When a textile is to serve a specific function, we need to understand how that service is accomplished - what sort of wear and tear will that fabric be subjected to, and how can we build a textile that will serve that job?

I suppose I came to fully understand about the differences between textiles when I had a job selling custom made drapery and upholstery. While helping customers choose appropriate textiles for their homes, I had a crash course in how drapes/curtains are different from upholstery, and because of my background - knitting, embroidery and sewing - was able to contrast those household textile with the garment textiles I'd been sewing with for many years.

This is not a topic that generally gets discussed very much, but we did talk about it in terms of hand towels for the first challenge. It is an area that we can explore with each challenge, or more generally.

As for colour - while the weave structure will affect how the colour interacts, it is far more important to remember that dark colours will push light colours "forward" - make them more noticible. So essentially you decide which colour you want to be more visible and then choose a darker colour to push that forward.

For example, if you want to make an overshot coverlet, the traditional choice is to use a white or natural warp, and have a pattern thread that is much darker. What happens when you follow this tradition is that the darker pattern threads make the white much "whiter". If there is approximately 50% of the "background" and 50% of the pattern showing, the eye will perceive the pattern strongly surrounded by white.

A different way of using overshot might be to use something much darker for the warp and tabby weft, and a lighter value colour for the pattern. The pattern would then appear to "float" on the darker background. Your overshot coverlet would then be less "traditional" and more "contemporary" in terms of appearance.

Michelle Whipplinger talks about the following colour "rule":

If also you think of colour in terms of what the eye perceives most readily, lighter value colours will come forward to meet your eye, darker value colours will receed. If you combine light value and dark value, the eye will focus on the lighter value...............

The following information on fibre characteristics relate to the fibre itself. How the fibres are prepared for and spun will affect the characteristics.

The cotton fibres are harvested, and then the seed must be removed before spinning. The fibres are a hollow "tube" which collapses into a spiralled "ribbon" after harvesting. See the photo on the group page. Absorption of water causes the ribbon to re-inflate.

Fibre size is approx. 12-20 microns in width, 1/2 to 2.5 inches in length (1/3 to 6.35 cm).

Colour is generally white to pale yellow (apart from the Fox Fiber strain of cotton which is grown naturally coloured).

Fibres are generally stable and do not stretch or shrink. Elongation is approx. 3 to 7% before breakage.

(Remember this is the actual fibre being referred to, *not* any yarn spun from it. The actual elongation of a yarn may vary according to how the fibre has been prepared for and spun.)

Cotton has a high absorbency rating. Mercerization enlarges the fibres and absorbency increases. (Remember that absorbency can be affected also by how the fibres are prepared for and spun - the higher the twist imparted to the yarn, the more resistance to absorbing liquid.)

Cotton is resistant to alkali damage, and susceptible to acid. Strong acid can damage, and hot acid will disintegrate the fibre. Cold dilute acid will cause slow disintegration.

Prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause deterioration. Mildew will grow and cotton will rot if moisture remains.

Burn test: burns readily with an odour like burning paper. Ash residue - fluffy grey ash that crumbles easily.

Long exposure to heat will cause deterioration - temps above 246 C (475 F) will cause rapid deterioration.

Susceptible to fungi (mildew) and silverfish. Resistant to moths and beetles.

Store in a dry cool dark temperate environment for best preservation.

Much of this information is based on "The Guide to Textiles for Interior Designers" by Jackman and Dixon as well as other textile science guides.

The plant is harvested by pulling it out by the roots and then the plant must be retted to remove the woody bits after the seed heads are rippled to remove them for oil manufacture.

The actual fibre is the "tube" that transports water and nutrients from the roots to the rest of the plant. Jackman and Dixon describe it as a polygonal lumen.

After retting, the stalk is then broken so that the woody bits can be removed by breaking, scutching and hackling producing fibre of different qualities - the line linen is the best quality, the tow is made from the shorter, coarser bits that have been hackled out of the line linen.

The fibre is approx. 15 to 20 microns, 5 to 20 inches (12.7-50.8 cm). The colour can be light ivory to dark tan or grey (largely depending on how it has been retted - dew or vat).

