LESSON 2

FABRICS
Fabric
is cloth made of fibers.
Fibers
are hair-like strands that are wound to
make yarn or thread used to make fabric.
Fabric is the cloth or material used in making
our clothes, curtains, tablecloths, sheets and
many other items.
 Types of Fabrics
Woven fabric

does not stretch except

on the bias. Woven
fabric is made up of
fibers which run straight
at ninety degree angles
to each other.
Knit fabric

has loops of fiber that allow the fabric to stretch. The

amount and the direction of stretches are all variables. A knit
may stretch in one direction or it may stretch in both
directions. This is an important consideration when choosing
fabric for a specific pattern. For example, a bathing suit
pattern will require equal two way stretch. If you choose a
fabric that only stretches in one direction, the suit is not
going to fit properly and you cannot even put it on.
2.1 KINDS OF FABRICS, THEIR USES,
CHRACTERISTICS AND CARE
NATURAL FIBERS USES (Home and Apparel) Characteristics Care
Vegetable Fibers

A. Cotton Good for items Special for

The world's most
that need to be popular fabric. It is
durable press
washed often cool to wear and easy Maybe machine
to wash and sew. It is laundered
like sheets and versatile, durable and Avoid risk of
pillows, school comfortable. mildew
clothes, and Inexpensive but
shrinks and wrinkles
work clothes. easily
 KINDS OF COTTON FABRIC
Used for Tightly
1. Canvas crafts, home woven
decorating heavy-duty
(curtains cotton
cushions and
outdoor
gear)
2. Cotton For elegant A finely woven
Batiste garments lightweight cotton
(blouses, Use straight
baby
stitch/jeans presser
dresses,
foot and 60/8 or 70/10
and
underlining machine needle
3. Broadcloth
Perfect Fantastic, closely woven
for shirts cotton that has slight rib
4. Cotton
chintz
For home 100 percent cotton.
decoration Needs special fabric
s (curtains treatment that leaves it
and shiny and smooth
cushions)
5. Cotton
pique
The most Medium weight
common cotton fabric that
fabric used in has raised nubby
the tie and surface
waistcoat of
white tie
6. Cotton
shirting

Pajamas Lightweight 100-percent

and cotton that makes fantastic
boxers. menswear shirts
7. Cotton
voile
Mostly used in Crisp lightweight
soft furnishing cotton used for
such as curtains, garments
mosquito nets,
and also in
dressmaking.
8. Denim
Great for One of the
work most heavy-
clothes, duty cottons
jeans and
jackets.
9. Seer
sucker
Used to This falls into
make the category of
clothing for cotton crinkles
spring and which have
summer wear surface texture.
10. Terrycloth

Used for robes, Thick,

towels, absorbent
beachwear and cotton
home
decorating
11. Velveteen

Used in Either a 100-

dressmaking percent cotton or
cotton blend, it
has a duller and
slightly stiffer
look than velvet.
B. Linen Very strong, cool to
Women’s and wear, and usually more Iron at high
children’s expensive than cotton. temperature.
dresses and Easily wrinkled unless Avoid
blouses a special finish is pressing in
Summer dress applied. Known as the sharp
Table linens oldest fiber and used creases.
and other by the Egyptians Avoid risk of
household thousand of years ago. mildew
fabrics It comes from the stem
of a very pretty plant
called flax.
Animal Fibers
A. Silk- collected from the
cocoon of silk worm

For high- Strong and Dry cleaning is

end clothing luxurious fabric preferred.
and with natural Maybe hand
accessories luster; moderately washed in mild
Some resilient and suds. Avoid
expensive resists wrinkling over exposure
upholstery More expensive to light. Can be
and drapery than manmade attacked by
fabrics (filament) silky insects.
yarns
Kinds of Silk Fabric
1. China
silk
Used A very
almost lightweight silk
exclusively
for lining
2. Brocade
Luxurious Textured silk with
fabrics made some stiffness
into clothing or
wall hangings,
3. Chiffon
Can be used in Lightweight,
all sorts of very drapery
garments silk .This is
the fabric
that goes
with the flow.
4. Charmeuse
Works well as A slinky, satiny,
a 1940s redux supple silk
dressing gown,
dresses and
blouses
5. Crepe de Chine
For making a A light to
full range of medium weight
garments silk and comes
in two-ply,
three- ply, and
four- ply (the
heaviest)
weights
6. Dupioni
For making A stiffer and crisper
Capri silk; easy-to-sew silk
pants or a that adds a lot of
fancy room fashion flair
divider
7. Georgette
used for blouses, Lightweight silk
dresses, evening and barely
gowns, and visible
trimmings
8. Raw silk
Rough-looking
woven into
silk with a dull
textiles.
finish made from
short silk filaments
discarded as
waste but easy to
sew and has a
distinctive look
9. Washed silk

