GCSE TEXTILES Revision Guide (v1.1) This guide has been broken down into 8 secAons, the number of quesAons on the WJEC exam – but please remember that there will be crossovers between the ‘secAons’. It is a combinaAon of revision and past exam paper quesAons. This will be constantly up-‐dated so please check back every so oPen. Finally, Good Luck! Mrs Shillito 2011
QuesAon 1: PRODUCT ANALYSIS product analysis-‐sizes, dimensions, safety, target market etc., producAon process-‐difference between batch/mass graph reading
Analysing products
Analysing a texAles product involves asking the following three quesAons: is it fit for purpose? does it meet the needs of the target market? how well is it designed and made? Answering the three quesAons above will normally involve an evaluaAon of the following criteria: the product's design specificaAon. Does the product measure up to it? the product's target market. What are their needs? the product's performance -‐ ie, how suitable it is for its end-‐use, and what its aPercare requirements are the quality of the fibres, fabrics and manufacture. For example, how adequate are the sAtchings, fastenings and seam allowance? the product's aestheAc appeal or stylisAc qualiAes the product's price. Does it give value for money? any safety or moral issues there might be. Does the product conform to safety regulaAons? What is its impact on the environment?
Quality of design and manufacture
Among the most important design evaluaAon criteria are those of quality of design and quality of manufacture. These are not the same thing: Quality of design refers to how aeracAve a product is to its target market, how well chosen its materials and components are, and how easy the product is to manufacture and mantain. Quality of manufacture has a more specific meaning. Well-‐made texAle products (ones with a high quality of manufacture) will have the following characterisAcs: they use materials that are suitable for the end-‐use they match the product specificaAons they meet performance requirements they are manufactured by safe producAon methods they are made within budget limits they sell at an aeracAve price, and they are safe for the environment
This backpack has a brightly printed design on the front. The fastening details have are shown in pink colour. Product informaAon: The material for the bag is made of 100% recycled PET fabric It has adjustable shoulder straps It has one zipped compartment The dimenaions are: 50cms x 32cms x 23cms There are mesh pockets either side A bungee storage system can be found on the front Retail price: £45 a) State one reason why PET fabric has been used b) Describe what you think are the most imprtant specificaAon points for each of the follow aspects: (2 marks each) i) The target market ii) The aesthic appeal of the bag III) The size/dimensions of the bag c) Descirbe the safety consideraAons for the user that might have been taken into consideraAon (3 marks)
Sales of Backpack
d) Which is the least popular design of bag? (1 mark) ii) Calculate the average sales of the most popular design of bag over the three month period (2marks)
QuesAon 2: SUSTAINABILITY & LEGISLATIVE ISSUES mass producAon, sustainability, recycling, legislaAon
There will ALWAYS be quesAons based around ECO/SUSTAINABLE issues a) Indicate the word which best represents each of the following statements: (3) i) ii) iii) b) Explain the meaning behind the European Eco label (2) c) The designer ouoit makes use of recycling. i)Explain why the design of this ouoit is help to the environment (2) ii) Explain what sustainable design means. (3)
QuesAon 3: OTHER DESIGNERS/PRACITIONERS Vivienne Westwood
Whos work is this? John Galliano or Vivienne Westwood? (1) Who was the first BriAsh designer to lead a French haute couture house? (1)
After giving birth to her first son, Westwood’s marriage with her first husband ends. She meets Malcom McLaren in the late 1960s. This is the creative team that will change the face of fashion for ever and go down in history. They start by selling much 1950s merchandise in their new shop ‘Let it Rock’, such as records and clothes inspired by the time. Westwood’s technique and creativy with Maclaren’s ideas made their shop an unbelievable success, selling more and more self-designed clothes, in the beginning, many inspired by Teddy Boys.
