Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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BSC Degree in Textile Design
1
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Year
352-4 Fabric Study
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INDEX
Unit I ................................................................. 3
Lesson 1: Yarns ..................................................... 4
Lesson 2: Cotton System, Wool System ................ 7
Lesson 3: Alternate Spinning Processes .............. 16
Unit II .............................................................. 22
Lesson 4: Yarn Properties ................................... 23
Lesson 5: Number of Yarn Parts .......................... 28
Lesson 6: Textured Yarns .................................... 35
Lesson 7: Fibre Blends ........................................ 39
Unit - III ............................................................. 44
Lesson 8: Definition of Weaving .......................... 45
Lesson 9: Woven Fabrics ..................................... 51
Lesson 10: Fancy Weaves ................................... 65
Unit - IV .............................................................. 84
Lesson 11: Other Methods of Fabrication ............ 85
Lesson 12: Leather Science ................................. 91
Unit V ............................................................. 137
Lesson 13: Collection of Swatches and Maintaining
a Swatch File..................................................... 138
Books for Further References............................ 210
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Unit I
Lesson 1: Yarn definition
Lesson 2: Cotton system, wool system
Lesson 3: Alternate spinning processes
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Lesson 1: Yarns
Objective
To learn what is a yarn
To study different forms of yarn
Structure
1.1 What is a yarn?
Forms of yarn
Basic structure of yarn
1.1 Yarn Processing
1.2 Identification of spun and filament yarn
1.1 What is a Yarn?
To convert textile fibers into fabrics some type of
fiber arrangement is required. Probably the most
common method is to convert fibers into yarns,
which are then constructed into fabrics .Yarns are
essential for knitting ,weaving, braiding etc.The
basic unit to make yarn is fibers. Thus yarns are
composed of textile fibres.
The term yarn has been defined by the American
Society of Testing Materials (ASTM) as
a continuous strand of textile fibres, filaments,
or material in a form suitable for knitting,
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weaving or otherwise interlacing to make a
textile fabric.
Yarn occurs in the following forms
a) a number of fibres twisted together
b) a number of filaments laid together without twist
c) a number of filaments laid together with little
twist
d) a single filament
e) one or more strips made by the length wise
division of a sheet of material such as a natural
or synthetic polymer, a paper or a metal foil.
Basic structure of yarn includes four types
Monofilament :composed of a single filament
Multifilament :composed of several filaments
Staple yarns: are yarns made from short length
fibers.
Filament yarns: are made from filament fibers.
Note:
The filaments appear in man-made fabrics.
The only natural filament fibre is silk.
The filaments can be cut down to short lengths
(like cotton), and twisted to make yarns.
Natural fibers always have a short length and
need spinning to make yarns.
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1.2 YARN PROCESSING
Yarns composed of staple fibres are frequently
called spun yarns or staple fibre yarns. The spun
yarns are manufactured by either the Wool or the
Cotton System.
1.3 Identication of spun and filament yarn
When a spun yarn is untwisted and pulled, yarn
simply comes apart without breaking
When filament yarn is untwisted and pulled,
fibers remain parallel and yarn does not come
apart
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Lesson 2: Cotton System,
Wool System
Objective
To study the yarn processing through cotton
system and wool system
To understand different steps and there
importance in yarn processing
Structure
2.1 Cotton system
2.2 Wool system
2.1 COTTON SYSTEM
Manufacturing Process
1. Sorting and Blending: Cotton and other staple
fibres arrive at the processing unit in the form of
bales. The bales are opened and fed into the
blending machines. The machines loosen and
separate the closely packed fibres and remove
any dirt or impurities and blend the fibres into a
uniform mixture.
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2. Picking: The fibers are passed on to the pickers.
These machines clean them further and form
them into a lap about 40-45 wide of randomly
oriented fibres. The lap resembles absorbent
cotton in form and shape. Quality of the yarn is
dependent to a considerable degree upon the
thoroughness of the picking operation and the
uniformity of the picker lap.
3. Carding: The picker lap is next fed into the
carding machine. This step continues the
cleaning process, removing fibres too short for
yarns and separating and partially straightening
them so that their longitudinal axes are
somewhat parallel. The fibres are then spread
into a thin, uniform web. The web moves into a
funnel shaped device where it is gathered into a
soft mass and formed into the card sliver, a
ropelike strand of fibres about inch to 1 inch in
diameter. The card sliver is not completely
uniform in diameter, and the fibres are
considerably more random in arrangement than
a combed sliver. Carded yarns go directly to the
drawing machine; combed yarns receive
additional processing before drawing.
THE PURPOSE OF CARDING:
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to open the individual fibers
cleaning or elimination of impurities
reduction of naps
elimination of dust
elimination of short fibers
fiber orientation or alignment
sliver formation
4. Combing: For high-quality yarns of outstanding
evenness, smoothness, fineness, and strength,
the fibres are combed as well as carded. In the
combing operation several card slivers are
combined and then drawn onto the comb
machine, where they again are spread into a web
form and subjected to further cleaning and
straightening. Short fibres are removed. After
combing, the fibres are pulled from the combing
wires and formed into a combed sliver. This
sliver will produce yarns of high quality.
5. Drawing: Depending on the quality of yarn
desired, drawing follows either carding or
combing. Several slivers are combined and
conveyed to the drawing machine, where they
are pulled together and drawn out into a new
sliver no larger than one of the original single
slivers - diameter. Fibre the yarn is to be an
intimate blend of two or more fibres, the slivers
will be different fibres. For example, one sliver of
cotton fibres for each silver of polyester fibres
wild produce a blend of approximately 50
percent polyester and 50 percent cotton. As yet
no twist will have been introduced into the yarn.
Through doubling the slivers are made even
doubling results in homogenization(blending)
through draft fibers get parallelized
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hooks created in the card are straightened
through the suction ,intensive dust removal is
achieved
auto leveler maintains absolute sliver fineness
6. Roving: The sliver from the drawing machine is
taken to the roving machine, where it is
attenuated until it measures from to
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of its
original diameter. As the roving strand is ready
to leave the roving frame, a slight twist is
imparted to the strand, and it is then ready to
the spinning frame. The fineness and intimacy of
blending of the yarn depend to some degree on
the number of times the slivers are doubled and
redrawn during the roving operation.
7. Spinning: The final process in the manufacture
of yarn is the spinning operation: In the spinning
frame the yarn is stretched to its ultimate
diameter, and the desired amount of twist is
inserted.
Several methods are used for imparting twist during
the spinning operation. For cotton yarns as well as
for other fibres processed on the cotton system the
most common technique is ring spinning. In the
ring spinning, the drawn-out roving is guided in a
downward direction through the traveler, a small
inverted U-shaped device. The traveler moves
around the ring at the rate of 4,000 to 12,000
revolutions per minute. As the spindle revolves to
wind the yarn, the latter has to pass through the
traveler, which carries it around on the ring. This
process imparts the desired twist. The yarn as it
comes from the spinning machine is a single yarn.
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MANUFACTURING STEPS
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2.2 THE WOOL SYSTEM
Wool and man-made fibres can be spun into yarns
by the woolen or the worsted system.
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The woolen system is comparable to that used in
spinning carded cotton, where the yarns are
carded, drawn, and spun.
Yarns made by the worsted system are similar to
combed cotton yarns in that the fibres are
combed after carding to produce smoother and
finer-quality yarns. Another difference between
woolen and worsted yarn is the fibre length
involved. Woolen yarns use the shorter length of
wool fibres whereas worsted yarns use the
longer wool fibers.
Steps involved in the manufacturing of
woolen yarn:
1. Sorting: Each fleece is carefully opened, and an
expert grader pulls the fleece apart and sorts the
fibres according to fineness or width and length
of fibre and sometimes according to strength.
The grade of fibre determines the type of product
for which it will be used. Fine fibres that are
relatively long are reserved for sheer wool fabrics
and for worsteds; medium fibres of shorter
length are suitable for woolens; coarse fibres;
both long and short, go into rough fabrics and
carpets. The best-quality fibres come from the
sides and shoulders of the sheep. Lambs wool,
sheared from animals about eight months old, is
used in making very fine-quality, soft-textured
sweaters similar products.
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VARIOUS TYPES AND NATURAL COLOURS
OF WOOL
2. Scouring: After sorting, the wool is scoured.
This involves washing in warm soapy water
several times, followed by thorough rinsing and
drying. Scouring is essential, for it removes the
natural grease in the fibre, the body excretions,
dirt, and dust. Natural grease is recovered and
purified and becomes lanolin, used in the
cosmetic industry. Scouring is, of course, not
required for man-made fibres.
3. Carding and combing: Wool fibres are carded
by passing them between cylinders faced with
fine wire teeth. This procedure removes
considerable vegetable matter such as twigs
and burrs that remain in the fibre after scouring
and begins to disentangle the fibres and
straighten them. It can be compared with the
carding of cotton fibres.
Before combing, it must be decided whether the
fibres are to be used for woolen or worsted yarns
and fabrics. Woolen yarns are carded only, and the
fibres are quite random in arrangement.
Considerable foreign matter remains in woolen
yarns, and if this is to be removed, it is eventually
taken out by Carbonization. The latter involves
passing the fabric through a sulphuric acid bath and
applying heat, which combines with the acid to burn
out vegetable matter. A final rinse removes acid and
carbonized matter.
Fibres for worsted yarns are combed by passing
them through the combing machine, where they are
arranged parallel to each other. Short fibres are
removed, and the remaining fibers are pulled into
an untwisted strand called top. Wool tops can be
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dyed in this form, or the worsted yarns can be
constructed and dyed later.
4. Spinning: The spinning of wool yarns usually is
done by either the ring method or the mule
method. Large amounts of wool are spun by the
ring method today, because it is faster, it
produces good-quality yarn, and the equipment
occupies less space than the mule frame.
RING-SPINNING: A system of spinning using a
ring-and-traveler takeup wherein the drafting of the
roving and twisting and winding of the yarn onto the
bobbin proceed simultaneously and continuously.
Ring frames are suitable for spinning all counts up
to 150s, and they usually give a stronger yarn and
are more productive than mule spinning frames. The
latest innovation in ring spinning involves the use of
a revolving ring (Also see REVOLVING SPINNING
RING) to increase productivity. Ring spinning
equipment is also widely used to take-up
manufactured filament yarns and insert producer-
twist at extrusion.
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Lesson 3: Alternate
Spinning Processes
Objective
To study various alternate spinning process.
Structure
3.1 Open end rotor spinning
3.2 Air jet spinning
3.3 Direct spinning
3.4 Compact spinning
3.5 Twist less spinning
3.6 Self twist spinning
Introduction
These procedures shorten and simplify yarn
spinning by eliminating or bypassing some of the
steps in the conventional ring-spinning system. Most
processes focus on eliminating one or more of these
steps: drawing, roving, ring spinning, and
rewinding. However, the two dominant spinning
systems are ring and open-end spinning.
