The way that fibers are constructed into fabrics influences the appearance, performance and end use of textile products. The four main types of fabric construction techniques are knitting, weaving, felting, and pressing/rolling. In this post I will share some examples of each of these construction types.
Felting
Felting is the oldest form of fabric construction and is accomplished by matting fibers together and then condensing and pressing them into fabric. It is usually done with animal fibres, though some other fibres are sometimes mixed in during industrial production of felt. Moisture and friction are most frequently used to make the felting happen.
Felting produces a soft fabric, with good insulating qualities. In the costume example above, the amount of structural shape felt provides makes an effective pumpkin, complete with hat. This was an easy fabric to sew with as it was stable and did not require seam finishes. Felt would not be practical to launder frequently, which would not be a concern with a costume. These two little pumpkins are my sons who are both in university now, but they enjoyed these costumes years ago! The flower picture was a sample I made during a needle felting workshop and showed how effective felting can be as a form of textile art. The dryer balls are really just felted balls of wool, which work hard in our dryer keeping items separate to dry better, removing static and making things nice and soft. These ones are looking a little worn - it is probably time for a new set! Felted fabrics do not drape well and do not have a lot of strength, so are not appropriate for uses where these characteristics are needed.
Knitting
Fabric can also be made by knitting together yarns in a series of interconnected loops. Knit fabrics are generally classified as weft or warp knits, with weft being the most common for fashion and apparel items. Fabric created by knitting is usually soft and has a good amount of stretch and recovery. This makes it comfortable to wear and desirable for a variety of applications. One disadvantage of knits is that they can unravel.
In these examples, a knit fabric works very well for the intended purposes. The running pants need to be flexible and comfortable to move in, which are characteristics of knitted fabric. Knits are used for many types of sports and exercise clothing, as well as general leisure wear. The knit fabric of the dress in the middle is lightweight and soft, making this garment comfortable to wear. The pattern that is knit into the fabric is also distinctive and adds interest to the dress. Socks require flexibility to shape to the foot and would not work with a fabric that did not stretch and recover. I knit this pair of socks from one strand of multi coloured yarn, which knit up into this bright, unique pattern. All of these items benefit from the soft comfort of a knit fabric. Knit fabric would not be as desirable in a textile item where stability and more structured shape was required. For those characteristics we will need to look at the next fabric structure.
Weaving
Interlacing weft yarns (crosswise) and warp yarns (lengthwise) creates a woven fabric. There are different ways the yarns can be interwoven, which gives distinct properties and appearance. The main weaves are plain weave, twill weave and satin weave. Woven fabrics are usually strong and stable, and can be used for a wide variety of textile items. They will fray and therefore seam finishes are required when sewing with woven fabric. They do not stretch well, with the exception of the bias area (diagonal) of the fabric which does have good stretch.
These examples show the variety of textile items that can be made with woven fabric. The placemat was handwoven by the Madawaska Weavers in Saint Leonard, New Brunswick. It demonstrates the beautiful patterns that can be created by weaving. Table linens like this, where stability and maintaining shape are important, provide a good example of a practical use of woven fabrics. The other garments would all be made from fabric woven on mechanical looms rather than by hand. The suit jacket uses a plain weave with a subtle plaid pattern woven in. The back of the vest, with its' smooth, shiny appearance is an example of satin weave. In contrast to this is the twill weave of the jeans, which produces a heavier, more long wearing and strong fabric. All of these textile items would be stable over time and retain their shape.
Pressing/Rolling
The use of pressing and rolling to create fabric is not as widespread as the other forms of fabric construction, but there continues to be developments in new technology for making fabrics in this way. Most of the uses of textiles made from these fabrics are more industrial in nature, or found in home decor items. They are not as commonly used in clothing garments.
The scraps of non woven interfacing I found in my sewing room would have been made by pressing fibres together. This interfacing would give structure to other fabric when sewn to them, but would not be appropriate to use on its own as it could simply be pulled apart. The window blinds and shower curtain would have been made by a rolling process. The smooth, water and sunlight resistant nature of these fabrics is desirable for these purposes but this type of fabric would not be comfortable to wear. Some fabrics made this way may be used for garments such as waterproof jackets and pants.
Resources for Textile Structure
Torb & Reiner. (2014). The History of felt. Retrieved from http://www.torbandreiner.com/felt-history-general
Textile World. (March 16, 2015). The wide world of knits. Retrieved from http://www.textileworld.com/textile-world/knitting-apparel/2015/03/the-wide-world-of-knits/
This pdf gives a good simple overview of weaving;
Suggested Activity for Student Learning
On this site I found from the BBC, there is a section in Design and Technology "bite sized" learning opportunities, on fabric construction. There is information students can read, followed by an online quiz ("test bite"). The test score is shown immediately after you finish the questions. This seemed to me to be another good opportunity for students' independent learning, which could be used for students who complete hands on work early, or when a substitute lesson is needed. I tried accessing the site and doing the quiz on my phone and it worked fine. Students usually have a phone with them, so it could be done on their own phone, assuming the school WiFi is working well (sometimes a big assumption). This would be more practical then using school computers if you only have one computer in your classroom, as I do. Alternatively, if this was being used for a substitute lesson, a computer lab could be booked so all students would have easy access to the site. There are other textile topics, such as fibre types, on the site and students could work through the different topics. The results of the quizzes can be printed so the teacher could see how they did and have a copy of the results. The purpose of this site seems to be for UK students to prepare for exams, but also is a great way for our students to simply expand their knowledge of textiles. Given that this is produced in the UK, students may need to be told that a "jumper" means a sweater. Jumper is used several time in the quiz on fibre types.
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