Textiles

Vocabulary flashcards related to textiles, created from provided lecture notes.

Textile/Fabric

A flexible material that is made of interlocking fibers that are woven, knitted, or felted.

Cloth

A finished piece of fabric or material for a specific purpose

Fabric

Produced especially by knitting, weaving, or felting fibers

Textile

Any manufactured material made of interlacing fibers

Staple Fibers

Short fibers that are arranged in random, and twisted, resulting in softer yarns.

Filament Fibers

Long fibers laid parallel to one another and tightly twisted to produce smooth, strong yarns.

Yarn

Formed by twisting fibers together in order to achieve a continuous strand.

Fiber

The basic element of a textile.

Natural Fibers

Fibers derived from animal, plant, and mineral resources.

Man-Made Fibers

Fibers that are man-made or chemical/synthetic.

Wool

From a variety of animal coats; creates pockets that give depth to the fabric; unique textures allow them to stick together and create felt.

Silk

From the cocoon of a silkworm; a natural protein; stronger than steel filament of the same thickness; absorbs dye well.

Cotton

Made from the seed pod of the cotton plant; fibers are hollow and twisted; handles high temperatures, absorbs dye well, and stands up to abrasions.

Linen

Made from the bast that surrounds the stem of the flax plant; the strongest of the plant fibers; natural color ranges from creamy white to tan.

Ramie

Made from the bast of a plant in the nettle family; has a high luster; resists bacteria, mold, and abrasion.

Jute

Made from the stalk and stem of the jute plant; glossy fiber, mostly used as backing material for carpets and flooring.

Abaca (Manila Hemp)

Derived from the Musa textilis plant; fiber is obtained from the outer layer of the leaf; used in rope making.

Piña

Made from the leaves of the pineapple plant; sometimes combined with silk.

Asbestos

Naturally occurring fibrous minerals that are resistant to heat and corrosion; used for insulation, fireproofing, and automotive brakes.

Glass

Main constituent is silica; used for high strength, heat and corrosion resistant fabrics, protective clothing, and industrial fabrics.

Rayon

Manufactured from wood pulp; absorbent and strong.

Acetate

Manufactured from plant cellulose; weak fiber and sensitive to heat.

Polyester

Produced from alcohol and carboxyl acid; crease resistant and nonabsorbent.

Nylon

Produced solely from petrochemicals; sensitive to heat.

Aniline Dyes

Translucent and comparable to wood stains.

Semi-Aniline Dyes

Compared to paint; ensures uniformity in color among many hides, and contains some pigments.

Dye

Soluble substances which penetrate into the fabric and are fixed by a chemical action, heat or other treatment.

Weaves

The interlocking fibers that make a textile.

Plain Weave

One warp yarn crosses over one weft yarn in an alternating pattern; creates an even surface and texture; durable and inexpensive.

Basket Weave

A variation of the plain weave; woven with two colors of yarn crossing in an alternating pattern that resembles a basket.

Twill Weave

Produces a distinct diagonal pattern by slightly shifting the yarns over at each successive row; creates a houndstooth, herringbone, or chevron pattern.

Satin Weave

Formed by each yarn floating over four yarns; creates a smooth, lustrous surface; subject to snag due to exposed yarns.

Jacquard Weave

Woven on a special jacquard loom that controls individual yarns; allows for more complex design; used to produce patterned fabrics.

Leno Weave

An open mesh; created by a pair of warp threads passing over and under the yarn in a figure eight or hourglass twist.

Felting

Matting together of fibers to form a web; results in a continuous dense cloth that is firm, slightly fuzzy and comparatively low in tensile strength.

Films

Produced in sheet forms by extrusion through a wide die, forming in molds or rolling between rollers.

Knitting

Utilizes machinery wherein blunt rods or needles are used to form a single continuous yarn into a series of interlocking loops.

Braiding

The interweaving or intertwining of three or more strands of yarn or other material.

Twisting

Intertwining and knotting of yarns that run in two or more directions, used to produce nets, macrame, and laces.

Yarn Dyeing

Dye is applied to the fibers after they are spun into yarn.

Piece Dyeing

Dye is applied to a woven material.

Fiber Dyeing

Dye is applied to the natural fibers in their raw state or to the polymer or fiber solution; ensures colorfastness and excellent color penetration.

Screen Printing

Colors are applied to a fabric through a stencil.

Direct Printing

Colors applied to a fabric by a roller or cylinder imprint.

Discharge Printing

Color is lifted from a fabric in a controlled pattern with bleach or chemical dye removers.

Stain Resistance

Finish applied to a fabric to help it resist water- and oil-based stains.

Flame Resistance

Finish applied to a fabric so that it complies with building and fire code regulations.

Water Resistance

Silicone or fluorochemical finish applied to a fabric to help it resist the absorption of moisture.

Antistatic Treatment

Finish applied to a fabric to remove static buildup.

Bacteriostatic & Antimicrobial Treatment

Finish applied to a fabric that is prone to mold, mildew, and rot when exposed to moisture.

Abrasion resistance

Durability of a fabric.

Absorbency

Ability of a fabric to absorb moisture.

Acoustical transparency

Measurement of sound transmission through a fabric.

Fire resistance

Degree of a fabric's resistance to heat and flame.

Width of fabric

Width of the fabric roll.

Fabric grain

Direction of the woven fibers or threads, or pattern

Selvage/Selvedge

Self-finished edge of a fabric that keeps from unraveling and fraying