MATERIALS OF DESIGN & DECORATION (TEXTILE)

Textile

Also known as fabric or cloth, a flexible artificial material made up of a network of natural or artificial fibers.

Fabric

Any material made through weaving, knitting, crocheting or bonding

Cloth

A finished piece of fabric that can be used for varying purposes

Fiber

Basic element, hair like strand that forms the basis of yarn.

Staple Fibers

Short fibers, loosely twisted, measured in centimeters or inches and all natural fibers

Filament Fibers

Long and continuous fibers, measured in meters and yards and produced by extruding chemical solutions through a shower-head-like device called a spinneret

Yarn

Formed by twisting fibers together to create a continuous strand

Spun Yarns

Staple fibers twisted together

Filament Yarns

Continuous strands made from either a spinneret generated synthetic fiber or from silk.

Natural Fibers

Fibers from animal, plant or mineral sources

Synthetic Fibers

Man-made and thoroughly modern, most having been developed in the 20th Century

Cotton

Wide used plant fiber, vegetable or cellulosic fiber which comes from the balls of the cotton plant. Burns at a slow rate and is one of the most versatile and durable fibers

Shiny Cotton

Processed version of the cotton fiber made into cloth to resemble satin

Egyptian Cotton

The extra long staple cotton produced in Egypt and favoured for the luxury and upmarket brands

Kapok

Derived from the seed pod of the Java kapok tree, too brittle to be spun into fiber but soft enough to be used as cushioning and used extensively for stuffing pillows and seat cushions

Flax / Linen

Oldest fiber ever woven into fabric. Its yarn is grayish in color with a silky luster. Reflects heat better than cotton and holds color longer under strong light conditions more than any other natural fiber. Used for table linens, draperies, slipcovers, etc. "Gusot mayaman"

Jute

Resembles flax, made from the stem and stalk of jute plant, very long and dimensionally stable, harsh, brittle, lints badly and wrinkles easily, used primarily to carpet and linoleum backing. UV protection, sound and head insulation, low thermal conduction and anti-static properties makes a wise choice home decor.

Burlap

Made from jute, excellent resistant to microorganisms and insects

Hemp

A coarse fiber originally used in ropes and sacks, from the stems of the Cannabis Sativa plant

Manila Hemp

Abaca, from Musa textilis plant, the other coarser fibers are used in the manufacture of matting and durable cordage. very strong with grate buster and is very resistant to damage from salt water

Ramie

Inexpensive fiber from an East Asian plant, called China grass or grass-linen from a perennial shrub, exceptionally strong fiber and has natural luster compared to silk, unusual resistance to bacteria and molds, absorbent and dries quickly, excellent abrasion resistance, 5x stronger than cotton and 2x as strong as flax, tends to be non-elastic and brittle, often blended with softer fibers like cotton and rayon

Natural Rubber

Latex (liquid rubber) extruded into fiber, highly elastic, flexible and impermeable to water and air, tends to lose its strength through age and deteriorates in sunlight

Jusi

From banana fibers

Pina

From pineapple plant, combined with silk and polyester to create a fabric, used in Barong Tagalog

Wool

From domesticated animals, primarily sheep, exceptional resiliency and elasticity, excellent fiber for carpets, wool can be reshaped by steaming and pressing, susceptible to damage by insects, almost no resistance to alkalis (detergents), good resistance against abrasion, antiseptic, pleasingly soft hand and can be blended, burns slowly and is self-extinguishing, often preferred in the public areas of luxury facility

Hair

From camel, goat, mohair, alpaca, Llama, the vicuna (rarest) and horsehair

Cashmere

From the lowly Kashmiri Goat, luxurious and fibers of Kings

Pashmina

The finest "wool" shorn from the undercoat of Himalayan mountain Goats

Shatoosh Hair

Most luxurious, illegal to buy and sell, comes from endangered antelope

Silk Fibers

The most beautiful of all fibers due to its marvellous, natural luster, from cocoons of the silkworm. Fragile and disintegrates or discolours in strong light, subject to mildew and rot in humid climates, swells when damp and shrinks when dry (hiking) and burns slowly. Each filament is 600 yards, the strongest natural fiber, surpassed by nylon in strength

Organzine or Thrown Silk

Finest cultured silk yarn and is made from the longest filaments

Tram, Spunsilk or Bourette

Shorter stands of silk that has less muster and sheen

Sericulture

The growth of silk moths for their silk productions.