3.1 Open-End Rotor Spinning:
In the rotor-air-jet spinning process, silver is broken
up so that individual fibers are fed by an air stream
and deposited on the inner surface of a rotating
device driven at high speed. As the fibers are drawn
off, twist is inserted by the rotation of the rotor,
thus making a yarn. Open-end rotor spinning.
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eliminates the roving and twisting by the ring.
Knots are eliminated
larger packages of yarn are formed,
less operator supervision is needed,
and production speeds are about four times that
of ring spinning, but the yarns produced are
coarser.
(Figure 1).
Friction spinning, a modification of open-end rotor
spinning, combines rotor and air techniques. The
sliver is separated into fibres that are spread into
carding or combing rolls and delivered by air to two
cylinders rotating in the same direction, which pull
the fibres into a yarn. The feed angle into the
cylinder controls fibre alignment. Friction-spun
FIGURE 1: OPEN-END
ROTOR SPINNING.
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yarns are more even, freer of lint and other debris,
and loftier, but they are weaker as compared with
conventional yarns. Friction spinning may be used to
process very short waste staple fibre into yarns.
3.2 Air-Jet Spinning:
Air-jet spinning is similar to rotor spinning, except
that an even, regular yarn is formed by moving air
rather than a rotor. Air-jet yarn are less elastic,
weaker, and rougher than either ring or rotor-
spun yarns.
AIR JET SPINNING: A spinning system in which
yarn is made by wrapping fibers around a core
stream of fibers with compressed air. In this
process, the fibers are drafted to appropriate sliver
size, then fed to the air jet chambers where they
are twisted, first in one direction, then in the
reverse direction in a second chamber. They are
stabilizedafter each twisting operation
3.3 Direct Spinning:
Direct spinning eliminates the roving but still uses
the ring-spinning device for inserting the twist.
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The sliver is fed directly to the spinning frame. This
machine is used to make heavier yarn for pile
fabrics and carpets.
3.4 Compact Spinning:
Compact spinning is a variation of ring spinning that
condenses the roving before final twist insertion and
creates a yarn with better smoothness and strength.
3.5 Twist less Spinning:
Twist less spinning eliminates the twisting process.
A roving is wetted, drawn out, sprayed with sizing
or adhesive, wound on a package, and steamed to
bond the fibres together. The yarns are ribbon like
in shape and stiff because of the sizing. They lack
strength as individual yarns but gain strength in the
fabric from the pressure between the warp and
filling. The absence of twist gives the yarns a soft
hand, good luster, and opacity after the sizing is
removed. The yarns are easy to dye and have good
durability but are not suitable to very open fabric
structures.
3.6 Self-Twist Spinning:
In self-twist spinning, two strands of roving are
carried between two rollers, which draw out the
roving and insert twist. The yarns have areas of S-
twist and areas of Z-twist. When the two twisted
yarns are brought together, they intermesh and
entangle, and, when pressure is released, the yarns
ply over each other.
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Summary:
Yarns are continuous. Stands of textile fibers,
filaments or material in a form suitable for knitting,
weaving or otherwise interlacing to make a textile
fabric. Yarns can be multifilament or monofilament
cotton is processed into yarn after going through
various processes staging from sorting, picking,
carding, combining, drawing, rowing and spinning.
To spun wool yarn the steps are sorting, scouring,
carding and combing and spinning. Alternate
spinning process procedures shorten and simplify
yarn spinning by eliminating or bypassing some of
the steps in the conventional ring-spinning system.
Most processes focus on eliminating one or more of
these steps drawing, roving, ring spinning and
rewinding. However, the two dominant spinning
systems are ring and open end spinning. Other
alternate spinning process are air jet spinning,
direct spinning, compact spinning, twist less
spinning and self twist spinning.
Revision Points:
- To weave or knit of fabric it is necessary to have
yarns. Yarns are composed of textile fibers.
- Yarns occur in 5 different ways
- Yarns composed of staple fibers are frequently
called spun yarns or staple fiber yarns. The spun
yarns are manufactured by either the wool or the
cotton system.
- The alternate spinning processes are open-end
rotor spinning, air jet spinning, direct spinning,
direct spinning, compact spinning, twist less
spinning and self twist spinning.
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Intext Question:
1. What are the steps involved in the cotton system
of your construction?
2. What are the faster and newer methods of yarn
construction.
Terminal Exercise:
1. What is a yarn?
2. What is open-end rotor spinning?
3. What is carbonization?
4. What is the difference between carded and
combed yarns?
5. What is the difference between woolen and
worsted fabrics?
Assignment:
Collecting swatches and maintaining a swatch file
Keywords:
Fleece - wool obtained from living animal
Suet hard fat of an animal
Lanolin Extract obtained from sheep wool used in
ointments
Twigs Small branch of tree
Burr A rough edge of cutting tost left inside the
fibre
Sizing the process of applying starch onto the
yarn to make them stiff.
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Unit II
Lesson 4: Yarn properties
Lesson 5: Number of yarn parts
Lesson 6: Textured yarns
Lesson 7: Fiber Blends
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Lesson 4: Yarn Properties
Objective
To learn what is thread, yarn and its parts &
types
Structure
4.1 Thread and Yarn
4.2 Yarn twist and its effects
4.3 Balanced and unbalanced yarns
4.4 Yarn Number or Yarn Count
4.1 Thread and Yarn
Thread and yarn are basically very similar.
Yarn is the term usually applied when the
assembled age of fibres is employed in the
manufacture of fabric. They can be simple as
well as fancy.
Whereas thread indicates a product used to join
pieces of fabric together to create textile
products. They are always simple
4.2 Yarn twist and its effects
Twist is inserted to the fibres to help hold them
together. The amount of twist is sometimes
identified broadly as low, medium or high. It is more
accurate to define twist as the number of turns per
unit length (metric or inch).
More the twist per inch, finer and more compact
is the yarn;
More the twist, stronger will be the yarn. Beyond
a certain optimum point, the twist will cause the
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yarns kinks and eventually the yarn will become
brittle and loose strength;
Increased twist adds elasticity to the yarn;
Yarns become more resistant to abrasion with a
higher twist;
High twist gives a smooth surface to the yarn so
that they can shed soil easily.
Yarns with low twist are soft, fluffy and tend to be
warmer because of air spaces to serve as insulation
areas. They have a surface texture but are less
strong and abrade easily as compared to yarns with
high twist. They also tend to snag.
4.3 Balanced and unbalanced yarns:
Balanced yarns are those in which the twist is
such that the yarn will hang in a loop without
kinking, doubling or twisting upon itself.
Unbalanced yarns have a sufficient twist to set up
a torque effect and the yarn can untwist and
retwist in the opposite direction. Smooth fabrics
require balanced yarns, but for textured effects,
unbalanced yarns are used.
Direction of the twist: Yarns can be twisted with
either a right hand twist (S-twist) or the left handed
twist (Z-twist). The direction of the twist conforms
to the centre bar of the letter. Various effects can be
obtained by combining yarns of different twist
directions.
S-TWIST Z-TWIST
FIGURE 2: S- AND Z-TWIST
YARNS
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4.4 Yarn Number or Yarn Count:
Count of yarn: The count of a yarn is a numerical
expression which defines its fine ness. The count of
a yarn is the number indicating the mass per unit
length or the length per unit mass.
To calculate the yarn number there are
two systems:
Direct System
Indirect System
DIRECT SYSTEM
In this system the yarn number or count is the
weight of a unit length of yarn i.e. length is constant
and mass varies. It is used to measure manmade or
silk yarn i.e. filament yarns. Direct numbering can
de done by using either tex or denier
DENIER SYSTEM
It is a national system
Higher the denier, thicker the yarn
1 denier yarn is a yarn where 9000 meters ,if
weighed, would equal 1gram.It can be written
as:
9000m-1gm-1denier
9000m-2gm-2denier
Basic formula:
Denier=Gm X L ( 9000)/M
Den=denier no.
Gm=gram(wt)
L=Length in 9000 meters
M=meters
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TEX SYSTEM
It is an international system
The tex system was introduced by the
international organization for standardization
(ISO)
The greater the weight the thicker the yarn and
consequently higher the tex number.
1tex=1gm/km
It is different from denier as 1000 meter length
is selected inspite of 9000 meters.
Tex number is always relatively smaller than the
equivalent denier because a shorter length is
used.
Basic formula:
Tex=1000 x Gm/meter
(1denier=9 x tex)
INDIRECT SYSTEM
It is used for cotton, woolen and worsted yarns. In
an indirect system the yarn number or count is the
number of units of lengths per unit of weight.
Indirect numbering can be done by using
cotton English system.
COTTON ENGLISH SYSTEM
It is an indirect system.
One in widest use
Based on length per unit weight
As length increases fineness increases
The yarn number is measured by the number of
840 yard hanks in 1 pound of the material.
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Note:
Yarns are numbered by measuring the weight in
pounds of one 840-yard hank. In simpler words
it is the number of 840 yard hanks required to
weight one pound. For example if 840 yards of
cotton weight one pound the yarn number is 15;
if it requires thirty hanks to weigh one pound,
the yarn number is 30s. A heavy yarn is 15;
medium yarn is 30s and light weight is 160s.
The woolen yarn is measured by the number of
300 yard hanks per pound, where as worsted is
measured by the number of 560 yard hanks per
pound.
Silk and man made yarns are usually measured
using the denier system. The denier is equal to
the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of yarn.
Owing to the international scope of the textile
industry, an universal system for yarn numbering
or yarn count is used. This method called tex,
determines the yarn number by measuring the
weight in grams of kilometer (1,000 meters) of
yarn. The weight is the tex yarn number.
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Lesson 5: Number of Yarn
Parts
Objective
To learn various types of simple & complex
yarn
Structure
5.1 Simple yarn/ yarn parts
5.2 Complex yarn
5.3 Classification of simple and complex yarn
5.1 SIMPLE YARN/YARN PARTS
An important characteristic by which yarns are
categorized is the number of parts used in yarn
formation and they are also known as simple yarn.
The three categories include single, ply, and cord or
cable.
1. Single yarn: is the most basic assemblage of
fibres, either staple or filament, suitable for
operations involved in making fabrics. These
yarns can be made from any fibre and by any of
the yarn construction processes described in the
previous chapter. Single yarns may be simple or
complex. A single yarn made to be a simple yarn
would be identified as a simple single yarn.
2. Ply yarn: is made by combining two or more
single yarns. These are twisted or plied
together. In the naming of a ply yarn, especially
a simple ply, the number of singles used
precedes the word ply. For example, if two
singles are used, the resulting yarn is called a
two-ply; if four singles are used, it is a four-ply.