Young Vivienne
First Days of Fashion
Teddy Boy The Teddy Boys and their style played a massive part in Westwood and McLaren’s first shop: ‘Let is Rock’. They bought most of the shop’s stock and were the basis for the design teams first items of They had a distinctive 50s clothing. style, as were first ‘invented’ in the 50s, basing their clothes on the Edwardian period. Teddy Boys produced a revival in the 70s, providing a fresh group of followers of their music and fashion. Early
Teddy Boy Aqre
1970
Teddy to punk
The progression from 50s, Teddy Boy style, to Punk called for a change in name and style for Westwood and McLaren. ‘Let it Rock’ went on to become part of every new fashion, under many new names. They slowly began to banish the style of the Teddy Boys, for the new 70’s craze: The Punks, and as doing so changed fashion for ever. Early
1970s
TheThe Progression Progression
Westwood merged the dyeing ‘Teddy Boy’ phase with new ‘Punk’ in the early stages of her career in design. Her and McLaren were major innovators in new ‘Punk Rock’ fashion and culture. Left: Shorts similar to those sold in ‘Let It Rock’ worn by Audrey Hepburn in ‘Sabrina’, 1954
Above: Clothes sold in shop in its first life, ‘Let It Rock’
1971
Used now However, post Punk revolution, Westwood continues to use 50s styles to inspire her designs. Large skirts and small prom dresses have been used recently, through the 90s and 00s.
‘Summertime’ collection ‘Erotic Zones’ Collection 2000 1995
‘Grand Hotel’ Collection 1993
‘...it is so important to look to the past. Because people did have taste, and they did have ideals of excellence, and those things are not going to come unless people look at the past.’ VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.
FETISH
In the mid-seventies, Malcolm McLaren thought that fashion had gone too mainstream. So he teamed up with Vivienne Westwood, once again, to explore FETISH.
WHAT IS FETISH? FETISH was all about finding the dark side of fashion. It was intended to cause people to revolt against bland, boring styles and to move away from conventional dress styles. Â
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FETISH was a collection which, though not usually worn on the streets, used ripped clothing, latex, bondage and leather to break away from the other leading designers.
They took fahion from this...
Conventional, normal, Â boring...
TO THIS... Shocking, wild, Â unconventional...
They even went so far as to rebrand their King's Road shop under the name 'SEX'. Â
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FETISH then became some of the core elments of the punk style. As you can imagine, FETISH came as rather a shock to the culture of the seventies. This shows just how far McLaren and Westwood were willing to go to break the mould.
Vivienne Westwood has always been a rather controversial designer, using anything from swastikas on punk-style shirts to her latest collection, on display at London Fahion Week 2009, which included a dress which looked like the model simply carried a duvet around her shoulders. But FETISH is definitely high in the ranks of some of Westwood's more shocking works.
Geqng into Design Later she a5ended the Harrow school of art and then the University of Westminster studying fashion and silversmithing for one term and then Middlesex University's Trent park college. ACer this she taught at a primary school in north London
Malcolm McLaren and Kings road •
• •
• •
Westwood met Malcolm McLaren while
she was sAll teaching. He was very outrageous both in aqtude and dress.He later to become the manager of ‘The Sex Pistols’. They lived together in a council flat in Clapham and later had a son named Joseph. Westwood stopped teaching in 1971 when McLaren opened a shop at 430 kings road and Westwood began to sell her designs there. She was very excited about the kings road shop as this was an area of london that inspired her. Her work began to take on a very un-‐ savile row feel and edgy punk theme.
Influence
Under McLaren's guidance and influence, Westwood slid into the world of youthful fashion, which reflected the turmoil of those rebellious Ames. She created looks of her own mirroring those of the Teddy Boys, Rockers, and, finally, the Punks.
More Influences
Westwood loves things to be different and edgy and new. She also loves looking into history and into tradiAon and you can see this in her work. These dresses were inspired by Van Dyck and other 17th century painters
•
Westwood was very influenced by the Mohicans, and other crazy hair and wild make-‐ up, piercing’s, safety pins, studded leather jackets and trousers, and ripped clothes of the Punks. Lots of her punk designs include some tradiAonal elements of Scoqsh design such as tartan fabric. Among some of the more unusual elements of her style is the use of historical 17th and 18th century cloth cuqng principles and how she has interpreted them in a wacky but fabulous way, for instance radical cuqng lines
to mens trousers.
The 'Pirate' collecAon was Vivienne Westwood's first runway show presented at Olympia in London in March 1981. This marks a beginning for her as now she looks into tradiAon as well as street fashion for inspiraAon. The collecAon includes asymmetric tee-‐shirts, peq-‐drawers, pirate shirts and breeches. The models carry Walkmans and dance to rap music. They wear baggy round the ankle flat heel boots, henna ringlets and gold teeth. The enAre collecAon was inspired by adventure, and gold and treasure. The Henna ringlets and the gold teeth show that Westwood goes for an enAre look and not just the ouoit.
