Fabric construction!

…….What you need

to know!
 Plain weave fabric is strong and hardwearing, and is
used for fashion and furnishing fabrics. Examples would
include calico and drill cotton, linen, poly-cotton etc.
Twill weave has a diagonal pattern on the surface. Twill
weave is strong and drapes well- and is used on jeans,
curtains and jackets
 Weft knitted fabrics are made by looping long lengths of yarn
together – making it stretchy and comfortable
If a stitch is dropped it will cause a ladder down the length of the
fabric because the yarns run across the fabric in rows

Examples would
include socks,
tights, T-shirts
and Jumpers
 Warp knitted fabrics are made by machines
They interlock vertically along the length of the fabric – they are
slightly stretchy and DO NOT LADDER!

Examples would
include
swimwear,
geotextiles and
underwear
 ‘James Bond’-ed
Textiles! LOL!

Bonded-fibre fabrics are made from webs of synthetic fibres

bonded together with heat or adhesives. They are cheap to
produce, but not as strong as woven or knitted fabrics. Bonded-
fibre fabrics are mainly used for interlining . They are easy to
sew, crease-resistant, do not fray and are stable to washing and
dry-cleaning.

Wool felt is a non-woven fabric made from animal hair or wool

fibres matted together using moisture, heat and pressure. Felt
has no strength, drape or elasticity but is warm and does not fray.
Wool felt is expensive. It is used for hats and slippers and in
handcrafts.
 Thinking about the fabrics and their
properties……..

• When making fabric choices, ask yourself the

following questions:
• Fibre content - should you use natural or synthetic
fibres? What would be the most suitable?
• Fabric construction - should you use woven, knitted
or non-woven?
• Manufacturing processes - should you use dyeing,
printing, mechanical finishing or Chemical finishing?
• End-use of the fabric. What are you making - jeans,
jumper, sportswear or a seatbelt?
• Maintenance. What are the after care requirements
of the product?
 Revision task!
You will need to log onto the following
webpage to
test yourselves on your fabric knowledge!
Go to:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/design/textiles

Then select the Fabrics test.

Test yourselves on these revision tests and see
how well you do – this will be the best indicator
of your subject knowledge!