I recently completed a small project about label laws for my textiles class.  As part of the project I had to examine the labels from a garment made of two or more types of fiber.  I needed to explain what the information on the labels means.  I also had to assess the care instructions to determine if they are appropriate.

A brief search of my closet turned up some shirts, a sweater, and two pairs of bicycle shorts that met the fiber requirements for the project.  The shorts contained some synthetic fibers I have not learned about yet, so I did not use them.  The sweater had the most interesting combination of fibers.  It contains cotton, acrylic, and two other synthetic fibers, but I was unable to use it.  I have never washed the sweater, so I cannot comment on its care instructions.  No, I do not have a dirty sweater in my closet.  It has never been washed because it has never been worn.  That left me with a choice between a cotton/rayon shirt and a cotton/polyester shirt.  Both have been worn and washed a lot, but only the cotton/poly shirt has been ironed, so that is the one I chose.  Had I picked the cotton/rayon one my responses would have looked the same.  I have not followed the care instructions for either one.

Care instruction labels never attracted my attention before this semester.  I knew to separate whites and darks, and to not use the higher iron temperatures on synthetic fabrics, but I never considered a temperature setting other than high for a washing machine.  For white shirts I set dryers at medium temperatures, but for all other items I used the highest dryer temperature setting.  In the Laundromat dryers 12 minutes at high heat costs the same as 12 minutes on low heat.  Other than a few white shirts that were slightly singed by dryers on high and one olefin carpet that should not have been ironed, none of my textile products have been damaged by my care.  (Ink stains from pens left in pants pockets in the wash don’t count.)

The care labels for both shirts advise me to wash cold, dry low, iron warm, and use only non-chlorine bleach.  The cotton/rayon shirt is dark blue, so I do not bleach it, but the white cotton/poly shirt is always washed with a large dose of chlorine bleach.  The cotton/rayon shirt is dried at high heat, and the cotton/poly at medium.  Both shirts are washed at high heat.  My iron is set near its highest setting for the cotton/poly shirt.  Neither shirt has suffered any damage from my aggressive care.

It seems to me that care labels are overly restrictive.  I found labels recommending low heat settings for 100% cotton shirts and pants.  Before taking my textiles class I did not know that rayon is easily damaged by heat, yet my two 100% rayon shirts have survived multiple hot washings without harm.  I treat my dry-clean-only garments correctly, but why must I treat my machine-washable items so gently?  I suspect manufacturers exhort us to exercise such caution in how we wash our garments in order to avoid responsibility for the routine wear and tear that garments experience.  I will continue to disregard most care labels, and I will accept the blame for any damage to my clothing in the wash.

Tags: care labels | washing | bleach | ironing | drying | cotton | polyester | rayon

Presenting my final look for an 1890s inspired tailored coat!

Click below to read more about my tailored look and final critique!

Tags: tailoring | final | wool | sewing | construction | critique | final product | coat | tailored | collar | gray | 1890s

Hello hello!
It has certainly been a long time since I was last here... a few too many weeks for me to count. I must apologize for my very sudden absence from the site, but rest assured that I am here now!

Once school ended for the quarter, I thought life would slow down a little bit, but boy, was I wrong! In the midst of holiday/family madness, I was offered an internship position in NYC for a well known American teen clothing brand. Very exciting, but very scary. I'd only been to New York once or twice for very short periods of time, and I only had 2 weeks to move there for the job! I went into a tailspin trying to get my life organized, find housing, etc. I got up to New York about 4 days before I started my job, and found housing 2 days before I started.

After my job started, I once again assumed things would calm down. I mean, I'm working a 9-6 daily schedule. It should be easy to find time to post, right?! Wrong, apparently. Between my hour commute, trying to see and do as much in the city as possible, and being completely exhausted from work, the very little free time I had to myself was spent catching up on sleep.

I am 8 or 9 weeks into my internship, and I have 2 left once this week ends, which is absolutely nuts, because it's gone SO fast. I realized I needed to catch everyone up on what's been happening, and I also need to get into a good routine of posting before school begins again at the end of March!

So, bear with me as I catch up on all the other student blogs and see how this amazing site has grown! Stay tuned for posts about the end of the Fall school quarter, and the pictures of my final tailoring project that I promised so many times.
You should also stick around to hear about my INCREDIBLE day at New York Fashion Week (seriously...amazing...both Michael Kors and Tim Gunn had their arm around me...).
I'll also give you a little more detail about my internship job, what I've learned, and how I'm preparing for my summer internship.