Westwood’s designs are bold and confident and outrageous. She uses non-‐standard shape and old fashioned english tailoring which shows quality in her designs. She creates texture using different fabrics and unusual techniques experimenAng in tradiAon to create something new and different. During the 80s although street fashion did show some different angles such as big shoulders, cinched waists, bright colours and wild hair, it didn’t overstep boundaries much and was basically acceptable by the average member of society. Yet Westwood changed des dramaAcally. Her designs were so shocking that not only granny wouldn't like them, the average person would be stunned by it and have to look twice! The difference with Westwood was that she did overstep boundaries. She put underwear on the outside of clothes and had a range of corsets. Madonna's legendary conical bra worn on her Blonde AmbiAon tour, designed by Jean Paul GaulAer, would never have happened if not for Westwood.
2004 Vivienne Westwood retrospective opens at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London .
2005 Joins the board of trustees for Liberty and designs a T-shirt in defence of liberty and human rights. •
Vivienne Westwood's 'I'm Not A Terrorist' T-shirt Design
2006 she made Dame Vivienne Westwood. The “Anglomania� exhibition is held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
2007 Presented with a Lifetime Achievement prize at the British Fashion Awards. Launches her manifesto, “Active Resistence�.
2008 She Returned to London Fashion Week to show her Red Label collection.
2009 Launched a Spring/ Summer 2009 collection, fashion show during the Paris Fashion Week, in France. Â
In 2000 The Museum of London holds the exhibition “Vivienne Westwood: the collection of Romilly McAlpine”. Romilly McAlpine began buying Westwood clothing in 1986
In 2002, Vivienne opened a shop in Hong Kong, which was followed by an accessories shop in August. Her perfume LiberAne was launched in 2000 – as well as successful ranges of knitwear and accessories.
In 2003 Vivienne was Awarded the UK Fashion Export Award for Design. Her work spans the extremes of fashion, from London street culture to the elegant collecAons created for the catwalks of Paris, London and Milan. Vivienne Westwood: "You have a much be5er life if you wear impressive clothes".
In 2004 Vivienne was part of another exhibiMon at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. . This exhibiMon celebrates the extraordinary career of Vivienne Westwood. She played a vital role in the emergence of Punk Rock in the 1970s and has gone on to become one of the most original and influenMal designers of our Mme. Fashion, she said, was 'a baby I picked up and never put down.'
In 2005 Vivienne Joined the board of trustees for Liberty and designs a T-‐shirt in defence of liberty and human rights the t shirt was a big success.
1987 • The rocking horse plaoorm shoes was also in fashion. This for Vivienne Westwood, symbolised puqng women on a pedestal underscore the feminine and slightly childish look of her collecAon.
This is Sarah Stockbridge wearing Vivienne Westwood 'Harris Tweed crown' Harris Tweed Autumn/Winter 1987–88
1988 • In 1988 Vivienne Westwood opens her second shop in London in the exclusive district of Mayfair. • In the summer she sold pagan. • In the next photos if you look at the shoes you can sort or tell what was in.
But in the winter she called her collecAon Ame machine. Examples of this are in the next few slides
1989 • John Fairchild, President of Fairchild PublicaAons and Editor of the fashion bible Women's Wear Daily, rated Vivienne Westwood in his book 'Chic Savages' one of the six best designers in the world, the only woman amongst them.
In the summer civilizade was Vivienne new line
She has found inspiraAon in the furniture of Andre Charles Boulle in her Portrait collecAon A/W 1990, creaAng elegant dresses in black velvet over-‐ printed in gold. Westwood created a silk evening dress based on the eighteenth century arAst François Boucher's portraits of Louis XV's mistress, Madame de Pompadour, for her Anglophilia collecAon, recreaAng the crumpled silk taffeta. Despite her exacAtude, Westwood's creaAons are never historical facsimiles; 'I take something from the past that has a sort of vitality that has never been exploited -‐ like the crinoline -‐ and get very intense. In the end you do something original because you overlay your own ideas.'