When simple single yarns are combined to form
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a simple ply yarn, the number is inserted as
follows: a simple x-ply yarn. The number used
indicates the number of singles in the yarn.
Complex ply yarns are discussed in the next
section.
3. Cord or cable yarns consist of two or more ply
yarns twisted together. In identifying a cord, one
must indicate the number of plies in the cord.
Thus, a 4, 7 ply cord indicates that each ply is
made of seven singles and that four of these
seven-ply yarns have been combined to make
the cord.
Note:
Single, ply, or cord yarns may be made of staple
fibres or filament fibres
(a) Cord
Yarn
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In the case of ply and cord types may be made
of a combination of filament singles and staple
fibre singles.
Typically, however, simple yarns are generally
made of one fibre type, either all staple or all
filament fibres.
5.2 SIMPLE AND COMPLEX YARNS
1. Simple Yarns: Yarns that are even in size, have
an equal number of twists per inch throughout
their length, and are smooth and uniform are
called the simple yarns.
Simple yarns tend to produce smooth flat fabrics
which are durable and easy to maintain.
Crepe yarns are a variation of simple yarns. A
crepe yarn is given a very high degree of twist so
that the yarns tend to kink. This kinkiness results in
the rough surface texture that is a characteristic of
crepe fabrics.
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2. Complex Yarns: Complex yarns are made
primarily for their appearance value. They are
characterized by irregularities in size, twist and
effect. Most complex yarns are either single or
ply yarns.
a) Complex Single Yarns
1. Slub Yarn A slub yarn may either be a single
or a 2-ply yarn. In a single slub, the yarn is left
untwisted or slackly twisted at irregular intervals.
In order to produce soft bulky sections e.g.
shawtung, butcher.
2. Flock or tweed yarns Flicks of short coloured
fibres are twisted into the yarn to add interest
tweeds are often made of wool.
b) Complex Ply Yarns
A complex ply yarn is made up of 3 parts
i. Core ply or ground or the foundation yarn
to give strength to the yarn.
ii. The effect ply is responsible for creating the
design and appearance.
iii. The tie or the binder ply holds the effect ply
and ply together (Fig. 5).
15.3 Complex ply yarns are novelty or
fancy yarns.
The following are typical novelty ply yarns:
(Fig. 4)
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1. In ratine yarns, the effect ply is twisted in a
spiral arrangement around the ground ply. At
intervals, a longer loop is thrown out, kinks back
on itself, and is held in place by the binder.
These yarns are used primarily in furnishings.
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2. The knot, spot, nub or knop yarn is made by
twisting the effect ply many times in the same
place. Two effect plies of different colours may
be used and the knots arranged so the coloured
spots alternate along the length of the yarn. A
binder is added during the twisting operation.
These yarns are used in apparel and furnishings.
3. In spike or snarl yarn, the effect ply forms
alternating open loops along both sides of the
yarn. These yarns are used in apparel and
furnishings.
4. Loop, curl, or boucle yarn has closed loops at
regular intervals along the yarn. These yarns are
used in fabrics to create a looped pile resembling
caraculs lambskin called astrakhan cloth. They
are also used to give textures to other fabrics.
Mohair, rayon, and acetate may be used for the
effect ply in apparel and furnishings.
5. Metallic yarns have been used for thousands of
years. For processing and use information.
Metallic yarns my be monofilament fibres or
combined in ply yarns. Metallic fancy yarns are
used primarily in apparel. However, some
metallic looking yarns are made from ultra fine
plastic fibres of nylon or polyester split film made
of 200 layers. These film yarns produce luminous
and iridescent effects without the comfort
problems of metallic monofilaments.
6. Chenille yarn is made by cutting a specially
woven ladder like fabric into warp wise strips.
The cut ends of the softly twisted yarns loosen
and form a fringe. Chenille or caterpillar yarn
may be woven to produce pile on one side or on
both sides.
7. Spiral or corkscrew: This effect is obtained by
twisting together yarns of different diameters or
different fibres.
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Classification of Novelty or Fancy Yarns
Classification of Single Simple Yarns
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Lesson 6: Textured Yarns
Objective
To learn different textured yarn and
processes
Structure
6.1 Introduction
6.2 Definition
6.3 Types of textured yarns
6.4 Methods of producing textured yarns
6.1 Introduction
As the name suggests, it means giving texture to
either a staple or a filament yarn. Textured yarns
may be regular or irregular so they bear superficial
resemblance to simple or complex yarns.
6.2 Definition
Texturing is the formation of crimp, loops, coils, or
crinkles in filaments. Such changes in the physical
form of a fibre (several examples of which are
shown in ) affect the behaviour and hand of fabrics
made from them.
6.3 There are 3 types of textured yarns:
(a) Stretch
(b) Modified Stretch
(c) bulked
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Stretch yarns: have extremely high level of elastic
extensibility and recovery.
Modified Stretch :yarns have some degree of
stretch, but they have been stabilized by
processing, to control the stretch.
Bulked yarns: are special textured yarns designed
to contribute bulk to the fabrics. They are fluffy and
bulky and are used for sweaters, carpets and wool
like knits. These have very little or no stretch.
Textured yarns
6.4 METHODS OF PRODUCING TEXTURED
YARNS
a) Stuffer Box Crimping: The stuffer box
produces a saw tooth crimp on the yarn. The
crimp is heat set, so that when the filaments are
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removed, the crimp remains. The most well
known stuffer box yarn is Ban-Lon; and nylon
and polyester are most frequently used for this
method.
b) Draw Texturizing: The filaments are twisted
partially, heat set and then untwisted. It is a
faster and cheaper way of making textured
yarns.
c) Air Jet Method: The process is a highly refined
rewinding operation that provides for a brief
exposure of a multi filament yarn to a turbulent
stream of compressed air. The air in
concentrated jets, blows the filaments apart and
forms loops in the individual fibres. The resulting
yarn is bulky and does not exhibit stretch. For
example Taslan.
d) Knit De knit: This involves knitting filament
yours into fabric, heat-setting the fabric, then
deknitting or unraveling the yarn. The unraveled
yarn exhibits crimp.
e) Gear Crimping: In gear crimping yarns under
controlled tension and temperature are carried
between rotating gear that give a saw-tooth
configuration to the filaments. Textured yarns
are good moisture absorbers. They have stretch
to give a freedom of movement and bulk to give
warmth. Care must be taken to avoid snagging.
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Lesson 7: Fibre Blends
Objective
To study the meaning of blend, mixture and
combination
A blend is an intimate mixture of fibres of different
generic type, composition, length, diameter, or
colour spun together into one yarn. In intimate
blends, both fibres are present in the same yarn in
planned proportions. Fibre types cannot be
separated; they are next to each other throughout
the yarn. When intimate blend yarns are untwisted
and examined through a microscope, both fibres are
visible in the viewing area.
Mixture refers to yarns of different generic types
within a fabric. In a mixture, yarns of one fibre type
are used in the warp and yarns of another type are
used in the filling. When fabrics of this type are
unraveled, the fibres can be separated by placing all
warp yarns in one pile and all filling yarns in another
pile.
In a combination, ply yarns are used. At least one
component of the ply yarn is of a different generic
fibre type from the other components of the ply
yarn. For example, many fabrics that incorporate a
metallic component are combinations because the
metallic component is part of a plied fancy yarn.
Blends, mixtures, and combinations produce fabrics
with properties that are different from those
obtained with one fibre only. This discussion relates
to blends because they are most common, but these
comments also apply to mixtures and combinations.
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Blending is done for several reasons:
1. To produce fabrics with a better combination of
performance characteristics. Although blends
never perform as well in the areas of positive
performance as fabrics of only one fibre, blends
help compensate for poor performance. In end
uses for which durability is important, nylon or
polyester blended with cotton or wool increases
strength and resistance to abrasion, while the
wool or cotton look in maintained. For example,
100 percent cotton fabrics are not as durable as
polyester/cotton blends, and polyester/cotton
blends are less absorbent than 100 percent
cotton fabrics.
2. To improve spinning, weaving, and finishing
efficiency and to improve uniformity.
3. To obtain better texture, hand, or fabric
appearance. A small amount of a specialty wool
may be used to give a buttery or slick hand to
wool fabrics, or a small amount of rayon may
give luster and softness to a cotton fabric. Fibres
with different shrinkage properties are blended
to produce bulky, lofty fabrics or more realistic
furlike fabrics.
4. To minimize fibre cost. Expensive fibres can be
extended by blending them with less-expensive
fibres. Labeling requirements help protect
consumers from unscrupulous labeling practices.
5. To obtain cross-dyed or unique colour effects
such as heather, fibres with unlike dye affinity
are blended together and dyed at a later stage in
processing.
Blending is a complicated and expensive process,
but the combination of properties it provides is
permanent. Blends offer better serviceability of
fabrics as well as improved appearance and hand.
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Summary:
Yarns are used to make fabric and threads are used
to stitch fabric into garment. Yarn twist help to hold
fibers together. It impart varies properties into the
yarn. Yarn can be twisted either in s or z
direction. Yarn number is the measure of linear
density. The unit used for measuring it are hanks,
denier or tex. Yarn can be divided into single, ply
and cord. Simple yarns are even in size and have an
equal number of twist per inch. It is of two types
tweed/flock and slub. Complex ply yarn is composed
of core ply, effect ply and binder ply. The fancy
yarns are also known as novelty yarn which are
classified as ratine, spiral, knot, boucle and
metallic, chenille. Textured yarns can be stretched,
modified stretch or bulked yarns. The process used
for imparting texture are stuffer box crimping, air
jet method, knit, deknit, gear crimping, draw text
rising. Blending is done with fibers of different
generic type, composition, length or colour to
produce a yarn. Mixture refers to yarns of different
generic types within a fabric. Blending increases
performance charactertics like increase strength,
abrasion resistance etc.
Revision points:
- Yarn is the turn usually applied when the
assemblage of fibers is employed in the
manufacture of fabric. Thread indicates a product
used to joint pieces of fabric together
- Twist is inserted to the fiber to help hold them
together
- There are 2 types of yarns balanced &
unbalanced
- Twist is either given in s shape or z shape
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- Yarn number is the measure of the linear density
- Three parts of yarn ingle, ply and cord or cable
- Yarns can be simple or complex 1 fancy yarns
- Textured yarns are manufactured by 5 different
process
- Textured yarns are of 3 types stretch, modified
stretch & bulked.
Intext Question:
1. How does yarn twist contribute to yarn
properties?
2. What are denier and tex?
3. Name and explain with diagram the 3 parts of a
complex ply yarn.
4. Name the different kinds of Novelty yarns.
5. Explain the different methods of producing
textured yarns.
Terminal Exercise:
1. What is a yarn?
2. What is open-end rotor spinning?
3. What is the difference between carded and
ombed yarns?
