Textiles

Question 1

what is is sportswear usually made of and why

Answer 1

• Polyester as its strong and dries very quickly and is resistant to abrasion meaning it can be used intensively
• elastene as its very stretchy and not absorbent
• polyamide - is an insulator and is easy to wash

Question 2

what are furnishings usually made of and why

Answer 2

• cotton - resistant to abrasion so won’t wear thin easily
• acrylic -soft and warm, cosy, resistant to fading, so will stay good looking for long
• wood - strong and warm

Question 3

what is flame retardance

Answer 3

• treatments to make fabrics less likely to catch fire
• used on flammable fibres like cotton such as :
  
  • work wear for welders as they deal with hot metals and flames
• racing drivers overalls
• night clothes
• soft furnishings

Question 4

benefits of using fire retardant

Answer 4

makes fabric slightly stiffer
fabric is still soft and cheap to produce

Question 5

disadvantages of flame retardance

Answer 5

makes the fabric stiffer
can be washed out, so care is needed when washing

Question 6

how can fabrics be made stain resistant

Answer 6

• treating it with a mixture of silicone and fluorine compounds
• these treatments stop grease and dirt from penetrating the fabric

Question 7

what is rot proofing

Answer 7

• applying a waterproof treatment such as PVC to the fabric

Question 8

examples of water resistant finishes on fabrics

Answer 8

• chemicals can be applied to fabric surfaces to stop water droplets passing through
• nylon is often given a water resistant finish and is used to make coats and tents

Question 9

what are laminated fabrics

Answer 9

fabrics made up of two or more layers stuck together

Question 10

features of lamination

Answer 10

• could add insulation or strength, could protect from an outer layer
• waterproof

Question 11

what is the thickness of fabric measured in

Answer 11

ply

Question 12

features of zips

Answer 12

• can be made out of plastic or metal
• can be big and bulky or small and concealed
• some zips are fixed at one end, some aren’t
• zips with two sliders can be opened in both directions

Question 13

advantages of zips

Answer 13

• secure fastening
• quick todo up and undo
• theyre hard wears wearing and can washed

Question 14

disadvantage of zips

Answer 14

they can snag delicate fabrics

Question 15

velcro advantages and disadvantages

Answer 15

• safe and soft
• can be machine washed
• hard wearing
• hooks collect fibres over time and become less sticky
• not very decorative

Question 16

advantages of toggles and buttons

Answer 16

• easy to attach
• colours can match or contrast with the fabric
• they can fall off(chocking hazard on child)
• they can be damaged in the wash

Question 17

scissors used for fabrics

Answer 17

• paper scissors to cut out patterns
• dressmaking scissors (fabric shears) to cut out fabrics - long sharp blades
• embroidery scissors for more delicate jobs like snipping threads - they have short and sharp blades
• pinking shears to cut fabrics with a zigzag edge to prevent fabric from fraying

Question 18

what tools are used for sewing

Answer 18

• pins to hold the fabric together before stitching to keep your fingers away from needle
• needles for hand stitches

Question 19

what tools are used for measuring and marking out fabrics

Answer 19

• flexible measuring tapes to accurately follow curved surfaces
• tailors chalk and pattern masters to help draw and mark out patterns

Question 20

what tools are used for pressing fabrics

Answer 20

• dry irons use heat and pressure to press creases out of fabric and flatten seams
• steam irons are more effective and use water and steam as well as heat and pressure

Question 21

what else can irons be used for

Answer 21

• apply designs from transfers onto fabric
• to fix designs done with fabric crayons or pens

Question 22

ways of joining fabrics

Answer 22

• pinning - involves putting pins at right angles and removing the pins as you come to them
• tracking - holds fabric together more securely than pinning
• sewing - hand sewing used for small, quick tasks. sewing machine used for bigger products as it ensures precision, and speed

Question 23

describe how a sewing machine forms stitches

Answer 23

• a sewing machine uses two threads, one thread on the bobbin and the other on the spool pin
• the machine interlocks both threads to form stitches

Question 24

what are overlockers

Answer 24

• to finish edges and stop them from fraying, works by using several top threads and no bobbin
• can be used to finish seam edges, to sew, trim and neaten seams

