A learning resource for KS3 design and technology lessons in fabrics and fibres.

1. UNDERSTANDING FIBRES
AND FABRICS
KS3 Online
teaching
resource

2. INTRODUCTION TO THE
RESOURCE:
This resource is aimed at secondary school DT teachers to help them
plan and teach lessons about fabrics and fibres. This resource
considers the origins of natural and man-made fibres, the methods
of construction and properties of these and how they are adapted by
adding colour and decoration, with examples from current textiles
designers.
The information in this resource is aimed at KS3 students and in
order for them to do some of the suggested activities they will need a
basic understanding of sewing machines and rudimentary skills with
one.

3. KEY LEARNING/SKILLS:
This resource aims to teach:
Properties of natural and
manmade fibres and how to
identify them.
Methods of creating fabric.
Methods of adding colour and
stitch to fabrics.
How current textile designers
work in the commercial world.
This resource allows the students
to develop these skills:
Safe practice using textiles
equipment and processes.
How to make fabric.
The process of distinguishing
between materials.
How to dye and print different
fabrics.

4. NATIONAL CURRICULUM:
The aims in the national curriculum that link to this resource:
NC1- select from and use specialist tools, techniques, processes,
equipment and machinery precisely, including computer-aided
manufacture.
NC2 - select from and use a wider, more complex range of
materials, components and ingredients, taking into account their
properties.
NC3 - analyse the work of past and present professionals and others
to develop and broaden their understanding.
NC4 - investigate new and emerging technologies.
NC5 - understand and use the properties of materials and the
performance of structural elements to achieve functioning solutions.

5. WHAT ARE FIBRES?:
A fibre is thin hair- like structure that can be either long or short.
Short fibres are called staples fibres.
Long fibres are called filament fibres.
Staple fibres need to be spun into yarns and tend to be slightly
hairy in appearance.
Filament fibres are long and give a smooth shiny finish to fabrics.
All fabrics come from fibres. On their own they are weak but when
twisted into yarns they take on different properties.

6. NATURAL FIBRES:
Natural fibres come from plants, animals and minerals. They usually staple fibres. The
exception to this rule is silk, a natural fibre whose continuous filaments are up to one
kilometer in length.
Cotton plant –
Cotton
Flax plant -
Linen
Sheep -
Wool
Silkworm -
Silk

7. COTTON:
Almost half of textiles products are made of cotton.
Source:
Fine hairs on the seeds of a cotton plant.
Properties:
 Strong – fibres are stronger
when wet so they can be
washed often.
 Fresh and cool to wear
(breathable)
 Very absorbent, fast drying
 smooth
 Good drape
 Versatile
 Easy to care for – (wash and
iron)
 Can be blended and mixed with
other fibres
 Can be coloured easily
 Damaged by sunlight and
mildew
 Can be treated with finishes to
improve properties

8. LINEN:
Source:
Stem of a Flax plant.
Properties:
 Cool to wear
(breathable)
 Absorbent
 Strong
 Very hard wearing
 Creases easily
 Doesn’t drape very well
 Has a natural look
 Good to handle ( sew and
work with)
 Flammable

9. WOOL: *Wool fibres have tiny overlapping scales which allow the
wool fibres to repel rain and spilled liquid with ease. The
natural crimp helps the fibres to retain their shape and
wool fibres can be stretched and then readily bounce
back into shape.
Source:
Hair of a sheep – known as a coat or a fleece.
Properties:
 Warm
 Absorbent
 Low flammability
 Good handle
 Water repellant*
 Elasticity*
 Doe not crease easily
 May shrink in wash
 Takes a long time to dry

10. SILK:
Source:
Cocoon of the silkworm.
Properties:
 Absorbent
 Soft
 Comfortable
 Cool and warm
 Natural sheen
 Handles well
 Strong – one of the strongest
fibres but loses up to 20% of
strength when wet.
 Strong when dry
 Drapes well
 Expensive
 May crease easily.
 Weaker when wet
 Can be spoiled by chemicals and
perspiration
 Does not burn easily

11. HOMEWORK SUGGESTION:
Write a list of the fibres and the fibre properties. Evaluate why the
designer/manufacture has used the fibre and suggest a different fibre they
could have used.
E.G. 100% cotton calico shopping bag. This product is made out of cotton
as it needs to be strong, hard wearing and easy to care for. This means the
product should last a long time and easily be washed if it gets dirty. This
product could also be made from linen as it is also a hard wearing and
strong fibre that is easy to wash.
 Find 3 textile product that are made from
100% natural fibres ( look at labels)

12. SYNTHETIC FIBRES:
Synthetic fibres are man-made, usually from chemical sources. They are continuous
filament fibres, which means the fibres are long and do not always have to be spun into
yarn.
Oil or Coal – Nylon, Polyester and
Acrylic