Linen is considered a strong fibre, which increases in strength by about 20% when wet, but doesn't stand up well to repeated flexing. (Which is one reason why people are advised to fold their linens in different places for storage.) I have found that it prefers higher humidity, so if the relative humidity drops below 50% I run a humidifier in the studio. (I also do this for silk, which develops static electricity in low humidity conditions.)

Elongation is 2.7-3.3% with poor recovery. Linen is rated low for elasticity and resilience.

Moisture regain in standard conditions is 12% as compared to cotton at 8.5%. Remember that these stats refer to the fibre itself which will be affected by how it is spun - more twist, less absorption.

Linen is resistant to alkalis and cold diluted acids although hot concentrated acids will cause deterioration.

Linen is highly resistant to damage caused by sunlight, making it good for window coverings or an environment that is exposed to sunlight. As with any textile prolonged sunlight will eventually cause damage.

Although linen is resistant to damage by water, prolonged exposure will allow mildew to grow which will damage the fibre.

Burn test: burns with a smell like burning paper leaving a fluffy grey ash.

Resistant to heat, although prolonged exposure will cause damage, linen is not affected by cold. It is also resistant to insects, but susceptible to fungi.

Store in a dark, dry environment.

Jute, like linen, is a bast fibre, harvested from the stem of the plant which can grow to heights of 15 to 20 feet (4.6 to 6.1 meters).

Jute fibres can be very long, yellow, brown, or grey. Fibre quality varies from long, supple and shiny to short and stiff.

Jute is strong but not flexible, and with low elongation and poor elasticity.

Jute fibre is rough and commonly used for burlap or backing material for things like rugs.

Absorbency is high with 13.7% moisture regain, is resistant to alkalis, but susceptible to acids. Jute has higher resistance to micro-organisms than cotton or flax.

Ramie (also known as China Grass) comes from a bushy plant originally from the Orient but which is now grown elsewhere in the world.

Ramie fibres come in a vast array of qualities from coarse and stiff to fine and flexible.

Ramie is strong with poor flexibility, low elastic recovery and poor elongation. Moisture regain is relatively low at 6%.

Ramie has greater resistance to cold concentrate mineral acids, but otherwise is similar to other bast fibres.

It is also similar to cotton and flax for environmental conditions, with a greater resistance to micro-organisms, insects and rotting than flax and cotton.

Hemp is also a bast fibre grown from the same plant species as marijuana, which is why it is rather controversial. :}

Hemp can produce both fine and coarse fibres that are relatively short - from 1 to several inches in length. Natural colour is dark tan or brown and difficult to bleach, much like jute.

As with other bast fibres, hemp is low in elasticity and elongation.

Absorbency is relatively high at 12% moisture regain. It can absorb up to 30% of its weight at 100% humidity.

Hemp is susceptible to to hot concentrated alkali, but resists diluted solutions as well as cool, weak acids.

Hemp is the same as cotton for environmental hazards.

Other plant fibre sources include Agave, Abaca, Pina, Coir and Kapok but are rarely used in North America.

Generally, plant fibres are very similar in their inherent characteristics. Those characteristics are then modified by how they are prepared for, and then spun. Remember that adding twist to a fibre imparts strength, and reduces absorbency.

For those people wanting more information about fibres and yarns, my primary resource as I have mentioned is A Guide to Textiles for Interior Designers by Jackman and Dixon.

This book is the text for the U. of Manitoba (or was) and was updated "recently". I have not seen a copy of the updated version, but apparently more info was added, probably with some of the newer fibre sources.

There are used copies available on Amazon and such. Although there are other books on fibre science available, I find this one easy to use and clear and concise in their presentation of information. Strongly recommended for any serious weaver's library.

New Yarns for the 21st Century

Tencel A100

In the 1990’s, the textile industry perfected a new process to reduce cellulose into a viscous solution in order to extrude it and make fibre.

Since the 1930’s and 1940’s, industry had been making viscose (rayon) by using a chemical solution to reduce the cellulose taken from cotton and/or wood. Unfortunately this process had some environmental issues. The new process using enzymes that are filtered out of the solution before extrusion and re-used, addressed these concerns making the new process much more environmentally friendly.

