Fibres, yarns and fabric construction
Fibres are the tiny hairs that make a textile.
- Natural: cotton and linen (from plants), wool and silk (from animals).
- Synthetic: polyester, nylon, acrylic (made from oil). Regenerated: viscose, lyocell (from wood pulp).
Fibres are spun (twisted) into yarn. Blending fibres (e.g. polyester-cotton) mixes their good points.
Ways to make fabric
- Woven: warp (lengthwise) and weft (crosswise) interlace at right angles. Plain (over 1, under 1: strong, even), twill (diagonal lines: hard-wearing, like denim), satin (long floats: smooth and shiny, snags easily).
- Knitted: one yarn forms rows of loops. Stretchy and warm (T-shirts, jumpers). Weft knit and warp knit.
- Non-woven: fibres bonded by heat, glue or needling (felt, interfacing, face masks).
Elements and principles of textile design
Elements are the building blocks: line, shape, colour, texture (how it feels or looks to feel), pattern and space.
Principles tell you how to arrange them: repetition, rhythm, balance (symmetrical or not), contrast, emphasis (a focal point), proportion and unity.
Repeat patterns
A motif is one small design. A repeat is how it is copied across cloth: block (straight grid), half-drop (every second column moved down half), brick (rows shifted half), mirror and random. Good repeats join with no visible seams.
Areas of textile design
Art textiles, fashion design, costume design, printed and dyed fabrics, constructed textiles (weaving, knitting, felting), embellished textiles (embroidery, appliqué, beading) and digital textiles (CAD and digital printing).
Adding colour and surface decoration
Dyeing
Colour soaks into the fibre. Resist dyeing stops dye reaching some areas: tie-dye (bandhani in India, shibori in Japan) uses ties and folds; batik uses hot wax.
Printing
Colour is put on the surface in a pattern: block printing (carved wooden blocks, like Sanganeri prints), screen printing (ink pushed through a mesh stencil, one screen per colour), stencilling, transfer (sublimation) and digital inkjet printing.
Embellishment
Embroidery (hand or machine stitches), appliqué (fabric shapes sewn on top), quilting, beading and smocking.
Enhancing fabrics with finishes
A finish changes how a fabric looks, feels or performs.
- Mechanical: brushing (soft, warm surface), calendering (pressing between hot rollers for shine), shrink-resisting (pre-shrinking).
- Chemical: water-repellent (drops bead up), stain-resistant, flame-retardant (for curtains, children's nightwear), anti-crease (easy-care), mercerising (cotton becomes stronger and shinier), anti-bacterial.
- Coatings and laminates: a waterproof but breathable membrane (for raincoats).
- Smart and technical textiles: microencapsulation (tiny capsules of scent or medicine), thermochromic dyes (change colour with heat), conductive yarns and reflective strips.
Designers also think about sustainability: organic or recycled fibres, less water in dyeing, and designing for repair and recycling.
Key formulas and definitions
- Fibre → yarn (spinning) → fabric (weaving, knitting, bonding) → colour → finish
- Warp = lengthwise threads; weft = crosswise threads
- Plain = over 1 under 1; twill = diagonal; satin = long floats
- Elements: line, shape, colour, texture, pattern, space
- Repeats: block, half-drop, brick, mirror, random
- Resist dyeing: tie-dye, batik
Worked examples
1. A motif is 10 cm wide. How many full block repeats fit across fabric 1.5 m wide?
1.5 m = 150 cm. 150 ÷ 10 = 15 repeats.
2. Choose a weave and finish for a school bag that must be tough and shed rain.
Twill (hard-wearing) in polyester or nylon, with a water-repellent finish or a waterproof coating.
3. Why does denim look blue outside but paler inside?
In twill the warp floats mostly on one face. Denim uses a blue warp and a white weft, so the outside shows mostly blue and the inside mostly white.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up warp and weft. Warp runs along the length (selvedge direction); weft goes across.
- Thinking printing and dyeing are the same. Dye soaks into the fibre; print sits on the surface in a pattern.
- Saying satin is strong because it is shiny. Long floats snag easily.
- Calling a knitted fabric woven. Knits are loops of one yarn; wovens are two sets of threads at right angles.