Tussah

Silk fabric woven from silk made by wild, uncultured silkworms, has rougher texture than cultivated silk

Duppion

From the fiber formed by two silk worms that spun their cocoons together in an interlocking manner, uneven like linen, irregular and larger than regular filaments

Thai Silk

From the cocoons of thai sikworms, one of the finest fabrics

Asbestos

Mineral fibers with fluffy strands which are generally combing with cotton to produce a textile, complete fireproof and no longer legal.

Metal Fibers

Threads of golds, silver or copper do not tarnish and composed of metal, plastic-coated metal, metal-coated plastic, not affected by saltwater or humidity, used for sparkle, lending glitter to textiles

Rayon

First synthetic fiber, poor man's silk or artificial silk. frequently blended with cotton or wool, used as backing of velvet which bears nylon, cotton or a silk face (pile).

Viscose rayon

Absorbent and dyes readily, economical to produce, light and abrasion resistance, strong but loses strength when wet, subject to mildew and rot, low resiliency and wrinkles easily

Acetate

Compound of cellulose acetate, heat-treated against wrinkling, washable, fast-drying and does not shrink, flexible, resulting in fabric with excellent draping qualities, woven unto expensive textiles such as satins, fails, crepes, brocades and damasks. thermoplastic fiber, easily damage by heat and easily wrinkled

Tri-Acetate

Has good resiliency, greater stability and abrasion resistance, shrink resistant and maintains crisp finish and permanent pleats can be set, used for textures knits and tricots

Nylon

Developed by Dupont (1939), elements of petroleum, natural gas (carbon), air (nitrogen and oxygen) and water, strongest fiber of all, highly elastic with good elongation and recovery properties, great strength, high resiliency and abrasion resistance makes a popular carpet fiber, does not absorb oil and most air-borne dirt, known to repel fungus, mildew and mold and dimensionally stable, deteriorates when exposed to sunlight.

Acrylic

Developed by Dupont (1950), elements of coal, air, water, petroleum and limestone, resistant to sunlight, oil-borne and air-borne dirt, durable, abrasion-resistant, mildew and moth-proof,

Modacrylic

Developed by Union Carbide (1949), elements of natural gas, coal, air, salt and water, resistant to acids and alkalis, sued for draperies and casement cloths

Olefins

(Polypropylene and Polyethylene) developed by Hercules Inc (1961), a by-product of petroleum, relatively inexpensive and very popular for use as a carpet fiber, outstanding resistance to stains and crushing and its lack of static generation, polypropylene is widely used as upholstery for airplanes, strong, light and general bulked, does not absorb moister or air-borne dirt, resistant to mildew, rot, moths and vermin, has the lightest synthetic fibers and has excellent elastic recovery

Polyester

Derivative of coal, air, water and petroleum, resistance to air-borne and oil-borne dirt, low moister absorbency, wrinkle resistance, high strength and resiliency, abrasion resistance and dimensional stability, excellent crease resistance and is easy to maintain, hospital cubicle curtains are made of polyester

Fiberfill

Modern stuffing for pillows

Glass Fiber

It allows flexibility of weave from lacy open-weace cloths, to semi opaque casement textiles to light textured weave textiles.

Polynude Nylon

Resembles silk in luster, weight, color, feel and drapability but can be iron at high heat like cotton

Saran

A manufactured fiber in which the fiber-forming substance is any long-chain synthetic polymer composed of at least 80% by weight of vinylidene chloride units. Used for outdoor furniture upholstery and screening, unaffected by sunlight, easy to care, wrinkle resistant and abrasion resistant, high crease retention and durability

Spandex

Manufactured elastomeric fiber, can be repeatedly stretched over 500% without breaking, soil-resistant, washable and does not discolour

Lycra

A brand of Spandex

Aramids

Modern synthetic fiber, have unique properties, alkalis and acids has no effect

Nomex

Brand name, high temperature-resistant fiber used in firefighter uniform and space suits

Kevlar

Brand name, high temperature-resistant fiber used bullet proof vests