Vivienne Westwood has spent many hours studying the costumes and painAngs in the V&A. Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood's early Pirate collecAon of 1983 was based on an engraving of a pirate, while she found a paeern for 18th century men's breeches in the museum's NaAonal Art Library which became the 'Pirate' trouser. Much of her work is rooted in English tailoring and, using tradiAonal techniques as a starAng point, she has devised innovaAve soluAons to the puzzle-‐like complexiAes of cuqng and piercing fabric. She is intrigued by the 18th century 'sack back' style, with its pleated train which falls from the shoulders, and has interpreted this in many collecAons, for both evening and day wear.
1985 • APer several seasons‘ of absence, Westwood came back strong with her Spring 1985 collecAon based on the bubble-‐shaped hooped skirt with thigh-‐high stockings. Westwood's Mini-‐Crinis caused a shiP in silhoueee that was swiPly picked up by different designers, first by Jean Paul GaulAer, then by almost every other designer in Europe and New York.
...More About The Mini-Crini Collection •
Mini-‐Crini and Harris Tweed The Mini-‐Crini collecAon saw an increasingly shaped look, they had masculine shoulder pads and Aght hip styles that were current in the 1980s. Westwood’s historical research had led her to believe that clothes were about changing the shape of the body and about having a restricAon. She now wanted to make things that fieed. Though sexy, the mini-‐crini was also childish. Its shape echoed the old-‐fashioned party frock, while the stars, polka dots and stripes came out of Disney cartoons.
Bride Of Fortune
New Romantics/ Pirate colection
Pirates .
QuesAon 4: DEVELOPING, PLANNING & COMMUNICATING IDEAS design process, (ordering it), specificaAon points, plan for making/flow chart, design quesAon
PRESENTING DESIGN IDEAS Designers present their ideas for new collecAons in various ways: Catwalk shows – good for presenAng designs in a high profile way with a lot of media aeenAon. Designs are shown to prospecAve purchasers so this is a good way to encourage trade. Story boards – Ideas are presented in 2D form usually with fabric swatches and detailed drawings. This is a relaAvely low cost way of showing designs and allows a potenAal manufacturer to gain a clear picture of the final garment but also the detail which allows him/her to assess probable cost. CAD Computer aided design. You might use programmes such as Photoshop, 2D Design, Speedstep, Corel Draw, Paint etc. These programmes enable you to draw, edit and display your designs.
COLOUR THEORY The three primary colours are Red, Yellow and Blue. The three secondary colours are Green, Orange and Purple. Complementary colours are opposite each other on the colour circle, Red is opposite Green, Blue is opposite Orange and Yellow is opposite Purple. Harmonious colours are next to each other on the colour circle e.g. Yellow would be harmonious with orangey yellow, orange and reddish orange, greeny blue would be harmonious with green and yellowish green. A Mnt of a colour is made by adding white. A shade of a colour is made by adding black.
QuesAon 5: COMMERCIAL MANUFACTURING PRACTICES industrial pracAces, different names for high/low end fashion, machinery
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Cell producAon or secAon systems In this system the workers, operaAng in small teams, take responsibility for the quality of the finished product. Job rotaAon makes the job less boring but also demands a more flexible and skilled workforce. Progressive Bundle System Machinists are organized into small teams who are responsible for a parAcular part of the producAon process. It is equivalent to cell producAon for individual parts of the garment. Mass ProducAon Mass producAon is industrial-‐scale manufacture of large quanAAes of products, usually on a producAon line. Mass producAon is suitable for products that seldom need to be redesigned and are needed in very large numbers, eg socks or jeans. Batch ProducAon Batch producAon is manufacturing set quanAAes of a texAle product to order. The prototype is made up in a medium size from the intended fabric. The prototype is checked for quality of design and manufacture, then put into producAon in a range of standard sizes. The quanAty of products can vary from a set of four cushions made by a designer-‐maker, to 20,000 jumpers made for a department store.
One-‐off ProducAon One-‐off producAon is designing and making a single texAle product to a client's specificaAon. The garment design is developed from a basic block paeern, with a prototype made from inexpensive fabric to test the drape, fit and assembly of the garment.