4. What are S and Z twists?
5. What are balanced and unbalanced yarns?
6. What are denir and tex?
7. What is single yarn, ply yarn, cord or cable yarn?
8. Name and explain with diagram the 3 parts of a
complex ply yarn.
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9. Name the different kinds of Novelty yarns.
10.Explain the different methods of producing
textured yarns.
11.What are fiber blends? Give reasons why
blending is done
Assignment:
Collecting swatches and maintaining a swatch file
Keywords:
1. Torque twisted wire
2. Tweed short fibers of wool
3. Kink twist in a rope/yarn
4. Crimp waviness in the yarn
5. Tension stretch given to the yarn
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Unit - III
Lesson 8: Definition of weaving
Lesson 9: Woven fabrics
Lesson 10: Fancy weaves
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Lesson 8: Definition of
Weaving
Objective
Defining weaving and to learn about warp and
weft
Structure
8.1 Fabric Construction
8.1 FABRIC CONSTRUCTION
A fabric is a pliable structure that can be made into
2 or 3 dimensional products that require some
shaping and flexibility. It is made up of yarns which
in turn are made up of fibres.
A fabric can be constructed by weaving i.e.
interlacing of yarns, knitting, lacing, braiding,
fusing, felting.
Weaving:
Weaving is one of the oldest and most widely used
methods of making fabric. It is done by interlacing
the yarns at right angles.
Warp Yarns are those yarns which lie in the
lengthwise direction of a fabric while it is being
woven. They are also known as ends.
Weft /Filling Yarn are those which, during
weaving are introduced between the warp yarns,
across the width wise direction The y are also known
as picks..
Woven fabrics are prepared on the loom. A loom
holds the warp yarns. Parallel to each other and the
weft is interlaced through the warp. Different
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patterns of interlacing can give different surface
effects or patterns on the fabric.
Selvedge:
In a woven fabric, the selvage (or selvedge) is the
uncut edge of the fabric which is on the right- and
left-hand edges as it comes out of the loom. As such
it is 'finished' and will not fray because the weft
threads double back on themselves. Very often
fabric near the selvage is not usable as it may have
a different weave pattern, or may lack pile or prints
that are present on the rest of the fabric requiring
that the selvage fabric be cut off or hidden in a
hem. In hand knitting, the selvage may be
considered finished; it may also be used in seaming
garments, or finished and reinforced using crochet
or other techniques.
The Selvage of a piece of curtain
A selvedge is the lengthwise self-edge of a fabric
which is formed when the weft yarn turns to go
back across the fabric. It is found on both ends of
the fabric usually to broad.
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The conventional loom makes the same kind of
selvedge on both sides of the fabric. Shuttle looms
have fringed selvedges. Taped selvedges are used in
sheeting materials. Split selvedges happen when
turns are woven side by side and cut apart after
weaving. Fused selvedges are found in narrow
fabrics of thermoplastic fibers.
Main purpose of selvedge.
Is to hold warp and weft yarns
It prevents fabric from raveling
It is usually much more compact than rest of the
fabric
There are more warp yarns in the area of
selvedge
Mostly ply is used for selvedge
Types of selvedge
a) Plain selvedge
Selvedge made in a plain weave with same size yarn
as in the rest of the fabric. But the yarns are packed
more closely together then rest of the fabric. Such
fabric are durable and firm.
b) Tape selvedge
It has same number of warp yarns/inch as the body
but the warp yarns are heavier but the weave may
be plain,rib,or basket. It gives higher strength to
the fabric.
c) Split selvedge
Fabrics of double the required width are made with
2 selvedges in the centre which is cut down with
scissors so that 2 fabrics will automatically have 2
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cut edges which is then finished with chain stitch or
hem.
d) Fringed selvedge
It is found in shuttle less loom. It has two types
Tuck-in and Leno weave.
Tuck-in=A device is used to tuck in and hold the
cut ends into fabric edges.
Leno=The twisting weft passes through the
helical kind of structure.
e) Fused selvedge
Seen in case of thermoplastic fibers. Edges of the
fabric are heated ,fiber melts and fuse together .
Differentiating between warp and weft
is possible by carefully examining the
fabric.
1. Selvedge always runs in the warp or the
lengthwise direction.
2. Most fabrics have lower elongation in the warp
direction. The weft direction has more
elongation.
3. The warp yarns lie straighten and more parallel
because of the loom tension.
4. Fancy yarns are usually in the filling direction.
Grain
Grain refers to the geometry or position of the warp
yarns relative to the filling yarns in the fabric. A
fabric that is on grain has warp yarns exactly
parallel to each other and perpendicular to the weft
yarns. Handling, finishing, dyeing may cause the
fabric to distort and loose their on grain
characteristics. These fabrics are called off grain;
they cause problems in production and use. There
are 2 kinds of off-grain. Skew occurs when the filling
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yarns is at an angle other than 90 to the warp.
Bow occurs when the filling yarn dip in the centre of
the fabric. It usually develops when the fabric centre
lags behind the 2 sides during finishing.
Fabric Width
The loom determines the widths of the fabric Hand
woven fabrics are narrow, often 27 to 36 wide.
Traditional fabric width are related to fibre type;
cotton fabrics are 45 or 60 wide; wool fabrics are
54 to 60 inches wide and silk type fabrics are 40 to
45 inches wide. Fabric widths have increased
because wide fabrics are more economical to weave
and allow efficient use during garment construction.
Some basic fabrics regardless of fibre type exceed
60 inches width.
Fabric weight: The fabrics are divided
into.
1. Light weight: Those that weigh less than
40z/yd
2
. They are soft, sheer, and drape well.
2. Medium weight: Those that weight from 4
to 6 oz/yd
2
. They are heavier and stiffer.
3. Heavy weight: Those that weight more
than 60z/yd
2
. They are durable, stiff and
thick.
Fabric count or fabric density or thread
count
This refers to the number of warp and weft yarns
per square inch of grey goods (fabric as it comes
from the loom). Count may increase due to
shrinkage during dyeing and finishing. Count is
written with warp first and then weft for e.g. 80x76
(read as 80 by 76) means, there are 80 warps and
76 wefts in one square inch of the fabric. This is
measured by the fabric yarn counter often referred
to as pick glass. Count is the indication of the
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quality of the fabric. Higher the count better is the
quality of the fabric.
Balance is the ratio of the warp yarns to filling yarns
in a fabric. A balanced fabric has one warp yarn for
every filling yarn, or a ratio of 1:1 e.g. print cloth
which has a count of 78x78. An unbalanced fabric
has significant more of one set of yarns than the
other e.g. broad cloth with a count of 144x76 and a
ratio of 2:1.
Identifying the face and back of a fabric
For cutting and sewing purposes, it is necessary to
identify the face, or the right side of a fabric. When
the cloth is on a fabric role, identification becomes
easy because the fabric is wound or folded with the
right side inside to keep it clean.
Off the roll, the shinier or more lustrous is the face.
If a fabric is printed, the more distinct side is the
face. When the fabric has a rap, the face is, as a
rule, the fuzzier side. When a slub yarn is used,
they tend to be more outstanding on the right side.
Twills often have a diagonal distinct ridge on the
face. Satin weave is smooth and lustrous on the
face. Pile weave has a pile an the face.
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Lesson 9: Woven Fabrics
Objective
To learn different weaves & woven fabrics
Structure
9.1 Plain Weaves
9.2 Balanced Plain Weaves
9.3 Unbalanced Plain Weave
9.4 Basket Weave
9.5 Twill Weave
9.6 Warp-Faced Twills
9.7 Satin Weave
9.8 Sateen
Introduction
The three basic weaves are plain, twill and satin.
These are woven without any modification on the
loom.
9.1 Plain Weaves: Plain weave is the simplest
form of weaving. It is formed by yarns at right
angles passing alternately over and under each
other. Plain weaves have a smooth even surface
unless novelty or textured yarns have been used.
They are durable and inexpensive.
9.2 Balanced Plain Weaves: The simplest plain
weave in which warp and filling yarns are the same
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size and same distance apart so that they show
equally on the surface. These are discussed under:
Light weight sheer fabrics:
i. Nivon is a filament sheer, widely used for
curtains it is 100% polyester and hangs well.
ii. Georgette and Chiffon are made with
filament yarns, originally made in silk but now
they are made with different man-made
filaments. In Georgettes there is alternate S
and Z crepe twist for warp and filling yarns.
Chiffons have smaller yarns in a hard twist.
iii. Voile is a sheer fabric made with a high twist
of combed yarns of cotton or cotton blends.
iv. Organdy is the sheerest cotton fabric made.
Its sheerness and crispness are the result of
an acid finish on grey goods. It is very stiff
and prone to wrinkling.
v. Organza is the filament yarn counterpart to
organdy. It has a lot of body end crisp hand.
Both organza and organdy are suitable in
solid colorist prints.
Lightweight Opaque Fabrics:
Lightweight opaque fabrics are very thin and light
but are not as transparent as sheer fabrics. The
distinction between the two groups of fabrics is not
always pronounced. Fabric weight is less than 4.0
oz/yd
2
.
End uses include apparel and furnishings.
Organdy (a sheer fabric), lawn, and batiste begin as
the same gray goods. They differ from one another
in the way they are finished. Lawn and batiste do
not receive the acid finish and, thus remain opaque.
Better quality fabrics are made of combed yarns.
Lawn is often printed and is usually all cotton or
cotton/polyester.
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Batiste is the softest of the lightweight opaque
fabrics. It is made of cotton, wool, polyester, or a
blend. Tissue ginghams and chambray are similar in
weight but are yarn-dyed.
China silk is similar to batiste, except that is made
from slightly irregular fine-filament yarns. It is a
soft fabrics that was originally made of silk and used
for womens suit linings and matching blouses.
Habutai is slightly heavier than China silk. Both
fabrics can be dyed or printed.
Challis (shal-ee) tends to be heavier than the
fabrics discussed so far and, depending on fibre
content and fashion, it may be a medium-weight
fabric. Challis is usually made with spun carded
yarns and may be slightly napped so that few fibre
ends are raised to the surface. A classic challis
fabric is wool in a paisley print. It is soft and drapes
well. Challis usually is printed and slightly napped
and frequently is made from rayon.
Low Count Sheer Fabrics:
Low count sheer fabrics include cheese cloth,
crinoline, buckram and bunting. They are
transparent because of open spaces between them.
They are functional fabrics that may be used for
decorative and industrial purposes, or as shaping
and support fabrics in apparel and furnishing.
Medium Weight Fabrics:
Medium-weight fabrics comprise the most widely
used group of woven fabrics. These fabrics have
medium sized yarns and a medium count. They may
be finished in different ways or woven from dyed
yarns. These are used for furnishing items bed and
table linen and some upholstery fabrics.
