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Fabric Terms
Here is a short list of fabric terms.
alpaca blend calico cloth cloth yard cotton flax lamb's wool linen melton wool merino wool mohair pill rayon sateen cotton satin thread count ticking ticking cotton twill twill weave wool True
alpaca is a hair fiber form the Alpaca animal, a member of the Ilama family of
the South American Andes Mountains. Also imitated in wool, wool and alpaca,
rayon, mohair and rayon or cotton and a cotton warp and alpaca filling also
synthetics - e.g. orlon. Fine, silk-like, soft, light weight and warm. Has much
luster and resembles mohair. If guard hairs are used it is inclined to be boardy.
It is strong and durable. True alpaca is expensive so often combined with other
fibers or imitated by other fibers - e.g. orlon. A term
applied to a yarn or a fabric that is made up of more than one fiber. In blended
yarns, two or more different types of staple fibers are twisted or spun together
to form the yarn. Examples of a typical blended yarn or fabric is
polyester/cotton. Cotton
cloth imported from India; a plain white cotton fabric that is heavier than
muslin; any of various cheap cotton fabrics with figured patterns. Originated in
Calcutta, India, and is one of the oldest cottons. Rather coarse and light in
weight. Pattern is printed on one side by discharge or resist printing. It is
not always fast in color. Sized for crispness but washes out and requires starch
each time. Designs are often geometric in shape, but originally elaborate
designs of birds, trees, and flowers. Similar to percale. The word
cloth is sometimes used as a generic term for "fabric". The word cloth also
considered a unit of length for measuring cloth. When the word "cloth" is used
alone without any qualifiers, it usually refers to an all woolen fabric in the
19th Century.. A yard
esp. for measuring cloth; specific: a unit of 37 inches equal to the Scottish
ell and used also as a length for arrows A plant
of the Genus Gossypium, which yields fiber for the manufacture of durable and
permanent fine papers and cellulose derivatives. The boll of the cotton plant is
a capsule that bursts open when ripe, allowing the seed and attached lint
(hairs) to be easily picked. The cotton fiber is removed from the seed by the
ginning process. See also Cotton Linters Fiber from the seed pod of the cotton
plant, the use of cotton dates back more than 5,000 years. Quality depends on
the length of the fiber, longer being better, and fiber lengths vary from less
than one-half inch to more than two inches. Often
considered the oldest fiber used in the Western world. Remnants of flax fabric
(linen) have been found in excavations at the historic lake regions of
Switzerland, which date back to about 10,000 B.C. Although the archaeologists
dispute the origins of flax , some believe that it came from the region of Tepe
Sabz, Iran (Mesopotamia), ca. 5500 - 5000 B.C. By 4,000 B.C. the Egyptians were
cultivating and processing flax and ancient wall carvings show laborers
harvesting flax. Examples have been found that were spun so fine that more than
360 threads joined together to form one warp thread. The rather incredible
characteristics and properties of flax are once again being recognized. Although
linen has been primarily considered as a fashion fabric in modern times, the
industry and the markets are beginning to understand its potential as a
performance fiber, delivering high strength and durability, abrasion resistance
and high moisture regain, as well as a luxurious hand and appearance. The first
clip of wool sheered from lambs up to eight months old. The wool is soft,
slippery and resilient. It is used in fine grade woolen fabrics. One of
the oldest natural fibers used for clothing. It pre-dates the Egyptians. Made
from flax fibers, it is noted for its strength, coolness and luster. Also used
as a name of fabric woven with linen fibers in a plain weave. Natural linen has
variety in the coloration and size of the fibers, producing a slightly uneven
surface. Can also refer to a similar fabric produced from man-made fibers to
mimic the natural version. Sometimes combined with synthetics. Twill or satin weave. Very solid cloth due to the finishing processes that completely conceal the weave. It wears very well. Wind resistant. Originated in Melton, Mowbray, England. It was first made as a hunting cloth. Looks like wool felt - pressed flat. Mostly used for men in over coating, uniform cloth of all kinds (army, navy, etc., as well as polie and firemen), pea jackets, regal liverly. Used for heavy outer sports garments and coats for women. Merino wool Soft and
luxurious, similar to cashmere, often considered the finest wool. From the
angora goat. Some has cotton warp and mohair filling (sometimes called
brilliantine). Imitation mohair made from wool or a blend. Angora goat is one of
the oldest animals known to man. It is 2 1/2 times as strong as wool. Goats are
raised in S.Africa, Western Asia, turkey, and neighboring countries. Some are in
the U.S.A. Fabric is smooth, glossy, and wiry. Has long wavy hair. Also made in
a pile fabric of cut and uncut loops similar to frieze with a cotton and wool
back and mohair pattern. - Similar to alpaca. Natural Fabrics Cotton, linen, silk, wool. Made from both animal and plant fibers. A tangled
ball of fibers that appears on the surface of a fabric, as a result of wear or
continued friction or rubbing on the surface of the fabric. A fabric
made from rayon, namely any of a group of smooth textile fibers made from
regenerated cellulose by extrusion through minute holes. The first of the
man-made fibers, it was developed as a substitute for silk. Woven, it has a soft
hand and very good drapeability. Lustrous
and smooth with the sheen in a filling direction. Better qualities are
mercerized to give a higher sheen. Some are only calendared to produce the sheen
but this disappears with washing and is not considered genuine sateen. A type of
weave made from silk or other fabrics. Usually has a lustrous surface and a dull
back. The luster is produced by running it between hot cylinders. Made in many
colors, weights, varieties, qualities, and degrees of stiffness. A low grade
silk or a cotton filling is often used in cheaper cloths. Measured
by adding the number of warp ends per inch and filling picks per inch in the
woven fabric. The higher the number, the more dense the yarns are packed
together, but unfortunately thread count has come to be the major determinant of
quality in the U.S. customer's eyes. The quality of the cotton and the finishing
process after weaving can often be more important to the soft hand and
durability of a fabric than a high thread count. A strong
linen or cotton fabric used in upholstering and as a covering for a mattress or
pillow. Usually
twill (L2/1 or L3/1), some jacquard, satin, and dobby. Very tightly woven with
more warp than filling yarns. Very sturdy and strong, smooth and lustrous.
Usually has white and colored stripes, but some patterned (floral). Can be made
water-repellent, germ resistant, and feather-proof. "Bohemian ticking" has a
plain weave, a very high texture, and is featherproof. Lighter weight than
regular ticking. Patterned with narrow colored striped on a white background or
may have a chambray effect by using a white or unbleached warp with a blue or
red filling. A fabric
with a twill weave, namely a textile weave in which the filling threads pass
over one and under two or more warp threads to give an appearance of diagonal
lines. Similar
to a satin weave in the sense that the loom is floating the warp or weft yarns
over yarns of the opposite direction, but with a twill the yarn is only passing
over two of the opposite yarns. A twill is distinctive by the diagonal lines
that appear in the fabric. A twill weave, like a satin weave, usually results in
a softer fabric than a plain weave. It is superior for a feather pillow ticking
because of its strength. A woven
fabric of wool, namely the soft wavy or curly hypertrophied undercoat of various
hairy mammals and especially the sheep made of a matrix of keratin fibers and
covered with minute scales. A garment made of wool. The term 'wool' refers to
the fibers from the fleece of lambs, sheep, Cashmere goats, Angora goats,
camels, llamas, alpacas, and vicunas. Wool from sheep is the most common, lamb's
wool is shorn from sheep less than eight months old, and Merino wool is from a
specific breed that yields the finest and softest sheep wool. Reference: Terms and Definitions by Chris Daley of C.J. Daley Historical Reproductions
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