FASHION DEFINITIONS
Fashion fad A short term style which is very popular for a brief period of Ame e.g. shell suits Classic trend A garment that may change in style but is in fashion for a long period of Ame e.g. a waistcoat. Haute couture A French term for the highest quality in dressmaking
FASHION FORECASTING Fashion forecasters predict trends for colour, style, materials etc., for future seasons. Fashion designers then use this informaAon to design their future collecAons. USING ICT IN PLANNING PRODUCTION Advantages: Templates can be manipulated on a screen layplan economically. Waste is reduced EsAmates for fabric requirements can be made Cost calculaAons can be made SELVEDGE EDGE The edge on a woven piece of fabric that does not fray. It is formed when the horizontal weP threads are wrapped around the verAcal warp threads as part of the weaving process. COMPUTER INTEGRATED MANUFACTURE (CIM) Advantages: Allows informaAon to be passed easily between the various secAons of a company Provides direct links between the design room, factory and retail outlets Allows quick response to market demands It is easy for shops to control their stock levels It informs the manufacturer of what is selling and what is not so that producAon can be adjusted
Quality assurance
Quality assurance (QA) is a system of checks designed to ensure that fault-‐free products are produced that can be sold at a profit to saAsfied customers. A quality-‐assurance system involves regular quality control inspecAons which test and monitor the quality, accuracy and fitness-‐for-‐purpose of the product, from the design stage through to manufacture. CriMcal control points Quality-‐control checks take place at criAcal control points (CCPs) in a product's manufacture. The following are typical CCPs in texAles manufacture. Raw materials are tested to make sure they are the correct width, colour, weight and fibre content. Depending on the product end-‐use, the fabric may be tested for strength, durability, crease-‐resistance, stretch, shrinkage or water-‐repellency. Prototype. This is a mock-‐up of the product used to trial a design or paeern, see how materials and components behave, try out an assembly process, work out costs, and test fitness-‐for-‐purpose in everyday use. ProducAon. During producAon there will be checks for sAtch and seam strength, and seam allowances are tested to check if they meet the tolerance stated in the manufacturing specificaAon.
QUALITY ASSURANCE CHECKS These checks take place before manufacture begins and their purpose is to ensure a good quality product, checks can be made n aspects such as: Fabric feel – texture, finish etc. Fabric durability – how will it wear? Fabric strength – will it stretch etc? Washability – will it shrink, fade etc? Component suitability – will zips withstand constant use etc? Workforce skills – are workers able to use machines and complete processes to a good standard? Anything which relates to the probable outcome of the product.
QUALITY CONTROL CHECKS During the producAon process quality control checks can be made on such aspect as: Even hem depth Matching colour of thread Parallel lines of sAtching Even length of seams Even seam tolerance Symmetrical neckband curve, Paeern matching SAtch lengths Bueon and bueonhole alignment Symmetrical collar points Secure fastening or decoraAve detail aeachment etc. This would cover any part of the process, which determined whether a product was well made, or not.
WEAVING MACHINE
DIE CUTTER A shaped metal cueer for stamping out several paeern pieces.
FABRIC SPREADING MACHINE ROTARY PRINTING
STRAIGHT KNIFE BLADE CUTTER
BUTTONHOLE MACHINE
BUTTON MACHINE
KNITTING MACHINE OVER LOCKER
a) Describe the folllowing: only 1 mark will be given for each so keep it basic! i) SpecificaAon ii) Design Development iii) ExisAng Products b) When evaluaAng what do you compare your finished product against? (1) c) Explain: (3) i) One off producAon ii) Batch prodcuAon iii) Mass producAon iv) Which method is used to produce haute couture? (1) v) What does this piece of equipment do? (1)
vi) And this piece of equipment? (1) b)What is fashion forecasAng? (2) ii) Proivde two different methods of achieving expensive designer looks at affordable high street prices (2) c) What are Photochromic dyes? (1) d) Explain micro-‐encapsulaAon – with an example (3)
QuesAon 6: KNOWLEDGE OF MATERIALS & COMPONENTS material properAes, why are they the best, fabric tesAng, components, smart materials
How are yarns made? • Fibres are yarns that have been twisted into long lengths • They are then wound onto spools or cones • The yarn is then spun clockwise (Z twist) or anAclockwise (S twist)
Natural Fibres • • • • • •
Alpaca Angora Camel hair Cashmere Mohair Wool
• • • • • •
Linen Jute Hemp Ramie Coeon Silk
Can be either animal or plant based.