The fabrics in this group are converted from a gray
goods cloth called print cloth. Yarns can be carded
or combed, depending on the desired count, quality,
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and cost of the finished fabric. For example, two
fabrics converted from print cloth are plisse and
embossed.
Percale is a smooth, slightly crisp, printed or plain
coloured fabric made of combed yarns. In percale
bed sheets, counts of 160, 180, 200 and 250 are
available. Percale is called calico if it has a small,
quaint, printed design; chintz if it has a printed
design; and cretonne if it has a large-scale floral
design. When a fabric is given a highly glazed
calendar finish, it is called polished cotton. When
chintz is glazed, it is called glazed chintz. Glazed
chintz is made in solid colours as well as prints.
These fabrics are often made with blends of cotton
and polyester or rayon. They are used for shirts,
dresses, blouses, pajamas, matching curtains and
bedspreads, upholstery, slipcovers, draperies, and
wall coverings.
Any plain-woven, balanced fabric of carded yarns
ranging in weight from lawn to heavy bed sheeting
may be called muslin. It is usually available in
counts of 112, 128, or 140. Muslin is also a name
for a medium-weight fabric that is unbleached or
white.
Napped fabrics may be of either medium or heavy
weight. Flannelette can be found as both balanced
and unbalanced-plain weave fabrics that are lightly
napped on one side. It is described as flannel and is
used for sheets, blankets, sleepwear. shirts,
dresses and jacket linings. Flannelette can be solid
colours, yarn-dyed or prinked. Ginghams are yarn
dyed fabrics in checks and plaids chambrays are
yarn dyed. Thin colour may look solid but have
white wefts and coloured warps. Ginghams and
chambrays are usually made of cotton and cotton
blends. When made in silk, it is called silk gingham
in wool, similar fabrics are called wool checks, plaids
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and shepherds checks. Madras gingham has bold
checks and plaids in cotton.
[Note: The design checks is , regular squares all
over the fabrics. All squares are the same size
where as plaids are uneven checks all over the
fabric].
Pongee, is a filament yarn, medium weight fabric.
It has a fine warp of uniform yarns with slub filling
yarns, that are irregular in size. It was originally silk
with slub filling yarns, but is now made of a variety
of fibres. Honan is similar to pongee but has slub in
both warp and filling.
Heavyweight Fabrics:
Heavyweight fabrics are also known as suiting-
weight or bottom-weight fabrics. These fabrics
weigh more than 6.0 oz/yd
2
and are heavy enough
to tailor and drape well. Their filling yarns are
usually larger than the warp yarns and have a
slightly lower twist. Because of their weight, these
fabrics are more durable and more resistant to
wrinkling than are sheer or medium-weight fabrics,
but they tend to ravel more because of the lower
count.
Weavers cloth is general name for cotton suiting
that is converted from a gray goods cloth called
coarse sheeting. Cotton suiting is solid colour or
printed.
Homespun describes furnishing fabrics with slightly
irregular yarns, a lower count, and a hand woven
look.
Crash is made with yarns that have thick-and-thin
areas, giving it an uneven nubby look. It is often
linen or a manufactured fibre or fibre blend that
looks like linen. The irregular surface shows wrinkles
less than a plain surface does. Butcher rayon or
butcher cloth is a similar fabric of 100 percent rayon
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or rayon/polyester. Heavier weights look like lined
crash.
Burlap or hessian has a much lower count than
crash. It is used in wall coverings. It has
characteristic coarse, thick-and-thin yarns and is
made of jute.
Osnaburg is a variable-weight fabric most often
found in suiting weight. Like muslin, it may be
unbleached or bleached. In general it is a lower-
quality fabric than muslin, with a lower count. Bits
of leaf and bark from the cotton plant produce a
characteristic spotted appearance. It is a utility
fabric used as a drapery lining, upholstery support
fabric, or substrate for tufted upholstery fabric.
When printed or dyed, it is used in upholstery and
drapery or apparel fabrics.
Flannel is a suiting fabric of woolen yarns that is
napped. It is used for womens suits, slacks, skirts,
and jackets. It may have a plain or twill weave.
Tweed is made from any fibre or blend of fibres and
is always characterized by novelty yarns with nubs
of different colours. Harris tweed is a hand woven in
the Outer Hebrides Islands and carries a certified
registered trademark. Donegal tweed is hand woven
in Donegal County, Ireland.
Tropical worsted suitings are made from long-fibre
worsted yarns and typically weigh form 6 to 10
oz/yd
2
. They are wool-like fabrics made for mens
suits, intended for use in warmer weather. Blends
are common.
Heavyweight balanced-plain weave fabrics are often
used in furnishings such as wall coverings,
upholstery, and draperies. Company-specific names
are common.
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9.3 UNBALANCED PLAIN WEAVE
This is also called ribbed weave. Interesting patterns
can be created by this variation. The rib appearance
is produced by using heavy yarns in warp or welt
direction; by grouping yarns in specific areas of the
warp and filling (weft) direction; by having more
warps than filling (weft).
Lightweight Ribbed Fabrics: Crepe de chine,
traditionally a filling crepe-silk fabric, drapes
beautifully. It has a dry, pleasant hand and
medium lustre. The fabric is more commonly
found now as a filament polyester for blouses
and linings with filament warp and fine crepe
twist filling. There are many more warp yarns
per inch than filling yarns, but it does not have a
noticeable rib. Crepe de chine can be dyed or
printed.
Medium-Weight Ribbed Fabrics: Medium
weight (4.0 to 6.0 oz/yd
2
) is the largest group of
ribbed fabrics. Broadcloth has the finest rib of
any of the spun yarn fabrics because the warp
and filling yarns are the same size. However, the
fine rib is due to the much higher number of
warp yarns (2:1 or more). Better-quality fabrics
are made of long staple combed cotton, plied
yarns and may be mercerized for lustre. Slub
broadcloth is made with a yarn that contains
slubs at regular intervals. Silk broadcloth has
filament warp and staple filling. Some yarn-dyed
chambrays are similar to broadcloth in weight
and structure.
Taffeta is fine-ribbed, filament-yarn fabric with
a crisp hand. Note that taffeta is used to describe
both balanced-and unbalanced-plain-weave
fabrics. Iridescent taffeta has warp and filling
yarns of different colours. Moire taffeta has a
water-marked, embossed design.
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Shantung has an irregular ribbed surface
produced by long, irregular areas in filling yarns.
It may be medium or suiting weight and of
various fibre types.
Heave weight Ribbed Fabrics: These fabrics
usually weigh more than 6.0 oz/yd
2.
Poplin is
similar to broadcloth, but the ribs are heavier
and more pronounced because of larger filling
yarns. Polyester/cotton/blends are widely used.
Some yarn dyed chambrays are similar to poplin
in weight and structure.
Faille (pronounced file) has fine, subtle rib with
filament-wrap yarns and spun filling yarns. Rep
(or repp) is a heavy, coarse fabric with a
pronounced rib. Bengaline is similar to faille, but
is has a slightly more pronounced rib. It may be
woven with two warps at a time to emphasize
the rib. Ottoman has alternating adjacent large
and small ribs, created by using filling yarns of
different sizes or by using different numbers of
filling yarns in adjacent ribs. Grosgrain
(pronounced grow-grane), usually produced in
ribbon width, also has a rounded rib.
Bedford cord is found most often in furnishing
fabrics such as bedspreads. It has spun warp
yarns that are larger than the filling yarns.
9.4 BASKET WEAVE
This is another variation of the plain weave. The
basket weave is generally defined as having two or
more warp ends interlaced as a unit with one or
more filling yarns. This construction is not so firm
and regular and has a lower strength. Basket
weaves are alternative and have interesting surface
effects.
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Dimity is a sheer unbalanced fabric used for
apparel and window treatments. It has heavy warp
cords at intervals across the fabric. The cords may
be formed by yarns larger than those used
elsewhere in the fabric or by grouping yarns
together in that area. Either technique produces the
unique narrow band or stripe indicative of dimity.
Dimity is white or printed.
Oxford is usually a 2x1 or 3x2 basket weave. It is
most common as a 2x1 half-basket weave. It may
have a yarn-dyed warp and white filling and be
called oxford chambray. Oxford looks like a
balanced fabric because the warp yarns are finer
and have higher twist than the filling. Because of
soft yarns and loose weave, yarn slippage may
occur. Oxford fabrics are medium weight, soft,
porous, and lustrous.
Most basket weaves are heavyweight fabrics.
Common ones include sailcloth, duck, or canvas.
Sailcloth is the lightest in weight and made of single
yarns. Duck and canvas are made with single or ply
yarns. Different types of duck and canvas relate to
which yarns (warp or filling) are plied and how
many plies are used in the ply yarn. Duck is coarser.
Canvas is smoother, more compact, and the
heaviest of the three. Sailcloth is used in slacks,
skirts, summer-weight suits, and furnishings.
Usually 2x1 or 3x2 basket weaves, canvas and duck
are sued for slipcovers, boat covers, shoe fabrics,
house and store awnings, tarpaulins, and covers for
military and industrial uses.
Hopsacking is a coarse open basket-weave fabric of
spun yarns. It is primarily used for coats. Suits,
upholstery, and wall coverings.
Monks cloth friars cloth druids cloth, and mission
cloth are some of the oldest full basket weave
fabrics. They are usually off-white in colour. These
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are usually off white in colour. These fabrics are
usually found in square counts: 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, or
6x6. They are used primarily in furnishings.
9.5 TWILL WEAVE
The second basic weave pattern used in the
manufacture of fabrics is the twill weave. This is
characterized by a diagonal line on the face of the
fabric. The diagonal face can vary from 14
0
angle
called redialing twill to a 75 degree angle called a
steep twill. At 45
0
degree angle it is called a
regular
twill.
The direction of the twill goes from lower left to
upper right as in wool fabrics, it is called right
handed twill and when from lower right to upper left
it is called the left handed twill.
Sheer fabrics are seldom made with a twill weave.
Twills are continuously not printed. They are heavy
weight fabrics and used for making sturdy working
clothes and upholstery. In twills with a high count,
the fabric is durable and air and water resistant.
Even-Sided Twills
Even-sided twills expose an equal amount of warp
and filling yarn on each side of a fabric. They are
also known as reversible twills because they look
alike on both sides, although the direction of the
twill line differs. Better quality filling yarns are used
in these fabrics as compared with warp-faced twills
because both sets of yarn are exposed to wear.
They are most often
2
/
2
twills and have the best
balance of all the twill weaves (table 12-5).
Foulard or surah is a printed or solid colour
filament fabric of
2
/
3
construction. Used in silk like
dresses, linings, ties, and scarves, it is soft, smooth,
and lightweight.
