Fibre To Fabric - A2 Textiles

Front 1

Cotton

Back 1

Fibre typically used to make gingham, terry towelling and corduroy.

Front 2

Linen

Back 2

Fibre derived from the stem of the flax plant.

Front 3

Wool

Back 3

Can absorb 1/3 of its weight in water before feeling wet.

Front 4

Cashmere

Back 4

The fine underhair of the Kel goat from India, Mongolia and Iran.

Front 5

Mohair

Back 5

The hair of the angora goat, from Texas, South Africa and Turkey.

Front 6

Silk

Back 6

Fibre typically used in chiffon, crepe and damask.

Front 7

Viscose

Back 7

Regenerated fibre made from the pulp of eucalyptus trees.

Front 8

Modal

Back 8

Very absorbent regenerated fibre usually produced as a staple fibre.

Front 9

Acetate

Back 9

Regenerated fibre made from cotton cellulose and acetic acid.

Front 10

Acrylic

Back 10

Polyvinyl fibre produced with a wool like handle.

Front 11

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

Back 11

Synthetic fibre used in blends or as a coating.

Front 12

Elastane

Back 12

Polyurethane - has the inbuilt capacity to stretch up to 7 times it's original length then recover when tension is released.

Front 13

Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE)

Back 13

Fluorofibre - a synthetic polymer used mainly as a coating.

Front 14

Nylon

Back 14

Polyamide - can be engineered to provide a wide variety of properties and characteristics.

Front 15

Polyester

Back 15

The most used and versatile synthetic fibre.

Front 16

Yarn

Back 16

A fine continuous length of fibres or filament(s), with or without twist.

Front 17

Twist

Back 17

Put into yarns during spinning to make them stronger and to join staple fibres together.

Front 18

Fancy yarns

Back 18

Produced by special spinning processes to give irregularities in the construction. Generally used in the weft to add interest to a woven fabric.

Front 19

Core-spun yarns

Back 19

multi-component yarns, in which the centre is covered by spinning other staple fibres around it. A method often used to create stretch yarns.

Front 20

Monofilament yarn

Back 20

Yarn made from a single continuous filament

Front 21

Multi-filament yarn

Back 21

Yarn made from multiple continuous filaments, with or without twist.

Front 22

Bulked yarn

Back 22

Yarn made by blending staple fibres of different shrinkage, which can be wet or heat finished to make the resultant yarn thicker and softer.

Front 23

Textured yarn

Back 23

Yarn made from thermoplastic synthetic filament yarn which is finished using a heat process to have durable crimps, coils or loops along the length which add bulk making the yarn warmer, more elastic, absorbent, increases the moisture transport and gives a softer handle.

Front 24

Plain weave

Back 24

The most used weave construction, which can provide endless design variations through the use of plain, thick and thin, fancy and coloured yarns.

Front 25

Twill weave

Back 25

This weave creates diagonal lines which generally run bottom left to top right on the fabric face.

Front 26

Satin weave

Back 26

A warp faced weave which gives the fabric a smooth shiny face and good draping properties.

Front 27

Crepe

Back 27

These fabrics have a crinkled or puckered surface, with no definite pattern. Produced using highly twisted yarns.

Front 28

Jacquard

Back 28

These fabrics have a complicated patterned design in three or more colours, they can be knitted or woven.

Front 29

Pile fabrics

Back 29

These fabrics can be knitted or woven with a raised surface effect, formed by tufts or loops that stand up from the fabric.

Front 30

Needlecord and corduroy

Back 30

A ribbed cut weft - pile fabric that is brushed.

Front 31

Terry towelling

Back 31

A plain woven cotton fabric made from two warps. The ground warp is highly tensioned and the pile warp is looser. When the weft yarns are beaten into the fabric the looser pile warp forms loops on one or both sides of the fabric.

Front 32

Felt

Back 32

A non-woven fabric made by interlocking fibres so that they become matted.

Front 33

Bonded webs

Back 33

These are made from a web of fibres, bonded with adhesives, solvents or by the thermoplastic property or some or all of the fibres.

Front 34

Tufted fabrics

Back 34

This method is used to manufacture carpets and rugs. They are made by machines that insert pile yarns into a backing fabric. The pile can be looped or cut and is fixed into the backing with an adhesive coating.

Front 35

Open-work fabrics

Back 35

This term covers fabrics such as lace, braid and crochet.

Front 36

Lace

Back 36

A fine open fabric or mesh or net, which can be patterned.

Front 37

Braid

Back 37

Made by the diagonal interlacing of at least two sets of warp yarns. Used for trimmings and ribbons.

Front 38

Crochet

Back 38

A hand-made chain of loops, produced from a single thread using a hook. The chains of loops can be linked to form fabric.

Front 39

Weft knitting

Back 39

A fabric made from a continuous length of yarn fed across the width or the fabric by a series of needles. Will ladder when cut.

Front 40

Single Jersey

Back 40

A weft knitted fabric with a smooth front and a textured back which shows the loops. Has a tendency to curl at the edges. This fabric is used to make t-shirts

Front 41

Double jersey

Back 41

A weft knitted fabric that is less elastic than most, produced using two sets of needle beds working alternately.

Front 42

Rib fabrics

Back 42

A weft knitted fabric that is made on two sets of needles which are staggered, they knit in opposite directions which creates vertical lines in the fabric. It is very elastic widthways but quite stable vertically making it suitable for jumpers, waistcoats and socks.

Front 43

Warp knitting

Back 43

Fabrics which are constructed on straight or circular CAD/CAM knitting machines. Each loop of the fabric is fed by it's own separate yarn. Will not unravel or ladder.

Front 44

Lyocell

Back 44

The generic name for a high performance staple viscose fibre which fibrillates making it highly versatile.

Front 45

Tencel

Back 45

The brand name for lyocell.

Front 46

Aramid

Back 46

The generic name for a family of synthetic fibres which provide high strength and heat resistance.

Front 47

Kevlar

Back 47

The brand name for a family of aramid fibres which are high strength, lightweight, flame and chemical resistant, flexible and comfortable.

Front 48

Nomex

Back 48

The brand name for a family of aramid fibres that are high temperature resistant. They have a unique combination of heat and flame resistance and are resistant to most industrial oils, solvents and chemicals.

Front 49

Teflon

Back 49

The brand name for a high performance fabric care product made from PTFE. It protects fabric and leather against water, stains and oil based spills.

Front 50

Laminated fabrics

Back 50

Two or more different textile layers are joined to provide a fabric with enhanced technical properties.

Front 51

Hydrophilic

Back 51

This is a property of fibres that are water attracting i.e. absorbent.

Front 52

Hydrophobic

Back 52

Fibres that are not absorbent, water droplets will sit on their surface until they evaporate.

Front 53

Breathable

Back 53

This is a property that means moisture can pass from one side of the fabric to another; either through wicking or passing through as water vapour.

Front 54

Gore-tex

Back 54

The brand name for a microporous membrane which is hydrophobic but also breathable. It has microscopic holes that allow water vapour to pass through but are too small for raindrops. It is used in laminated fabrics to make them waterproof but comfortable.

Front 55

Tactel Aquator

Back 55

One of a family of smart, high tech fabrics made from microfibres, it is knitted as a two-sided fabric with Tactel on the inside and cotton on the outside. Tactel is hydrophilic so it wicks perspiration away from the skin and into the cotton outer layer where it spreads and evaporates.

Front 56

Tactel

Back 56

The brand name for a type of nylon fibre that is lightweight, soft and dries 8 times more quickly than cotton.