SyntheAc Fibres These are made by oil-‐based by-‐products. • Aramid • Acrylic • Modacrylic • Polyamide • Polyethylene • Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) • Polyester These are made from oil-‐based by-‐products). Micro-‐ fibres are fine syntheAc fibres e.g. polyester, nylon. • Nylon Tactel is a micro-‐fibre trade name.
Regenerated Fibres These are made from a combinaAon of chemicals and cellulose waste: • Viscose • Lyocell • Acetate • Cupro • Modal • Tencel
FIBRE INFORMATION
COTTON – a natural fibre, strong, even when wet, absorbent, draws heat from the body, shrinks unless treated, good for clothing because it absorbs moisture especially sports wear, walking and climbing wear. LINEN – Absorbent, draws heat from the body, creases easily. WOOL – A natural fibre, relaAvely weak, very absorbent, holds in body heat, creases fall out, shrinks unless treated. RAYON – a syntheAc fibre, relaAvely weak, absorbent, holds in body heat, creases, shrinks or stretches unless treated. ACETATE – relaAvely weak syntheAc fibre, moderately absorbent, holds in body heat, tends to crease, resists stretching and shrinking. POLYESTER – a strong syntheAc fibre, low absorbency, holds body heat, resists creasing. ACRYLIC – strong, low absorbency, holds body heat, resists creasing, syntheAc. NYLON – strong, low absorbency, holds body heat, resists creasing. KEVLAR – a very strong fabric which is used for protecAve clothing
SILK – A natural fabric cool to wear, quite expensive with a good sheen, crease resistant, used for lingerie, night wear, evening wear and clothing for special occasions. LYCRA – a syntheAc rubber fibre with elastane to make it flexible, used for lingerie and sportswear. NYLON – A closely woven fabric, lightweight, syntheAc, used for tents, waterproof clothing, ropes etc POLARTEC – made from recycled plasAc boeles. Biodegradable, used to line hand-‐knieed garments to improve performance. TENCEL – a syntheAc fibre produced from wood pulp.
FABRIC INFORMATION
CANVAS – A strong fabric, oPen made from coeon, used for products such as deckchairs, tents, oil painAngs etc. PVC – A completely waterproof syntheAc fabric with a plasAc coaAng, used for kitchen aprons, waterproof clothing, table covers etc.
POLYCOTTON – A blended mixture of coeon and polyester used for shirts, bed sheets, blouses etc., gives the advantages of coeon but irons and dries more easily NEOPRENE – A syntheAc fabric used for wetsuits etc. RIPSTOP NYLON-‐ A lightweight fabric which has threads woven into it which literally stop the fabric from tearing, it’s used for tents, kites, sails etc., anything where a lightweight, water resistant fabric is needed. DENIM – A strong fabric made from coeon with a twill weave, a white warp and a coloured weP. CORDUROY – A coeon or coeon/nylon fibre made in a pile weave. Used for clothing, furnishing fabrics etc. GORE-‐TEX – A syntheAc laminated fabric, totally waterproof but semi-‐permeable so allows skin to breathe. CORDURA – a strong, waterproof fabric which resists abrasion. Used for products which need to be strong such as rucksacks.
Mixes of fibres can be used to give a fabric that has the best qualiAes of the two. Coeon and polyester can be mixed to give a fabric that is less expensive than pure coeon, creases less easily, irons more easily and is sAll fairly absorbent and cool to wear. Coeon and lycra can be mixed to give a cool, comfortable fabric that absorbs moisture (from the coeon) and stretches and returns to shape (from the lycra). Other mixes are polyester/wool, wool/nylon, wool/coeon, silk/viscose, coeon/linen, linen/ silk, coeon/elastane, Permatex/poyester. In a mix the major disadvantage of one fibre is counteracted by the major advantage of the other.
FABRICS AND FIBRES WITH SPECIAL PROPERTIES ELASTANE The best known fibre of this type is Lycra. Because it is an elastane it has high stretch as one of its properAes. Its’ main use is in sports wear and underwear but it is also found in garments such as suits as it improves comfort and appearance. RECYCLED AND BIODEGRADABLE FABRICS These are made from fibres that have been recycled from plasAc water boeles. Companies such as Malden Mills produce Polartec and Patagonia and use these types of fibres to make fleeces which are lightweight and breathable. These products are also biodegradable due to the processing. MICROFIBRES These are small fine fibres up to 60 Ames finer than human hair. They are normally made from either polyamide or polyester fibres e.g. tactel. NOMEX A key fibre, has been developed for use by fire fighters.
