How will you know the quality of your fabric?, Fabrics aren’t something we’re unfamiliar with. They have always been and will continue to be a part of our lives. But do we know what they’re made of, how they’re created, and how to tell the difference between a high-quality fabric and a low-quality cloth?
Let us get our facts straight.
Fabric is a generic name for a material created from yarn, which is a continuous strand of natural or synthetic textile fibres or filaments used to produce clothing, accessories, and home furnishings. It is manufactured using a variety of techniques including weaving, knitting, knotting, chemically glueing, bonding, or melting the fibres together, and mechanically tangling the threads together (felting).
There are certain important questions to ask regarding fabric that range from difficult to basic, but they are all relevant in some way and will effect the beauty, strength, and a variety of other desired traits that you will be looking for in your cloth.
1. What fiber is the fabric made of?
Fabric is manufactured from yarn that is made up of several types of fibres. It could be silk sarees, cotton sarees, wool or rayon sarees, or something else else. Fibers can be created from a single fibre, such as cotton, or a combination, such as Polycotton or Polycot. Fiber is the fundamental component of your fabric.
2. What types of yarns are there in the fabric and how are they spun?
The type, thickness, and density of a fabric’s strands determine whether it is fine or coarse. Spun yarns (produced from short, staple fibres) and filament yarns are two types of yarn (made from continuous filament fibers). Spun cotton yarn has been combed to remove short fibres, resulting in a very fine cotton fabric.
3. How is cotton yarn weight measured?
The word “yarn number” or “yarn count” is used to describe the weight of cotton yarn. This is how many hanks of yarn are required to make one pound of yarn. The lower the yarn number, the thinner the yarn and, as a result, the cloth.
4. How is Polyester yarn measured?
The term denier is used to describe the thickness of polyester yarn. This is the weight in grammes of a yarn length of 9000 metres. The finer the yarn, the lower the denier.
5. Why is yarn twisted?
The twist of the yarns used in the fabric can alter the feel and appearance of the cloth. Uneven, loosely twisted yarns are weaker and will wear out faster than well-twisted yarns. Twist can improve the yarn’s fineness, strength, and elasticity. The majority of woven fabric yarns have an average twist, although some textiles, such as crepe, are created using high twist yarns. But a filament yarn without much twist can make the fabric appear smoother.
6. What is the ply of the fabric?
The ply of a cloth refers to the twisting/use of the yarn that produces the cloth. A ply is the name given to each strand of single yarn. The most widely used phrases to describe the twist of the yarn used to make the fabric are single ply and two ply. The fibre is twisted to produce a single yarn, which is then used to make the fabric. Two strands are spun into a single yarn, which is then used to make the cloth. Knowing the ply is crucial since it influences the thickness and strength of the yarn, as well as the fabric’s strength, look, and absorbency.
7. What is the fabric construction method used?
Fabrics are divided into three categories based on how they are made: woven, knits, and nonwoven. Knitted fabrics are created by hand or using specialised equipment interlocking continuous thread into rows of loops. These textiles have a good elasticity to them, making them ideal for constructing comfortable and form-fitting clothing.
Interweaving yarn with weft yarn over and under the warp yarn creates woven fabrics. Hand weaving is no longer as popular as machine weaving.
Heat, moisture, and pressure are used to create nonwoven fabrics in the other category. Each has its own set of benefits and drawbacks.
8. What is the fabric weave?
This is crucial for understanding the fabric’s drape and feel, as well as its appearance. Fabric that is finely woven will have a beautiful drape and a smooth feel. When sewing a cloth that will ravel at the cut edges, extra caution is required. It’s possible that a tightly woven fabric won’t ravel at the edges. Knits never ravel at the edges, but thin knits do, which is unsightly. An excessive raveling tendency is a not a good sign.
9. What is the fabric weight?
Fabrics are classified as lightweight, medium weight, heavyweight, and so on. The weaving of lightweight materials is usually loose. The weave of heavy-weight fabrics is usually very tight.
10. What are the dyeing and printing done on the fabric?
Chemical dyes and natural dyes can both be used to dye fabric. Dyes derived from plants and other natural sources such as barks, leaves, roots, seeds, and soil are used in natural dyeing. Only alum is used as a mordant when dyeing silk and cotton sarees. Natural colours eliminate the negative impacts of chemicals used in the dyeing process.
Cloth designs and motifs can be created by weaving with coloured thread or by printing after the fabric has been created. Yarn-made designs are superior to printed designs in terms of quality. You can find a lot of them by looking at my page on Fabric Patterns.
11. Are the fibers of the fabric strong and resilient?
This determines how long the fabric will last. Is your fabric readily torn when you exert force on it? Some textiles will never go out of style. To shred a polyester cloth, for example, you must need a knife. However, ketchup spilt on cotton fabric can cause it to tear.
The type of yarns used and the thickness of the warp and weft threads might affect the fabric’s strength.
When a cloth can bounce back to its original shape after being twisted, squashed, wrinkled, or distorted in any way, it is considered to be resilient. Fabrics like wool, polyester, and nylon are extremely durable.
12. What kind of finishes does a fabric have?
Finishes are applied to fabric to alter its appearance and utility. Waterproofing, stain resistance, and wrinkle resistance are just a few of the benefits. Many of the finishes are patented by the firms that invented them, giving them exclusive use rights.
13. Will the fabric absorb moisture?
This is the fabric quality that makes you feel good while wearing it. Consider wearing a dress that sticks to your skin when you sweat. It refers to a fabric’s ability to absorb moisture. Cotton and other natural materials absorb a lot of moisture.
The ability of a fibre to carry moisture away from the skin is known as wick-ability. This is a crucial feature in activewear.
14. How good is the durability of the fabric?
This is contingent on the fiber’s capacity to bend with low force. In fashion design, a fabric’s flowing quality is crucial. Thin and lightweight textiles are usually drapeable, however this is not always the case. The drape of bias-cut fabric is excellent.
- What is the hand of the fabric ?
This refers to the cloth texture, or how it feels when you run your hand over it. The type of fibre used, the weave of the yarns, and the surface finishing all have an impact on the hand of your fabric.
- Does the fabric stretch?
When a cloth is constructed of fibres that stretch when pulled, it is said to have elasticity and be stretchy. It will return to the same position it was in before you released it. Knit textiles stretch a lot, but the type of knit determines how much. If not properly cared for, low-quality knits will stretch out.
- Does the fabric shrink ?
Textile makers have been striving to reduce fabric shrinkage for years. After washing, the weave of some materials, such as cotton, tightens. New textiles must be pre-shrinked before being manufactured into clothing so that they do not shrunk and look distorted after use. Shrinkable fabrics are the name for these types of materials.
Some textiles are pre-shrunk when they are cut from the bolt. They are handled in this manner at the manufacturing facility, so no preshrinking is required at home.