A great The washing

travel fabric process
makes this
silk creamy
and soft.
10. Shantung
For special Especially crisp
occasion and shiny silk
uses
11. Taffeta
for special A crisp silk
occasion that wrinkles
clothing and swishes
upon
movement
Wool - made from the sleets of sheep

Perfect for Outerwear Dry cleaning

tailoring Medium-weight is preferred;
blankets and clothing will shrink and
upholstery Springs back into felt in
shape presence of
Requires little moisture and
pressing; with heat and can
great versatility be attacked
in fabric and with by insects.
insulating
capacity
Kinds of Wool Fabric
1. Boiled
For blankets Made in similar
and jackets fashion as felt,
but much richer
and more supple.
There’s no need
to finish the seam
edges.
2. Boucle
Perfect for Has a
soft distinctive
shaping in sweater-like
coats and nubby surface
jackets created with
little loops
3. Challis
Perfect for all Medium to
types of lightweight, it
garments is hand
washable
and doesn’t
wrinkle
much.
4. Crepe
for scarves, Can be composed of
shawls, and wool, silk, cotton, or
bonnet synthetic. It varies in
trimmings quality and it is
Perfect for expensive. It is a
Making shirts beautiful fabric that
drapes well and is
extremely wearable.
5. Gabardine

Works well on A twill-weave

tailored and fabric, hand
constructed washable and
garments do not wrinkle
6. Melton
Used for Thick and
coats bulky wool with
a soft napped
surface but too
thick to handle
7. Merino
widely A very fine,
used in the expensive,
textile closely-
industries woven wool
made from
Merino
sheep’s
coats.
8. Worsted
Lustrous
Used for
wool in a
tailoring
variety of
jackets, skirts
weights
and pants.
Synthetic or Manmade Fibers
a.Rayon
Light and Soft, cheap and Hand washing
medium- comfortable fabric to dry cleaning.
weight absorbent; lacks Tends to shrink
clothing resilience; wrinkles and stretch
Drapery and easily. unless proper
upholstery Not easy to sew as chemical finish
fabrics plain cottons. is applied.
Blankets,
throw rugs
and table
coverings
b. Polyester
Wash and wear Strong and durable Can be washable
clothing- often in synthetic fabric; dries or dry clean.
combination with quickly, with sharp Remove oily
other fibers, pleat and crease stains before
especially cotton retention. washing.
Curtains, Needs little
carpets, fiberfill, ironing or
raincoats and pressing. Use
hats. It is ideal steam iron at
for constructing warm setting.
strong outerwear
for damp
climates.
c. Nylon
Women's It was first Remove oily stains
stockings were developed as a before washing.
the first substitute for Washes easily;
commercial use imported silk. wash with care to
of nylon. With exceptional maintain
Also used for strength, whiteness.
clothing, excellent Press at low
upholstery and elasticity; retains temperatures.
carpet, rope, shape. Woven Dry clean
tents and fabrics feel
fishing line. uncomfortable in
contact with skin.
d.Rubber

Frequent washing
Foundation Stretch and
recovery rate in mild suds; avoid
garments
constant
Swimwear is high
Damaged by overstretch at high
oils and light temperature
With
discoloration
e. Spandex

Foundation Stretch and May be machine

garments; recovery rate is laundered with
Swimwear high warm water
Surgical Resists abrasion Dry on lowest heat,
hose and body oils shortest cycle.
Ski pants With discoloration
and other
sportswear
f. Acrylic
Tailored Resists Remove oily stains
outerwear; wrinkling before washing.
knitted High bulking Washable or dry
wear, pile power cleanable
fabrics, Wool-like Medium iron
blankets texture temperature.
and Very resistant
carpets to effects of
sunlight