Question 25

how is CAM involved in joining textiles

Answer 25

- in embroidery and knitting machines, CAD embroidery machines use CAD data to see machines - in cutting machines, a CAM cutting machine automatically cuts out the fabric pieces, following CAD lay plan instructions - in sewing machines, CAM sewing machines are used to carry out certain processes automatically like sewing buttonholes and attaching pockets

Question 26

what is a seam

Answer 26

where two pieces of fabric are joined together

Question 27

different types of seams that can be used

Answer 27

1. plain flat seam - used to join fabrics which aren’t gonna be under too much strain 2. french seam - encloses edges and are used for fine fabrics, or fabrics that are less likely to fray - strong, not bulky 3. flat felled seam - they stop edges from fraying, their strength means they’re used in hard wearing clothes like jeans. u wont use them with delicate fabrics because of the extra bulk

Question 28

what is piping used to do

Answer 28

to add decoration to a seam or to strengthen a product. it stands out from the seam, adding definition

Question 29

what is wadding

Answer 29

any soft material used to stuff or mine something - quilting uses wadding between two layers of fabric which are then stitched together in straight lines

Question 30

pros and cos of quilting

Answer 30

- can create 3d effects - gives warmth - can be used at waistbands or cuffs cons - requires a lot of material - time consuming

Question 31

How do gathers work

Answer 31

1. knot the threads at the start 2. sew two parallel rows of stitches in the seam allowance 3. pull the threads and see the fabric along until it’s drawn to the size you want 4. if you want to fix the gathering in place, knit the threads at the end of the gathered fabric

Question 32

how do pleats work

Answer 32

- allow three times the finished width of the fabric and mark the position of the pleats at even widths across the fabrics - fold the pleats, pin them into positions, stitch across the top of them to keep them in place - pressing gives the pleats sharp creases

Question 33

features of natural dyes

Answer 33

- until 1850s, all dyes came from natural sources - made from things like onion, betroots, tea, raspberries

Question 34

features of chemical dyes

Answer 34

- colours are brighter, easier and cheaper to be made - can repeat the exact same colour HOWEVER - some are toxic - can be harmful to people and the environment

Question 35

why are natural fibres best for dyeing

Answer 35

they are absorbent

Question 36

what needs to happen to fabrics that have an uneven colour

Answer 36

bleach it

Question 37

what does a mordant do

Answer 37

to fix the colour to the fabric

Question 38

what is batch dyeing

Answer 38

involves dyeing a huge amount of fabric at a time

Question 39

why is batch dyeing useful

Answer 39

allows textile manufacturers to respond quickly to orders for a specific colour of fabric

Question 40

how does batch dyeing work

Answer 40

1. fabrics are initially produced and stored without dyeing 2. when a batch of coloured fabric is needed, the required amount is dyed 3. the fabric is mounted on two rollers and passed back and forth through the dye until all the dye is used up 4. the dyed material is put in a separate machine to fix the dye

Question 41

what does it mean when dye is fixed

Answer 41

stopping the colour from running and to wash off excess dye

Question 42

advantage of hand dyeing

Answer 42

you can add designs to the fabric using a resist

Question 43

what is a resist

Answer 43

something which prevents the dye from reaching the fabric, it’s applied in a pattern before dyeing

Question 44

how does tie dying work

Answer 44

1. fabric is tied with a strong or rubber band to create a resist 2. the fabric is immersed in dye 3. the dye doesn’t get to the tied areas 4. once the dye has dried and the fabric is untied, the pattern is revealed

Question 45

pros and cons of tie dye

Answer 45

PROS - every piece is unique - equipment is cheap and readily available CONS - the outcome is unpredictable - you can’t repeat a pattern exactly - you can’t create a detailed pattern - time consuming for large areas

Question 46

what is the resist used in batik

Answer 46

hot wax

Question 47

how does a batik work

Answer 47

1. the fabric is stretched across a frame. the hot wax is applied with a brush or a tjanting 2 Once the wax is dry, the dye is paintied on, or the fabric can be immersed in a dye bath 3. the wax is ironed off to reveal the pattern

Question 48

advantages and disadvantages of batik dying

Answer 48

- more precise way of adding patterns to fabrics than tie dye - patterns can be more detailed - every products unique DIS - time consuming - need to be careful when using hot wax - can be tricky to iron all the wax out