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Serge is a
2
/
2
twill with a subdued wale with
combed or worsted yarns and a clear or hard finish
(not napped or brushed). Serge with fine yarns, a
high count, and a water-repellent finish is used for
jackets, snowsuits, and raincoats. Heavier serge,
with coarse yarns, is used for work pants. Serge
often weighs 10 or more oz/yd
2
.
Twill Flannel:-
Is a
2
/
2
twill. The filling yarns are larger low-twist
woolen or worsted yarns, made especially for
napping. Worsted flannels have less nap, take and
hold a sharp crease better, show less wear, and sag
less than woolen flannels. Even-sided flannel is used
in apparel and upholstery.
Sharkskin is a 2/2 twill with a sleek appearance. It
has a small step pattern because both warp and
filling yarns alternate one white yarn with one
coloured yarn. Sharkskin is used primarily for slacks
and suits.
Herringbone fabrics have the twill line reversed at
regular intervals across the warp to produce a
design that resembles the backbone of a fish, hence
the name herringbone. Two different colour yarns
may be used to accentuate the pattern. Herringbone
patterns can be very subtle or very pronounced.
Herringbone is used in both apparel and furnishings.
Hounds-tooth is a 2/2 twill fabric with a unique
small eight-point pattern. Two yarns in contrasting
colours in the warp and filling are used in groups of
four to create the distinctive pattern. Houndstooth
fabrics also are used in apparel and furnishings.
9.6 WARP-FACED TWILLS
Warp-faced twills have a predominance of warp
yarns on the face of the fabric. Since warp yarns are
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made with higher twist, these fabrics are stronger
and more resistant to abrasion and pilling. Table 12-
6 summarizes warp-faced twills. Twill flannel and
herringbone also can be warp-faced twills, usually
with a 2/1 interlacing pattern.
Lining twill is a medium weight 2/1 fabric made
from filament yarns and usually piece-dyed or
printed in a small pattern. It resembles foulard in
appearance and use.
Denim is a yarn-dyed cotton twill available in
several weights, ranging from 6 oz/yd
2
to 14 or
more oz/yd
2
in a 2/1 or 3/1 interlacing pattern. Its
long-term popularity has made it a fashion fabric in
casual wear. It may be napped, printed, made with
spandex or other stretch yarns, or otherwise
modified for fashion.
Jean is a piece-dyed or printed medium-weight twill
used for sportswear, draperies, slipcovers, and work
shirts. Jean is not heavy enough for work pants.
Drill is a strong, medium to heavyweight twill
fabric. It is a 2/1 or 3/1 twill that is piece-dyed. It is
usually seen in work clothing and industrial fabrics.
Covert is a twill fabric with a mottled appearance
resulting from two colours of fibres combined in the
yarns or from two colours of plies twisted together
in one yarn. It is usually a 2/1 heavyweight twill
made of hard-twist worsted yarns.
Chino is a hard-wearing steep-twill fabric with a
slight sheen. Usually, combed two-ply yarns are
used in both the warp and the filling directions.
Chino is typically a summer-weight apparel fabric.
Gabardine is a warp-faced steep or regular twill
with a very prominent , distinct wale that is closely
set together and raised. It always has many more
warp than filling yarns. It can be made of carded or
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combed single or ply yarns. The long-wearing fabric
may be heather, striped, plaid, or solid colour.
Cavalry twill also has a pronounced steep, double
twill line in which two diagonal Wales are spaced
very close together and separated by a little space
from the next pair of diagonal Wales.
9.7 SATIN WEAVE
This weave is characterized by long floats on the
face of the fabric. These long floats which are
usually the warps, create a shiny surface and reflect
light.
When warp yarns cover the surface, the fabric is a
warp-faced fabric and the warp count is high. When
filling floats cover the surface, the fabric is a filling
faced fabric and the filling count is high. These
fabrics are unbalanced, but the high count
compensates for the lack of balance.
All satin fabrics have a face and a back that look
significantly different. A high count gives them
strength, durability, body, firmness, and wind
repellency. Fewer interlacing give pliability and
resistance to wrinkling, but yarns may slip and ravel
easily.
Satin fabrics are usually made of bright filament
yarns with very low twist. Satin is almost always
warp faced; warp floats cover the surface. Because
of the bright fibres, low twist, and long floats, satin
is very lustrous. Fabrics are used in dresses, linings,
lingerie, draperies, drapery linings and upholstery.
It is good for linings because the high count makes
it very durable and smooth. Satin makes a more
pliable lining than taffeta because it does not split as
readily or hems. Quality is particularly important in
linings. Low-count satins pull at the seams and
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rough up in use. Floats may shift in position and
bubble or wrinkle.
In crepe-back satin, the crepe yarns in the filling
give softness and drapeability, and the low-twist
warp give the smooth, satiny surface to the fabric.
In antique satin, novelty filling yarns add visual
interest to the fabric. Antique satin often is used
with the technical back as the fashion side in
upholstery and window treatments.
9.8 SATEEN
Sateen is a lustrous fabric made of spun yarns. In
order to achieve lustre with staple fibres, medium-
twist yarns form the float surface. Finishes are used
to enhance the lustre and durability.
Filling sateen is a smooth, lustrous cotton fabric
used for draperies, drapery linings, and apparel. It
is often made with carded yarns with a high filling
count. Warp yarns are similar in size to those used
in print cloth, but the filling yarns are slightly larger.
Combed sateens are usually finished for added
lustre.
Warp sateens are cotton fabrics made with warp
floats in a 4/1 interlacing pattern. They may have a
rounded wale effect that resembles a twill fabric.
They are stronger and heavier than filling sateens
because of the high warp count. They are less
lustrous than filling sateen and used where
durability is more important than lustre. Warp
sateens are used in slacks, skirts, bed sheets of 250
to 300 counts, pillow and bed tricking, draperies,
and upholstery fabrics. If any satin fabric is printed,
it is most likely a warp sateen.
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Lesson 10: Fancy Weaves
Objective
To learn fancy weaves
Structure
10.1 Dobby Weaves
10.2 Extra Yarn Weaves
10.3 Pique Weaves
10.4 Jacquard Weaves
10.5 Momie Weaves
10.6 Leno Weaves
10.7 Double Cloth
10.8 Pile Weaves
10.9 Filling-Pile Fabrics
10.10 Ward Pile Fabrics
10.11 Slack Tension Weaves
10.12 Tapestry Weave
10.13 Narrow Fabrics
Introduction
Decorative weaves are called fancy, figure or
surface design weaves and one formed by pre-
determined interlacing of the warp and filling yarns.
This can be done by various attachments on the
loom that increase its flexibility. Weaving processes
in this category include dobby, jacquard, leno, and
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double cloth weaves, as well as the use of extra
warp or filling yarns to produce surface designs.
10.1 DOBBY WEAVES
Dobby designs have small figures- such as dots,
geometric design and floral patterns woven into the
fabric. The design is produced by using a dobby
patterned chain with metal pegs or special pattern
rolls of paper or plastic.
Birds eye has small diamond-shaped filling-float
design with a dot in the centre that resembles the
eye of a bird. This design was originally used in
white silk fabric for ecclesiastical vestments. At one
time, a cotton version was widely used for kitchen
and hand towels and diapers. Huck or huck-a-back
has a pebbly surface made by filling floats. It is
used primarily in roller, face, and medical-office
towels.
Madras or madras gingham has small, satin-float
designs on ribbed or plain ground, Waffle cloth is
made with a dobby attachment and has a three-
dimensional honeycomb appearance. Waffle cloth is
used for blankets, dish and bar cloths, upholstery,
and apparel.
10.2 EXTRA-YARN WEAVES
Additional warp or filling yarns of different colors or
types are woven into the fabric to create a pattern
in an extra-yarn weave. When not used in the
figure, the extra warp or filling yarns float across
the back of the fabric and are usually cut away
during finishing. In hand woven fabrics the warp
yarns are manipulated by hand and the extra yarns
can be laid in where wanted by using small shuttles.
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But in power looms an automatic attachment must
be used.
Extra-warp yarns are wound on a separate beam
and threaded into separate heddles. The extra yarns
interlace with the regular filling yarns to form a
design and float behind the fabric until needed for
the repeat. The floats are then clipped close to the
design or clipped long enough to give an eyelash or
fringed effect.
Many of the fabrics that have small-dot designs are
called dotted swiss. The dots may be extra-filling-
yarn structural designs: clipped-dot designs or
swivel-dot designs. Either side of these fabrics may
be the fashion side. Clipped-spot or clipped-dot
designs are made with low twist filling yarns
inserted by separate shuttles. By manipulating the
shedding, the extra yarns interlace with some warp
yarns and float across the back of others. A box
loom uses a wire along the edge to prevent the
extra yarns from being woven into the selvedge.
Clipped dot fabrics have many yarn ends per dot.
Swivel-dot designs are made on a loom that has
an attachment holding tiny shuttles. The fabric is
woven so the shuttles and extra yarns are above the
ground fabric. Each shuttle carrying the extra yarn
wraps around the warp yarns in the ground fabric
several times and then the yarn is carried along the
surface to the next spot
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The yarn is cut away between the spots Swivel-dot
fabrics have only two yarn ends per dot. Swivel-dot
fabrics in the United states are imported designer
fabrics.
10.3 PIQUE WEAVES
The word pique (pee kay) comes from the French
word meaning quilted, because the raised effect in
these fabrics is similar to that in quilts. The pique
weave produces a fabric with ridges, called Wales or
cords, that are held up by floats on the back. The
Wales vary in width.
Stuffer yarns are laid under the ridges in better
quality pique fabrics to emphasize the roundness,
and their presence or absence is one way of
determining quality. The stuffer yarns are not
interlaced with the surface yarns of the fabric and
may be easily removed when analyzing a swatch of
fabric. Pique fabrics are woven on either a dobby or
jacquard loom, depending on the complexity of the
design.
Fabrics in this group are called pique, with the
exception of Bedford cord. Bedford cord is a heavy
fabric with wide warp cords used for bedspreads,
upholstery, window treatments, slacks, and
uniforms. Its spun warp yarns are larger than the
filling yarns. Length wise cords at intervals across
the fabric are formed by extra filling yarns floating
across the back giving a roused effect. Stuffer yarns
make a more pronounced cord, which may be the
same size or alternately larger and smaller.
Birds eye pique has a tiny design formed by the
wavy arrangements of the cords and by the use of
stuffer yarns. Bulls eye pique is made like birds eye
pique but has a much larger scale design. Both
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fabrics have cross wise rather than length wise
cords and are used for apparel and furnishing.
10.4 JACQUARD WEAVES
Fabrics with extremely complicated and decorative
woven designs are manufactured using Jacquard
attachment on the looms. The Jacquard attachment
was developed by Joseph Moire Jacquard in 1801 in
France. The major advantage of the Jacquard
machine is its ability to control each individual warp
thread instead of a series of threads. Extremely
elaborate patterns can be woven into fabric, by
using the Jacquard attachment.