KEVLAR Very hardwearing. With the use of chemicals, it can be sAffened up or made as soP fabric, depending on the end use. It is five Ames stronger than steel. It can be used for gloves, protecAve jackets or bullet proof vests. FABRICS WITH A MEMBRANE These are fabrics that allow air in and out but do not allow moisture in. An example of this is Gore Tex. BIO STEEL A geneAcally modified fibre that contains casein from goat’s milk and the protein silk from spiders’ webs. The two products are combined together to give a bullet proof vest that can be recycled. SYMPATEX One of a new range of fibres that consist of a hydrophilic membrane. It is breathable and waterproof – used for extreme weather clothing.
What are finishing processes? Finishing processes are usually applied to fabric before it is manufactured into products. The processes can change or alter a number of the fabric s properAes, including its feel, durability and appearance. Processes can be physical, chemical or biological. A number of new finishes are also being developed.
Key points
Finishes Key points " Finishing processes alter the properAes of fabrics, allowing them new uses. " Physical processes, such as embossing and brushing, mechanically alter the surface of the fabric. " Chemical finishes, such as waterproofing and bleaching, coat the fabric or chemically add or remove something (for example, the colour) from the fabric. " Biostoning and biopolishing are both biological finishes in which enzymes aeack the fabric. " New finishes have produced fire, abrasion and chemical resistant fabrics. AddiAonal finishes are conAnually being developed.
Physical finishes There are many physical finishes that are used for furnishings, specialist clothing and paeerned fabric.
Embossing is a process that is applied to syntheMc fabrics. The fabric passes through two rollers which have a paeern engraved on the surface. The rollers are heated and the paeern is melted into the fabric.
Physical finishes Brushing can be applied to natural and man-‐ made fabrics, e.g. wool, co5on and polyester. The fabric is passed between a number of rollers which have Mny wires on the surface. These wires brush the fabric and leave it fluffy. This process is popular for bedding and fleece outerwear.
Physical finishes LaminaMng joins layers of fabrics together using adhesive or heat. The process can be applied to coeon and polyester and produces an enhanced fabric with more properAes.
Calendaring is similar to embossing but the heated rollers are smooth. This leaves a shiny and smooth finish on the fabric.
A laser draws decoraMve paeerns onto natural or man-‐made fabrics.
Chemical finishes There are a large number of chemical finishes that are used for clothing, furnishings, bedding, hard and soP furnishing and outdoor products.
AnM-‐felMng is a finish that is applied to wool. It can either be applied by a syntheMc polymer coaAng or an oxidaMve finish. Both of these processes soCen the wool.
Bleaching is a process which removes the natural colour of wools, linens and coeons.
Chemical finishes Flame proofing can be applied to a number of different fabrics. The process is either applied to a yarn or fabric. It will slow down the burning process but not stop burning completely.
Waterproofing is applied at the fabric stage. A silicone based chemical coats the fabric, leaving a waterproof layer.
To make fabric stain resistant a silicone based chemical is applied to the fabric, which stops stains from penetraMng the fabric.
Biological finishes There are currently two biological finishes that are added to fibres and fabrics. These processes can be applied to coeon and tencel, both of which are mainly used for clothes.
Biostoning is an alternaAve to using a pumice on fabric, and the process takes place aPer the fabric has been dyed. Cellulose enzymes aeack the cellulose already in the fibre, giving denim a faded look.
Biopolishing takes place before the fabric is dyed. A biological enzyme is added to the fabric, giving it a sheen.
New finishes New finishes are being invented and developed all the Ame, allowing texAles to be used in an increasing variety of situaAons. Fire resistant fabrics can withstand extreme fire condiAons, and are more effecAve than flame proofed materials. Fibres can now be treated so they are fire retardant before they are made into fabrics. This ensures protecMon from both flames and extreme heat and makes makes the fabric difficult to light and burn.