It also produced a new yarn – lyocell – with some definite advantages. Lyocell is the generic name which hand weavers know as Tencel.

Enlarged view of single fibre of lyocell and group of fibres is on the study group page.

Lyocell is very much like rayon. It is also 100% cellulose, very shiny and has great draping qualities. It does not lose strength when wet, unlike most rayons. Lyocell accepts dye readily and is absorbent. It has, like rayon, little elasticity.

Lyocell is extremely absorbent, expanding as the water is taken into the fibre, then shrinking as it dries.

Tencel A100 comes in a variety of sizes and mill dyed colours. It is also a favourite of hand dyers and can be dyed using fibre reactive dyes. Many cottage dyers provide the yarn in interesting hand painted variegations.

Tencel A100 can be hung to dry, or dried in the dryer until just damp and then given a hard press.

Tencel A100 combines with other cellulose fibres such as cotton, linen and rayon. It can be used to make household textiles such as table runners and towels. It also works nicely with protein fibres such as silk, wool and alpaca for scarves, shawls and garments.

Bamboo

Bamboo fibre can be used as a natural fibre. The result is very similar to linen and ramie.

Industry has begun using bamboo as a source of cellulose to be regenerated producing a fibre that is much softer than the natural fibre and pleasant to wear.

According to the May 2007 National Geographic the species of bamboo being used is Moso bamboo. It reaches a mature height of 75 feet in an incredible two months. This amazing growth potential makes bamboo a very renewable resource for fibre generation!

According to National Geographic, China exported about a million dollars of bamboo for textile manufacture in 2004. This number grew by a factor of 10 by 2006. It predicts that if this continues bamboo will soon compete strongly with cotton as a source of fibre.

Regenerated bamboo is also 100% cellulose and is made with the same technology as lyocell, making this new fibre quite environmentally friendly.

According to the manufacturer, Shanghai Tenbro Bamboo Textile Co., Ltd., bamboo has a natural anti-bacterial agent that is not destroyed in the regeneration process. It is breathable and cool, making it comfortable to wear. It also has good wicking properties.

The structure of regenerated bamboo is not solid, as is lyocell or viscose (rayon), but it has micro-gaps and holes in it. These internal breaks allow air to flow through the fibre, making the garment comfortable to wear. Many people are finding regenerated bamboo clothing attractive and comfortable from socks on up.

Being cellulose, the dye to use is fibre reactive. Many cottage dyers are providing hand painted variegated bamboo yarns in an array of intense, jewel-tone colours. Mill dyed yarns are also available in a wide array of colours from palest pastels to intense dark tones.

Combining bamboo with lyocell makes a fabric that combines the best of both fibres and makes a garment fabric with drape and body. Soy Protein Fibre

Soy Protein Fibre has actually been around since the early 1900’s as it was experimented with as a source of fibre when viscose yarns were being developed. Recently it has gained more importance with the development of the new enzyme process for creating regenerated fibres.

Industry is using the residual bean cake left after the oil has been expressed to make fibre.

SPF is similar to regenerated bamboo fibre in that the structure of the fibre has micro-gaps and holes in it.

The yarn has very little elasticity, although it feels and handles like good quality cotton.

According to the manufacturer, SPF has anti-bacterial properties, and the micro-gaps in the fibre allow heat to flow through making the fabric very comfortable to wear. They also claim that it has excellent wicking properties, which make this fabric very comfortable in hot climates.

SPF combines nicely with other fibres. Test samples with wool, silk, cotton and lyocell all produce fabrics with nice handling and draping qualities.

As mentioned earlier, it has little elasticity so care must be taken when winding warps to ensure tension is consistent. It does lose some strength when wet, although it remains strong enough to require a certain amount of effort to break.

Burn Test

In order to compare the yarns, I did a simple burn test. The lyocell and bamboo burn readily, with an odor of burning paper.

The SPF generally self-extinguishes itself, and the odor is very unpleasant, much like burning protein. The residue is hard and black.

There are a number of other sources of fibres that come from animals. Some of them will "full" (more on this later) some won't.

