere

Polyesters
Polyester (traditionally from diethylene glycole and
terephtalic acid) is referred to as Dacron. These fibers are very easy
to care for. They are extraordinarily wrinkle resistant even when
wet and hold their shape well. The fibers' strength is useful when
combined with other fibers to add strength and stability to the end
result.