Love always,
Elizabeth

Tags: internship | nyc fashion week | tailoring | sorry | oops

Santa Rosa Junior College's Fashion Studies Program Proudly Presents...

"Desire: A Fashion Show Inspiring Styles From Dawn to Dusk"

When: April 25, 2010

My fashion show class is well underway on planning our show. I have received the title of merchandise Coordinator and I have started contacting stores to see who would want to participate in the show. Last week we finalized a decision for the stage set design and poster design. I have class in about an hour, I am going to separate the merchandise committee into sub-groups so we can figure out detail by detail what we are going to do. We will also go over modeling, I have recruited many models, including my little sister. I am so excited for this show! You can also follow us on Twitter on @SRJCfashionshow.

Tags:

The final part of my textiles review covers regenerated fibers.  I imagine my textiles reviews are not as exciting to read as are my normal blog entries, but writing them was quite helpful to me.  The test was yesterday.  I found it easy.  I am sorry if you do not care for these reviews, but I plan to write more of them next time a test rolls around.  Fortunately that will not be for a while, so I may now return to my normal irreverent blogging.

Manufactured fibers are formed into fibers from chemical compounds.  They do not exist in fiber form without human intervention.  Manufactured fibers may be regenerated or synthetic.  Regenerated fibers are produced from naturally occurring polymers that do not occur naturally as fibers.  Regenerated fibers are made from cellulose (plant) or protein (plant or animal).  Synthetic fibers are made from polymers that do not occur naturally.

The Federal Trade Commission gives fibers generic names based on fiber chemistry.  Manufacturers may also use trade names for the fibers they produce.

Fiber production
The process of producing a manufactured fiber is called spinning.  Whether fibers are regenerated or synthetic, the spinning process is the same.  The only significant differences occur in the production of the solution from which the fiber is made.  Raw materials are made into a spinning solution (dope) by dissolving them in chemicals.  I do not have the necessary knowledge of chemistry to understand the solution production process, and information about that process is not taught in my class, so I will speak of it no more.   Fiber manufacture follows three steps:
1.    Prepare a dope or melt
2.    Extrude the dope or melt through a spinneret to form a fiber
3.    Solidify the fiber by coagulation, evaporation, or cooling.

The spinneret is like a showerhead through which the dope is forced.  The size and shape of the holes in the spinneret determine the size and shape of the fiber.

Manufactured fibers may be used in filament or staple form.  Filament yarn is made by twisting filament fibers together.  Filament tow is a rope of thousands of untwisted filament fibers.  It is cut to make staple fibers.  The fibers may be crimped.

There are three basic methods of fiber spinning:
Wet spinning: Raw material is dissolved by chemicals to produce a dope.  The fiber is spun into a chemical bath where it solidifies.  Wet spinning is the oldest and most complex method of fiber manufacture.  The solvent and chemical bath are hazardous materials that must be recovered.  Wet spinning can be used to produce acrylic, lyocell, rayon, and spandex.  Wet spinning is rarely used.

Dry spinning: Resin solids are dissolved by chemicals to produce a dope.  The fiber is spun into warm air where evaporation of the solvent causes the fiber to cool and solidify.  The solvent must be recovered, but without the chemical bath there are fewer hazardous materials than in wet spinning.  Dry spinning can be used to produce acetate, acrylic, modacrylic, and spandex.

Melt spinning: Resin solids are melted to produce a dope.  The fiber is spun into air where it cools and solidifies.  It is the cheapest method of fiber production, and there are no solvents to be recovered.  It can be used to produce nylon, olefin, polyester, and saran.  Regenerated fibers are not produced by melt spinning.

Fiber modifications
Every step of the fiber manufacture process can be precisely controlled to produce uniform fibers with specific characteristics.

Spinneret modifications: The size and shape of spinneret holes can be adjusted to produce fibers with specific dimensions.   Hollow fibers may be created by adding gas forming compounds to the dope, by injecting air into the fiber as it forms, or by altering the shape of the spinneret hole.  Hollow fibers are good insulators. 