Mohair comes from the angora goat. It is very similar to wool, with higher lustre, greater abrasion resistance and better resiliency.

Alpaca belong to the camelid family from South America and, like camels, have outer guard hair and a softer undercoat.

Cashmere comes from the Kashmir goat. The fine downy undercoat is combed from the animal, and the amount of fibre per animal per year is very small.

Camel comes, of course from the camel. :) The outer hairs are stiff and often used for things like artists' brushes, while the soft undercoat is prized for garments.

Llama is a smaller cousin of the alpaca, also a camelid. Generally weaker than alpaca.

Vicuna is very rare coming from a very small camelid which lives high in the Andes. The fibre is one of the softest available and is reserved for very expensive garments.

Angora from the angora rabbit is resilient and lustrous.

Other animal sources have become more common in the past few years. In North America the musk ox produces quiviut, and bison hair is becoming more available as well.

In New Zealand, the oppossum is a pest and the hair from the animal is blended with wool to make an interesting yarn.

Silk

Silk comes from the coccoon of the silk moth. There are actually several species, but the bombyx mori is the most commonly available source.

The moths are raised and fed mulberry leaves. When the time comes, it secrets the silk liquid, which hardens upon contact with the air to form the coccoon. The larvae is "stifled" so that the emerging moth does not break the fibre length. The coccoon is reeled off, giving enormously long filaments.

Silk fibres are approx. 9-11 microns with a length of 915-2750 meters (1000-3000 yards). The natural colour ranges from off-white to cream, through to tans (if the caterpiller has been fed something other than mulberry leaves).

Silk is rated very strong, but looses strength when wet.

Elongation is higher when wet than dry with good elastic recovery.

Moisture regain is about 11%.

Silk has very low resistance to alkali. Avoid prolonged exposure to alkali (soap, borax and ammonia).

Resistant to organic acids, silk will absorb mineral acids which are difficult to remove.

Silk will degrade in sunlight but is not harmed by water.

In a flame, silk will smell like burning hair, self-extinguishing when removed from the flame. Resistant to low heat, silk will degrade at 350F.

Silk is resistant to mildew, highly resistant to moths, but may be eaten by carpet beetles.

Silk should be stored in a sealed environment as it will eventually "shatter" if exposed to air and sunlight.

Wool is so much fun to weave with because it comes in such a vast array of qualities of fibre. :)

Wool fibres vary from fine 15 to 17 microns (recent developements in sheep husbandry mean that the fibre can be even finer - at the cost of poor nutrition for the animals, unfortunately) up to 70 microns.

Length ranges from 1.5 inches to a whopping 15 inches.

Crimp can range from very wavy to just slightly wavy, and wool comes naturally in a cream through browns, greys, blacks.

Wool fibres are rated weak, but resilient. Remember that adding twist imparts strength to the yarn.

Elongation is about 25% dry, 35% wet with excellent recovery of 99% in a 2 to 5% elongation.

Wool can be reshaped using heat, moisture and pressure and can retain the new shape.

Wool can also be distorted if care is not taken during wet finishing.

Absorbency is high. Wool will absorb about 30% of it's weight in moisture. It is hygroscopic - as it releases moisture, heat is produced.

Wool has no resistance to alkalis, but fair resistance to mild or diluted acids.

Prolonged exposure to sunlight will cause degradation, but is not harmed by water.

Wool burns slowly in fire, smells like burning hair and will self-extinguish if the flame is removed. It leaves a brittle bead-like residue.

While cold does not affect wool, moist heat will cause the fibres to weaken and stiffen.

Good resistance to micro-organisms in the short term, but prolonged exposure will cause mildew.

Insects find wool delicious, most commonly the wool moth.

Protected from sunlight and insects, wool will last many, many years.

There are many books about fibre characteristics. As mentioned previously, I prefer the book A Guide to Textiles for Interior Designers by Jackman and Dixon. It has excellent charts and the index is thorough making finding information very easy. The book includes information on the range of synthetic fibres commonly used for interior uses as well as the natural fibres I've shared here (except for the new yarns which I have researched on the internet - for more information there is an excellent website:http://www.swicofil.com)