New finishes Thermal insulaMon is a process which keeps people warm by regulaAng the temperature. Chemical protecMon stops the penetraAon of any chemicals that may be in the atmosphere. Membrane systems absorb liquids like perspiraAon and disperse them into the atmosphere. The membranes are constructed so that liquid is not allowed back through.
New finishes Tear and cut resistance is a finish that is applied to fabrics which stops the penetraAon of knives. It also stops fabrics from tearing. Abrasion resistance is the process that prevents fabrics from deterioraAon caused by constant wear and tear. A reflecMve finish is achieved by inks applied to fibres and yarns to produce a HV (high visibility) finish.
AnMbacterial processed fabrics can wick away moisture (sweat) and even help the healing process.
What pracMcal applicaMons do you think these finishes might have?
Smart TexMles Smart materials are developed through the invenAon of new or improved processes e.g. as a result of man made materials or human intervenAon. Smart materials respond to differences in light or temperature and change in some way. They are called smart because they sense and react to environmental condiMons. These texAles have been used for sportswear, medical and safety wear and fashion clothing. There are 3 main groups: Passive Smart: sense environmental condiAons AcAve Smart: senses and reacts to environmental condiAons Very Smart: senses, reacts and adapts to environmental condiAons Uses for smart materials: -‐Micro-‐climate clothing (maintains temp.) SMART fabrics can also: -‐Wrinkle-‐free fabrics Reflect light, -‐Allergy control (anAsepAcs) -‐ Rhovyl is an anAbacterial fabric React to UV -‐SaniAzed fabrics (combats sweat) Glow in the dark -‐Intelligent polymer systems (responds to movement) Change colour with warmth React to body temperature and release moisture, Absorb over 20 Ames their own weight in fluid.
Photochromic dye is light sensiMve. Smart pigments change colour in response to sun lightT-‐shirts; military clothing
Thermochromic dyes is heat sensiMve. Micro-‐encapsulated dye can change colour in response to heat. Lasts for 5-‐10 washes. Children's clothes, sports clothing, fire-‐fighter's clothing, wound dressings
Micro-‐encapsulated Different micro-‐capsules embedded in the fibre or fabric. Gives off aromaAc scent Can reduces body odour Can provide vitamins or reduce skin irritaAon Underwear, anA-‐bacterial socks, medical texAles
QuesAon 7: TOOLS, EQUIPMENT & MAKING paeern symbols, decoraAve techniques, construcAon techniques (e.g sleeves, pleasts), layplans, prototypes
IdenAfy the paeern symbols:
The sketch below shows a simple idea for a floor cushion. It is 40cm x 40cm x 30cm i) On the grid below, draw the layout for the templates needed to make the cushion. Your layout must make the mist economical use of material. The seam allowance is 1.5cm. The material is 150cm wide (part has been started for you) (5)
ii) State the length of material needed to make the floor cushion. (1)
Other industrial methods Â
TYPES OF WEAVE There are many types of weave. The weave that is chosen for a texAle product will depend on the intended use. TWILL WEAVE This weave creates a diagonal paeern (e.g. denim or gaberdine). The weP yards pass over and under either 2 or 4 warp yarns. PLAIN WEAVE The simplest weave where the weP yarns pass over and under the warp yarns e.g. polyester, coeon or calico. PILE WEAVE This is a woven fabric with a pile that is made either of loops e.g. toweling or thread as in velvet and corduroy. JACQUARD WEAVE This is a complex woven fabric. It is made on a specific type of loom that is called a jacquard loom, which is oPen controlled by a computer. The fabrics produced using this method are oPen very expensive and are of a high quality. Typical fabric are rich furnishings and formal wear such as wedding waistcoats. SATIN WEAVE The weave for this fabric passes the weP yarns over and under between 4 and 7 warp yarns giving a smooth shiny fabric. This is used in furnishing fabrics e.g. damask. See page 14 of revision guide
OTHER COMPONENTS
Vilene A sAffening material which can be iron on or sew in. It is used to strengthen and sAffen fabric on garments in areas such as cuffs, collars, bueons or bueonhole strips.
QuesAon 8: ICT, CAD CAM, SYSTEMS & PROCESSES CAD, CAM processes, flow charts/ producAon plans
a) What is: (3) i) ICT ii) CAD iii) CAM b) What are two advantages of using CAD? (2) c) Give two examples of CAM (2) d) Explain the importance of feedback in controlling systems (2)