Molecular structure and crystallinity modifications: The molecular structure and the degree of crystallinity of a fiber contribute to its properties.  These can be altered in the manufacture process by a controlled stretching of the fiber after it exits the spinneret or by selecting specific compounds used to produce the polymers.  High tenacity fibers may be produced by stretching the fibers to line up the molecules and /or by chemical modification of the polymer to increase the degree of polymerization.  I am not really sure what that all means.  I never liked organic chemistry.  The molecules are too big.  I prefer physics where all the really exciting stuff happens in spaces smaller than an atomic nucleus. 

Dope additives: Chemicals may be added to the dope to alter the fiber’s properties.  Dyes may be added to color a fiber.  Solution dyed fibers retain color better than fibers dyed after they are produced.  Dye-accepting chemicals may be added to make a fiber more dyeable.   Whiteners may be added to make fibers look whiter and resist yellowing.  Delusterants may be added to reduce a fiber’s luster.

Modifications in fiber spinning: Crimp may be added to manufactured fibers by altering the way the fiber cools and solidifies.  Filament fibers can be cut to create staple fibers.

Bicomponent fibers: Two polymers may be combined in a single fiber.  Bilateral fibers are spun with two polymers side by side.  Core-sheath fibers have one polymer encircled by another.  The different polymers may react differently to heat and moisture, or each may have specific characteristics that are desired in the finished fiber.

Regenerated fibers
Regenerated fibers are produced from naturally occurring polymers that do not occur naturally as fibers.  Cellulose and protein may be uses to produce regenerated fibers.

Rayon, lyocell, acetate, bamboo, and PLA are regenerated cellulosic fibers.

Azlon is the generic name for all regenerated protein fibers. 

Rayon
Rayon was the first manufactured fiber.  The earliest form of rayon was invented in 1846, but it was highly explosive.  Commercial production of viscose rayon began in the U.S. in 1911.  Rayon is produced with the wet spinning method.

There are three types of rayon:  Viscose rayon, cuprammonium (cupra), and high wet modulus (HWM) rayon.  Viscose was the first type of rayon commercially produced, and HWM is the newest.  Cupra is sold with the trade name Bemberg^®.  HWM is sold with the generic name polynosic and the trade name Modal^TM.

Physical structure of rayon
Rayon can be either staple or filament.  The fiber has lengthwise lines called striations.  It has a serrated or indented circular cross section.  This is caused by the fiber collapsing in on itself during coagulation from loss of the solvent.  Cupra and HWM have a rounder cross section than viscose.

Properties of rayon
Aesthetics: Rayon can be produced to look like cotton, flax, wool, and silk.

Durability:  Rayon is a low tenacity fiber that loses up to 50% of its strength when wet.   HWM rayon is stronger than cupra, and cupra is stronger than viscose.   Viscose has a breaking elongation of 8% to 14%.  HWM rayon has a breaking elongation of 9% to 18%.  Rayon may be permanently damaged by water.

Comfort:  Rayon has a soft, smooth hand.  It is highly absorbent, a good conductor of heat, and it does not build up a static charge.

Appearance retention: Rayon has low resiliency and dimensional stability.  Viscose rayon may stretch or shrink.  HWM rayon has better dimensional stability; it is less likely to stretch or shrink.

Care: Viscose rayon should be dry-cleaned.  Cupra and HWM rayon may be machine washable; read the care label.  Rayon is resistant to heat and may be ironed with high temperatures.  Rayon may be damaged by silverfish and mildew, so it should be stored dry.

Environmental impact: Most rayon is produced from wood pulp.  The fiber is biodegradable, but it cannot biodegrade if it is placed in a landfill.  The wet spinning process uses large quantities of chemicals that may contribute to air and water pollution.  Cupra is no longer produced in the U.S. because manufacturers were unable to comply with water and air quality requirements.

Lyocell
Lyocell was introduced in the early 1990s.  It was originally sold as a type of rayon, but it differs from rayon enough that it now has a separate generic classification.  Lyocell is sold with the trade name Tencel^®

Physical structure of lyocell
Lyocell fibers can be staple or filament.  The fibers have a smooth surface and round cross section.

Properties of lyocell
Aesthetics: The luster, drape, and texture of lyocell can be varied.  Lyocell imitates the aesthetics of the natural cellulosic fibers, but it most closely resembles cotton.  Lyocell fibers may pill.

Durability: Lyocell is the strongest regenerated cellulosic fiber.  Its breaking tenacity is 4.8 to 5.0 g/d dry and 4.2 to 4.6 g/d wet.  Lyocell has good abrasion resistance and poor elongation.