13. Synthetic fibres are artificial fibres that come from oil & coal.
They are made from synthetic polymers or monomers (smaller
polymers), which come from oil, coal and other petrol-based
chemicals. Polymerization is the process of joining these
monomers to create polymers.
Many small
molecules
One large
molecule
Monomers Polymer

14. NYLON:
Properties:
 Versatile—can be made into many finishes
 Strong when wet
 Hard wearing (durable)
 Good elasticity
 Does not decompose
 Melts as it burns
 Resists most alkalis
 Can be damaged by strong acids.
 Thermoplastic—can be reheated and remoulded
 does not absorb moisture
 Can be blended with other fibres
 Not sustainable
 Can be damaged by sunlight – discolour and
weaken
Uses:
 Clothing
 Ropes
 Rugs/carpetin
g
 Seat belts

15. POLYESTER: Properties:
 Very strong when wet and dry
 Flame resistant
 Thermoplastic
 Does not decompose
 Versatile
 Cheap
 Resists bacteria
 Very poor absorbency
 Dries quickly
 Doesn’t really crease
 easy to wash
Uses:
 Clothing
 Sports wear
 Upholstery
padding

16. ACRYLIC: Properties:
 Strong but weaker when wet
 Thermoplastic – can be reheated
and remolded
 Shrinks from heat
 Burns slowly then melts
 Soft
 can be made warm
 Insulating
 Poor absorbency
 Crease resistant
 cheap
Uses:
 knitwear and knitted jersey
fabrics
 Toys
 Fake-fur
 Upholstery fabrics
(furniture)

17. MODERN FIBRES - MICROFIBRES:
Microfibres are very fine synthetic fibres, often made from
polyester and polyamide. Microfibres can be up to 60 times
thinner than a human hair. This means they are lightweight but
they are also very strong and water repellent. They are
breathable and have a good handle and feel. The most common
use for microfibres are underwear, sports wear, hosiery and
outdoor clothing.

18. WEAVING – PLAIN WEAVE:
Plain weave:
The most common
weave which provides
endless variations of
plain, thick, thin
fancy, coloured yarns.
OVER ONE, UNDER
ONE

19. WEAVE – SATIN WEAVE:
Satin weave:
A satin weave has a warp face that
means the warp threads seem to
float on top of the weft threads.
It is strong warp wise and
therefore it drapes well.
OVER 4 UNDER ONE

20. WEAVE – TWILL WEAVE:
Twill weave:
Twill weave produces
fabric with diagonal
lines, usually from
bottom left to top right.
Fabrics are: Chino,
denim, tweed and
tartan.
OVER TWO/THREE
UNDER ONE

21. ADDING COLOUR:
Before dyeing and printing the fabric is prepared by washing, bleaching and
mercerizing, in which the yarn is treated to improve strength, lustre and
receptivity to dye. Fabrics can be dyed by hand or machine.
Hand dyeing:
In hand dyeing, fabrics are immersed in hot or cold dyes in a dye bath. The
dye bath is agitated so the dye reaches all areas. When the desired colour is
achieved the fabric is removed and rinsed to remove excess dye. Then it is
fixed with a mordant or a fixing agent such as salt. The strength of a dye
colour is determined by the:
amount of time in the dye bath
absorbency of fibres
original fabric colour
concentration of the dye colour in the dye bath
effective use of a mordant or fixative

22. ADDING COLOUR:
Commercial dyeing:
In industrial production fabric is dyed by continuous or batch dyeing.
Continuous dyeing:
The fabric is passed through a dye bath, and then squeezed
between rollers to spread the dye evenly and remove excess.
Continuous dyeing is used for colours that do not need to change too
quickly with fashion.
Batch dyeing:
Fabrics are produced without dye. Instead, they are dyed to order in
large batches according to the colours required. Batch dyeing is used
for fabrics that have to change in colour frequently because of
fashion.

23. ADDING DESIGN:
Screen printing:
In screen printing a
pattern is printed onto
fabric through
a stencil held in place
by a screen. Each
screen prints one part
of the design in one
colour. After printing
the dyestuff must be
fixed
using steam or dry
heat.
There are many processes you could
use in the classroom to add design
to a textiles piece, these include
batik, embellishment or even screen
printing.

24. Batik:
Batik is a process of applying hot wax and coloured dyes to cloth. The
cloth is dyed and waxed several times until the desired colour
schemes are achieved. The wax is then removed (boiled off), leaving a
beautiful design.

25. CURRENT TEXTILE DESIGNERS:
Britt Laspina -
CAD
Craig Fellows – Screen
printing
Alabama Chanin –
Embellishment

26. USEFUL
LINKS:
KEY
TERMS: