Unit 6. Properties of fabrics

I Read and remember the translation of words and word-combinations

1. aesthetic ['i:sθetɪk] – естетичний

2. corduroy ['kɔ:dərɔɪ] – вельвет

3. crimping [krɪmp] – текстуризація

4. damask ['dæməsk] – дамаск, парча

5. handle [hændl] – фактура

6. ladder [lædə] – спускатися (про петлі)

7. lawn [lɔ:n] – батист

8. lustrous ['lʌstrəs] – глянцевий, блискучий

9. novelty ['nɔvəltɪ] – інноваційний, новітній

10. rough [rʌf] – грубий, жорсткий

11. seam [si:m] – шов

12. semi-transparent [semɪ'trænspɛərənt] – напівпрозорий

13. share [ʃɛə] – ділити(ся), поділяти

14. stiff [stɪf] – негнучкий, жорсткий

15. tear [tɪə] – рватися, зношуватися

16. tightly ['taɪtlɪ] – щільно

II Read the following words and word-combinations which will help you to understand the text. Work with a dictionary to find their meaning. Check their meaning from the context

Alter, appearance, behave, checked, drape, embroidery, obvious, particle, pattern, perform, shine, shiny, slippery, stripe, surface

III Read and translate the following text Characteristics of textile materials. Aesthetic properties

Although people refer to a fabric as being “cotton” or “polyester cotton”, this is not strictly correct, as those are names of fibres. Lawn, corduroy and gingham are fabrics that can all be made from cotton fibres. While they share many similar properties (as they are made from the same type of fibre) they also have their own properties and working characteristics because of how the fibres were made into fabrics.

Fabric properties refer to how the fabric will perform when it is used. A fabric’s working characteristics refer to how it behaves or handles when it is being made into a product.

Factors like how much a fabric will stretch, whether it will tear or ladder, how it drapes or how slippery it is will influence how easy or difficult it is to work with. These things influence the manufacturing processes chosen for making a product. For example, a garment that needs to stretch must be made from a fabric that will stretch. They will also need to be stretched together with seams that will stretch so that they do not come apart when they are worn.

Fabric properties are usually divided into two main groups:

Aesthetic properties – how this fabric looks and feels – this gives textile products their appeal;

Functional properties – how a fabric will perform when it is used (sometimes called performance properties).

Aesthetic properties

Colour

One of the most obvious things about the appearance of a fabric is its colour. Popular colours change with fashion. Different colour pallets are produced each season. The patterns and decorations on fabrics also change with fashion. For example, embroidery and stripes may be popular one year and not the next.

Colour can be added to a fabric at many different stages in its construction:

• Fibres can be dyed before they are spun into a yarn to make single colour or multicoloured yarns;

• Yarn can be dyed before it is woven or knitted into a fabric, to make striped, checked or Fair Isle fabrics;

• Fabrics can be dyed or printed after they have been made;

• Decorative surface details can be added, like embroidery and appliqué;

• Fabrics can be made colourful by combining smaller pieces of a fabric together as in patchwork.

Luster

Lustrous fabrics are usually made from smooth fibres, usually filament fibres. The yarns have very little twist and are made into a fabric where the surface is also smooth, like a satin weave – the smoothness of a fabric makes it shine. Manufactured fibres are smooth and shiny, but this is not always desirable. Crimping the fibres, making them into staple fibres before they are spun, altering the shape of the holes in the spinneret and adding particles to the liquid before it is spun can all make manufactured fibres less shiny.

Handle

This is how the fabric feels to touch. Coarse staple fibres made into spun yarns will feel rough. Crimped yarns and smooth fine yarns make smoother fabrics. How stiff or soft the fabric is will depend on how the fibres are made into a fabric, non-woven fabrics are usually much more stiff than knitted or woven fabrics.

When the yarns in a fabric are packed tightly together it will be stiffer than if there are spaces between the yarns. Very fine semi-transparent fabrics can be made from fine fibres made into fine smooth yarns, which are then loosely woven together. Novelty yarns and/or special fabric construction techniques can make a range of textures, e.g. velvet, seersucker or damask fabrics.