Fabrics made on a jacquard loom include damask,
brocade, brocatelle, tapestry and others. Damask
has satin floats on a satin background ; the floats in
the design are opposite those in the ground. If the
patterns is warp-faced, the ground is filling-faced.
Damask pattern are subtle but visible because of
slight differences in light reflected from the two
areas. Damask can be made from any fibre and in
many different weights for apparel and furnishings.
Damask is the flattest jacquard fabric and is often
finished to maintain that flat look. Quality and
durability are dependent on count. Low-count
damask is not durable because the long floats rough
up, snag, and shift during use.
Brocade has satin or twill floats in a plain, ribbed,
twill, or satin background. Brocade differs from
damask in that the floats in the design are more
varied in length and are often of several colours.
Brocatelle fabrics are similar to brocade fabrics,
except that they have a raised pattern. This fabric
frequently is made with filament yarns, using a
warp-faced pattern and filling-faced ground. Coarse
cotton stuffer filling yarns help maintain the three-
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dimensional appearance of the fabric when used for
upholstery.
Originally, tapestry was an intricate picture that was
hand-woven with discontinuous filling yarns. It was
usually a wall hanging and was time-consuming to
weave. Todays jacquard tapestry is mass-produced
for upholstery, handbags, and the like. This tapestry
is a complicated structure consisting of two or more
sets of warp and two or more sets of filling
interlaced so that the face warp is never woven into
the back and the back filling does not show on the
face. Upholstery tapestry is durable if warp and
filling yarns are comparable. With lower quality
fabrics, fine yarns are combined with coarse yarns,
and the resulting fabric is not durable.
Wilton rugs are figured-pile fabrics made on a
jacquard loom. These rugs, once considered
imitations of Oriental rugs, are so expensive to
weave that the tufting industry has found a way to
create similar figures through printing techniques.
10.5 MOMIE WEAVES
Momie ( mo-mee) is a weave that presents no wale
or other distinct weave effect but gives the cloth the
appearance of being sprinkled with small spots or
seeds. The appearance resembles crepe made from
yarns of high twist. Fabrics are made on a loom with
a dobby attachment or electronic control. Some are
variations of satin weave, with filling yarns forming
the irregular floats. Some are even sided and some
have a decided warp effect. Momie weave is also
called granite or crepe weave. Any fibre can be sued
to make crepe-weave fabrics. Momie fabrics used
for apparel and furnishings.
Sand crepe is a medium to heavy weight fabric of
either spun or filament yarns. It has a repeat
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pattern of 16 warp and 16 filling yarns and requires
16 harnesses. No float is greater than two yarns in
length.
Granite cloth combines high-twist crepe yarns and
crepe weave. The yarns plied yarns with one ply
made of a crepe-twist single yarn. Regular yarns
may alternate with the plied yarns, or they may be
used in the other direction. This fabric should be
treated as a high-twist crepe fabric. Moss crepe is
used in dresses and blouses.
Bark cloth is a heavyweight Momie-weave fabric
used primarily in furnishings. The interlacing pattern
uses spun yarns and creates a fabric with a rough
texture, resembling tree bark, hence the fabrics
name. The fabric may be printed or solid. The rough
texture adds visual interest and minimizes the
appearances of soiling.
10.6 LENO WEAVES
The leno weave is referred to as doup weave or
gauze weave. Doup is the name of the attachment
on the loom that controls the warp threads. This
attachment both horizontally and vertically
permitting the warp yarns to be interlaced gauze
LENO WEAVE: DIAGRAM (LEFT)
AND FABRIC (RIGHT)
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indicate only an open-mash type of fabric, where as
leno applies to all fabric mode by this special
interlacing using the doup.
Fabrics made leno weave include marquisette,
mosquito netting, agriculture textiles to shade
delicate plants, and some bags for laundry, fruit,
and vegetables. Polyester marquisettes are widely
used for sheer curtains. Casement draperies are
frequently made with leno-weave and novelty yarns.
Thermal blankets are sometimes made of leno
weave. All these fabrics are characterized by
sheerness or open spaces between the yarns. The
crossed yarn arrangement gives greater firmness
and strength than plain-weave fabrics of a similar
low count and minimizes yarn slippage. Snagging
may be a problem in use and care, however.
Chenille yarns are made by using a leno weave. The
fabric is produced with fine warp, and low twist
fillings. It is cut apart parallel to the warp, and the
filling untwists to produce the fuzzy chenille yarn.
10.7 DOUBLE CLOTH
The two sides of double-cloth fabrics usually look
different because of the fabrication method. Double
clothes tend to be heavier and have more body than
single clothes. A single cloth, such as percale, is
made from two sets of yarn; one set of warp yarns
and one set of filling yarns. Double cloth is made
from three or more sets of yarns.
There are three types of woven double cloth fabrics:
Double cloth-coat fabrics: Melton and kersey.
Double weave-apparel and upholstery fabrics;
matelasse.
Double faced blanket cloth, double-satin ribbon,
lining fabric, and silence cloth.
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True double cloth can be separated by pulling out
the yarns holding the two layers together. It can be
used in reversible garments such as capes and
skirts. Double cloth is expensive to make because it
requires special looms and the production rate is
slower than for single fabrics. Double cloth is more
pliable than single fabrics of the same weight
because finer yarns can be used. The two specific
fabrics that may be either true double cloth or single
cloth are Melton and kersey. Both of these heavy
weight wool coating fabrics are twill weave fabrics
that have been heavily finished so that it is difficult
to identify the weave.
Melton tends to have a smoother surface than
kersey. Kersey is usually heavier than melton and
has a shorter, more lustrous nap. Both fabrics are
used in winter coats, overcoats, riding habits, and
military uniforms.
Double weave is made with four sets of yarns,
creating two separate layers of fabric that
periodically reverse position from top to bottom,
thus interlocking the today two layers of fabric.
Between the interlocking points the two layers are
completely separate, creating pockets in the fabric.
Double weave fabrics are also known as pocket
fabrics, pocket cloth, or pocket weave. They are
most commonly seen in high quality upholstery
fabrics. Their main advantages are the designs that
can be achieved, their heavier weight, and their
good durability.
Matelasse is a double cloth construction with either
three or four sets of yarns woven on a jacquard or
dobby loom.
Double faced fabrics are made with three sets of
yarns: two warp and one filling, or two sets of filling
and one set of warp. Blankets, satin ribbons,
interlinings, and silence cloth are made this way.
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Blankets with each side a different colour are
usually double faced fabrics. One set of warp yarns
is used, with tow sets of different coloured filling
yarns. Sometimes designs are made by
interchanging the colours from one side to the
other. Double faced blankets are usually wool and
are expensive.
Silence cloth is a heavy cotton fabric that has been
napped on both sides. Available only in white, it is
used under fine table clothes to quiet the noise of
china and silverware while dining.
10.8 PILE WEAVES
Woven-pile fabrics have an extra set of warp or
filling yarns interlaced with the ground warp or
filling. Pile comes from the Latin word piles
meaning hair.
Pile fabrics can be both functional and beautiful. A
high thick pile adds warmth as either the shell or
the lining of coats, jackets, gloves, and boots. High
count fabrics produce beautiful and durable carpets,
upholstery, and bedspreads. Low-twist yarns
produce absorbent towels and washcloths. Other
uses for pile fabrics are stuffed toys, wigs, paint
rollers, buffing and polishing clothes, and
ducubicare pads for bedridden patients.
Interesting effects can be achieved by combinations
of cut and uncut pile. Pile of various heights, high
and low twist yarns, areas of pile on a flat surface,
flattening pile, or forcing pile into a position other
than upright.
In pile fabrics, the pile receives the surface abrasion
and the base weave receives the stress. A durable
base structure contributes significantly to
satisfactory pile fabric. A compact ground or base
weave increases the resistance of a looped or uncut
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pile to snagging and of a cut pile to shedding and
pulling out. A dense pile stands erect, resists
crushing, and gives better cover. Care must be
taken in cleaning and pressing to keep the pile
erect. Cut pile may look better if dry cleaned, but
some pile fabrics such as pinwale corduroy can be
washed, depending on the fibre content. Incorrect
pressing may flatten the pile and result in a fabric
that appears lighter in colour. Special pressing aids
or techniques are used with pile fabrics, like using
needle boards or steaming.
Many pile fabrics are pressed during finishing so
that the pile slants in one direction, giving an up
and down look. It is important that the pile be
directed in the same way in all pieces of product.
Otherwise, light will be reflected differently and the
product will appear to be made of two colours.
10.9 FILLING-PILE FABRICS
The pile in filling pile fabric is made by long filling
floats on the surface that are cut after weaving.
Filling pile fabrics are always cut pile. Two sets of
filling yarns and one set of warp are used. The
ground fabric is made with one set of filling yarns
and the warp yarn set. During weaving, the extra
filling yarns float across the ground yarns,
interlacing occasionally. In corduroy, the floats are
arranged in lengthwise row; in velveteen, they are
scattered over the base fabric.
10.10 WARD PILE FABRICS
Double cloth method is one of the most commonly
used to make these. Pile with a W shape interlaces
with more filling yarns and that with V pile
interlaces with less filling yarns. For example Velvet.
Different types of velvet finishing is used to create
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other looks for velvet. Crushed velvet is made by
mechanically twisting the wet cloth. The surface
yarns are randomly flattened in different directions.
Pane velvet is an elegant fabric with the pile pressed
flat by heavy pressure in one direction to give it
high lustre. If the pile is disturbed or brushed in the
other direction, the smooth, lustrous look is
destroyed. Velour is a warp-pile cotton fabric used
primarily for upholstery and draperies. It has a
deeper pile than velveteen and is heavier. Plush has
deeper pile than velour or velvet as and is usually
longer than inch.
Fur like fabrics may be finished by curling, shearing
sculpturing or printing to resemble different kinds of
real fur.
Terrycloth is used for bath towels, beach robes,
and sportswear. Each loop acts as tiny sponge.
Sheared loops are brushed to loosen and intermesh
the fabrics of adjacent yarns. The surface becomes
more compact, less porous, and absorbs more
slowly as compared with loop pile terry. Institutional
cotton/polyester terry towels have blended ground
yarns and cotton pile; the pile yarns are for
absorbency and the polyester ground yarns are for
strength and durability, especially in selvages.
There is no up and down in terrycloth unless it is
printed. Some friezes are made by this method.
Another slack-tension fabric, shagbark, has spaced
rows of occasional loops.
10.11 SLACK TENSION WEAVES
In slack-tension weaving two warp beams are used.
