Fabric construction

Annotations:

• Fabrics are made from yarns (held together by weaving or Knitting), or fibres which are stuck together. FABRICS CAN BE MADE FROM WOVEN YARNS ... Different woven fabrics are made by interlacing two sets of yarns-- the weft, which travels from right to left, and the warp, which travels up and down the weave.

1. Plain weave
   1. The simplest weave - the weft yarn passes over and under alternate warp yarns, making it unpatterned
   2. Its hard-wearing -- strong and holds its shape well. It has a smooth finish (making it good for printing on).
   3. Its the cheapest weave to produce and is used to make loads of fabrics, especially cotton-based ones
2. Twill weave
   1. A twill weave creates a diagonal pattern on the surface of the fabric. E.g. The weft yarn goes over two yarns and under one. The next weft yarn repeats this but one warp yarn further along
   2. Its stronger and drapes better than the plain weave. Its used for fabrics such as denim
3. Satin weave
   1. The weft yarn goes over four or more warp threads and under one.
   2. The long weft yarns on the surface (called floats) catch the light, so satin weave makes shiny fabrics (like satin).
   3. But the floats can snag, so the fabric is quite delicate and doesn't resist abrasion.
4. Bonded fabrics
   1. These are "webs" of fibre held together by glue,stitches, needle-punching or heAT.
   2. They're used for interfacing, artificial leathers and disposable cloths (e.g. Medical masks)
5. Felted fabrics
   1. Felting is an older way of making non-woven fabric. Felt is are by combining pressure, moisture and heat to interlock a mat of wolf fibres.
   2. Felt can be used for carpet underlay, craft material, hats, jewellery and snooker table coverings.
6. Weft-Knitted fabrics
7. Warp-Knitted fabrics