The yarns on one beam are held at regular tension
and those on the other beam are held at slack
tension. As the reed beats the filling yarn into place,
the slack yarns crinkle or buckle to form a puckered
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stripe and the regular-tensioned yarns form the flat
stripe. Loop-pile fabrics, such as terrycloth, are
made by a similar weave (see the previous section).
Seersucker is a fabric made by slack tension weave.
Seersuckers are made in plain colours, stripes,
plaids, checks and dresses.
10.12 TAPESTRY WEAVE
A tapestry weave is a hand-produced, filling-faced,
plain-weave fabric. The discontinuous filling yarns
are arranged so that as the colour in the weave
changes, the pattern is created. Discontinuous filling
means that one filling yarn rarely travels across the
fabric from one side to the other. Each colour of
filling yarn moves back and forth in a plain-weave
interlacing pattern as long as the pattern calls for
the colour; then another colour is used. In
tapestries, filling yarns are not always straight
within the fabric and may interlace with the warp at
an angle other than 90 degrees. Durries, rugs and
some shawls are woven using this technique.
10.13 NARROW FABRICS
Narrow fabrics encompass a diverse range of
products that are upto 12 inches wide and made by
a variety of techniques. Woven narrow fabrics will
be discussed here. Narrow fabrics include ribbons of
all sorts, elastics, zipper tapes, Venetian-blind
tapes, couturiers labels, hook and loop tapes such
as Velcro, pipings, carpet-edge tapes, trims, safety
belts, and harnesses. Webbings are an important
group of narrow fabrics used in packaging, cargo
handling, furniture, and for animal control, like
leashes or lead ropes for dogs, horses, and show
cattle.
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Narrow-fabric looms weave many fabrics side by
side. Each fabric has its own shuttle but shares all
other loom mechanisms. Plain, twill, satin, jacquard,
and pile weaves are used.
Woven elastics are made using a variety of weaves.
They are used in apparel for which tight fit and
holding power are needed, such as in
undergarments. They have better stability and
rigidity than knit elastics and are less prone to riding
up, but are more expensive.
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Summary:
Weaving is interlacing of warp yarns and weft yarns
at right angle. Lengthwise yarns are warp or end
those run crossover are called weft yarns or filling
yarns or picks. Selvedge is of 4 types fringed,
taped, spilt & fused. Warp and weft are
distinguished by 1) selvedge as it runs in lengthwise
direction, 2) how elongation in warp direction, 3)
warp yarns lie straighten & more parallel than weft
4) fancy yarn are usually in the filling direction,
grain refers to the position of warp yarn relative
filling to filling yarn in the fabric. There are 2 kinds
off grain skew and bow. Fabric width various from
27 to 60. Some basic fabrics regardless of fibre
type exceed 60 width light weight are those which
weigh less than 40z/yd2. Medium weight weigh
from 4 to 60 oz/yd2 and heavy weight fabric weigh
more than 60z/yd2. Fabric count refer to the
number of warp and muff yarns per square inch of
grey goods count is written with warp first & then
weft. This is measured by the fabric yarn counter
often referred to as pick glass. Identifying face of
the fabric is easier when it is one role as fabric is
wound with right side inside. Off the roll, the shiner
or more lustrous is the face. There are three basic
types of weave plain, twill and satin. Refer table
no. 5 for brief understanding. Decorative weaves
are produced by various attachments on the loom
that increase its flexibility. Weaving processes in
this category include dobby, jacquard. Leno and
double cloth weave, as well as the use of extra warp
or filling yarns to produce surface design. For brief
explanation of fancy weaves refer take number 8.
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Revision Points:
- Weaving is done by interlacing the yarn at right
angles.
- Selvedge is the lengthwise self edge of a fabric
which is formed when the weft yarn turn to go
back across the fabric.
- Warp and weft are distinguished by carefully
examine the fabric.
- Loom determine the widths of the fabric
- Fabric are divided into 3 categories based on
their weight, light, medium and heavy.
- Fabric count refers to the number of warp & weft
yarns per square inch of grey goods.
- The three basic weaves are plain, twill and satin.
These are woven without any modification on the
loom.
- Decorative weaves are called fancy, figure or
surface design weave and one formed by
predetermined interlacing of the warp and filling
yarns.
Intext Questions:
1. Explain weaving and how to identify face & back
of a fabric
2. Explain plain weave in detail
3. Explain Momie weave and double cloth
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Terminal exercises:
1. Write short notes on .
- selvedge
- Fabric count
- Basket weave
2. What is the difference between denim & jeans
3. Describe filling pile fabric and warp pile fabrics
Assignment:
Collecting swatches and maintaining a swatch file
Keywords:
1. Pliable : flexible
2. Thermoplastic fibre fibers sensuality to heat
fibers that melt or glaze at relatively low
temperature.
3. Off grain refers to a fabric when warp and
filling yarns do not cross each other at a 90
angle
4. Quaint old fashioned
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Unit - IV
Lesson 11: Other Methods of Fabrication.
Lesson 12: Leather Science.
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Lesson 11: Other
Methods of Fabrication
Objective
To study various other methods to produce fabric
except weaving.
Fabric is made in many ways other than
weaving. Brief explanation of these procedures is
given below.
Structure
11.1 Fabrics from solution
11.2 Fabrics made from fibers
11.3 Fabrics from yarn
11.4 Knitting
11.5 Composite fabrics
11.6 Stitch bonded fabric
11.7 Animal products
Introduction
Fabrics can be made in different ways and with the
help of different methods. Raw material of each
method is different and properties of the fabric
depends entirely on the raw material and method
used. Here some methods are used.
11.1 Fabrics from solutions
a) Film fabrics
Are made directly from a polymer solution by
melting and extruding through narrow slits. They
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may be made from vinyl or polyurethane solutions.
Vinyl films are washable but become stiff in dry-
cleaning solvents and lower temperatures.
Urethane films remain soft in washing and dry-
cleaning solvents and do not became stiff in cold
weather.
Films are waterproof, impermeable, stiff, low cost,
resistant to soil and non-fibrous. They have a poor
drapeability and are weak unless supported by a
fabric back. Films are used for shoes, shower
curtains, upholstery and plastic bags.
b) Foam fabrics
Are made by incorporating air into an elastic like
substance, polyurethane is most common. The
outstanding characteristics of foams are their bulk
and sponginess. They are used as carpet backings,
furniture padding, pillow foams, and cleaning
sponges.
11.2 Fabrics from fibers or non-woven
Some fabrics are directly made from fibres and
there is no processing of fibres into yarns e.g. felt
and tapa cloth. Thus fabrics are often referred to as
non-woven. In the textile industry, non-woven
refers to a fibre-web structure. Fibre webs are quick
and inexpensive to produce. The basic steps include
selecting the fibres, laying the fibres to make a web
and bonding the web together to make a fabric. Any
fibre can be used to make a web. The web is made
into a fabric through a mechanical needling process,
application of chemical substances or adhesives or
heat.
Non woven are used for disposable goods, such as
diapers and wipes and padding for furniture. They
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are cheaper than woven and knitted fabrics and
make good and durable items.
Felt is a web of wool, wool or cotton, wool or
thermoplastic fibres. It is held together by the
interlocking of the scales present on the wool fibre.
Felting is one of the oldest methods of making
fabric. Primitive people made felt by washing wool
fleece and spreading it out while still wet and
beating it until it had matted and shrunk together in
a fabric like form.
A very good example of felt is the Numdan felt rug
made in Kashmir.
Felts have no grain. They do not fray or ravel. They
have poor pliability, strength and stretch recovery.
Felts are used in apparel-accessories, crafts,
industrial matting, padding, sound proofing,
insulation.
11.3 Fabrics from Yarns
Braids are narrow fabrics in which yarns interlace
lengthwise and diagonally. They are made by
interlacing 3 or more yarns. They have good
elasticity and are pliable and curve around the
edges. Shoe laces are circular braids. Braids have a
good elasticity and thus stretch easily. Flat braids
are used as trims. Braids can be joined together to
make wider widths.
Lace is another basic fabric made from yarns using
several different fabrication methods. Yarns may be
twisted around each other to form open areas. Lace
has complex patterns or figures and can be hand or
machine made. Types of hand made laces are
needlepoint, bobbin, crochet and Battenberg. Laces
make beautiful decorative trims and are widely used
for fabric decoration.
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11.4 Knitting
Is the formation of a fabric by the interloping of one
or more sets of yarns. Knitting has been the
traditional method of producing items such as
sweaters, underwear, hosiery and baby blankets.
Fabric density is defined by describing the number
of stitches in a specific direction. Wales are vertical
columns of stitches in the knit fabric. Courses are
the horizontal rows.
A knitted bulky structure provides insulation by
trapping air. Knits are less likely to wrinkle during
use, care, packaging and storage, but is strongly
influenced by fiber and yarn type. Snagging is a
serious problem with knit fabrics. They have a good
resilience and excellent elasticity.
Some of the single knit fabrics sold are jersey,
jacquard jersey, stockinet, intarsia lisle, knit terry
cloth, velour, fake fur, fleece, frenchterry.
11.5 Composite Fabrics
Are fabrics that combine several primary or
secondary structures atleast one of which is a
recognized textile structure, into a single structure.
This broad category includes diverse fabrics as
coated fabrics, tufted and flocked structures,
laminates and stitch bond structure.
A coated fabric combines a textile fabric with a
polymer film. The coating sprovides protection from
environmental factors such as water chemicals, oil
and abrasion. Coated fabrics are strong and stable
than unsupported films and are used for making
luggage, bags, apparel and upholstery.
Poromeric Fabrics or micro porous fabrics are
made of films but are included under a separate
category because of a unique characteristic. The
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pores in the fabric are small enough to allow the
passage of water vapor but do not allow a water
drop to pass through. They are used for making
waterproof and wind proof fabrics. Other used
include tents sleeping bags, medical products.
Famous trademarks are gore-tex, dartex, breath-tex
Tufted pile fabric
Tufting is a process of making pile fabrics by
stitching extra yarns into a fabric base or substrate.
The ground fabric could be a thin sheeting or a
heavy woven or knitted structure. It is used for
making carpets, rugs, bedspreads and hooked rugs
at a low cost.
Laminates are fabrics in which two layers of the
fabric are combined into one with an adhesive or
foam. Laminate usually refers to a fabric in which an
adhesive is used and bonded usually refers to the
fabric in which foam is used.
-Lamination produces lightweight fabrics for
outerwear.
-They have a body but do not hold sharp creases.
-Used for apparel, furnishing, shoes, and industrial
products.
11.6 Stitch-Bonded Fabrics:
Stitch bonded fabrics combine textile structured by
adhering fabric layers with fibre or yarn loops,
chemical adhesives, or fusion of thermoplastic
fibres. These are produced at high speeds and are
used for table clothes, window treatment fabrics,
vegetable bags, dish clothes and outerwear. As a
knit,
Maliwatt
and Malimo