Comfort: Lyocell has a soft, smooth hand.  It resembles cotton.  It has excellent absorbency and poor thermal retention.

Appearance retention: Lyocell has moderate resiliency; it wrinkles, but not as badly as rayon.  Lyocell has moderate dimensional stability.  It may shrink, but not too badly.

Care: Lyocell may be machine washed on gentle cycle or dry cleaned.  Read the care label.  It may be ironed with high heat.  It may be damaged by mildew and insects.

Environmental impact: Lyocell is produced with the wet spinning method, but the solvents are recycled so hazardous waste is not produced.  The chemicals used to produce lyocell are less harmful than those used to produce rayon.  Lyocell is biodegradable, but if it is placed in a landfill it will not degrade.

Acetate
Acetate was introduced in the U.S. in 1924

Physical properties of acetate
Acetate fibers can be staple or filament.  Acetate typically has a lobular cross-sectional shape and lengthwise striations, but the shape of the fiber can be altered in the spinning process.  Acetate is thermoplastic; it melts in high heat.  Acetate dissolves in acetone.

Properties of acetate
Aesthetics: The aesthetic properties of acetate are excellent.  It has high luster, good drape, and smooth hand and texture.  It is often used to make fabrics for which good appearance is more important that durability and ease of care.

Durability: Acetate is not a durable fiber.  Its dry breaking tenacity is 1.2 to 1.4 g/d, and it is slightly weaker when wet.  Acetate has low abrasion resistance and elongation.  Acetate is resistant to mildew and moths.

Comfort: Acetate has a smooth, soft, but slightly clammy hand.  It has moderate absorbency.  It builds up a static charge.  It is a moderate insulator.

Appearance retention: Acetate has poor appearance retention.  It has poor resiliency and elastic recovery, and moderate dimensional stability.   It may shrink.  Acetate may experience fume fading – its color changes.  This may be prevented with solution dyeing.

Care: Acetate should be dry-cleaned.  It melts at high temperatures, so it may only be ironed on low heat.

Other regenerated fibers
Bamboo is a type of rayon that uses bamboo as the source of cellulose.  It contains no bamboo fibers.  In the past few years bamboo has been marketed as an environmentally friendly fabric, but the claims were unsubstantiated.  The FTC has recently taken action against manufactures of bamboo rayon barring them from making deceptive claims about the fabric.  The FTC does not recognize “bamboo” as a generic name for bamboo based rayon. 

PLA (polylactic acid) is a regenerated cellulosic fiber made from cornstarch.  The FTC approved it as a generic fiber in 2002.  It is sold with the trade name Ingo^®.  We had some PLA in lab.  It seems great.  I plan to find some to play with.

SoySilk^® is a type of azlon.  It is made from a soy protein that is a waste product of the tofu manufacturing process.  Yummy.  It is a durable fiber with a soft hand, great drape, good colorfastness, excellent absorbency, good comfort, and good thermal retention.  We had some SoySilk^® in lab too.  If I can find a cheap source of it I will use it to make a shirt.

Silk Latte^® is a type of azlon made from milk protein.  It is similar to SoySilk^® but slightly less durable.

Tags: textiles study guide | manufactured fibers | regenerated fibers | rayon | lyocell | acetate | PLA | SoySilk | Silk Latte | azlon | bamboo

This is part three of my textiles review, in which we go over the natural protein fibers.

Natural protein fibers come from animals.  Wools are the hair and fur of animals, and silk is secreted by silkworms.  The protein in wools is keratin, and the protein in silk is fibroin.  While the word “wool” technically refers to any hair fiber from any animal, it is commonly understood to refer only to sheep hair.  Specialty wools (fibers from other animals) are usually referred to by the animal’s name, and they cost more than sheep wool.

All natural protein fibers share certain properties because of their common chemical composition.  These properties are:

Resiliency: Protein fibers are resilient.  They resist wrinkling, and wrinkles may disappear between uses.  Wool is more resilient than silk.

Hygroscopic: Protein fibers are highly absorbent.  They shed water slowly, so they retain their insulation properties and remain dry to the touch while wet.

Weaker when wet: Protein fibers have lower tenacity when wet.  Silk loses about 15% strength when wet, and wool loses about 40%.

Specific gravity: Protein fibers have a lower specific gravity than cellulosic fibers.

Harmed by alkalis, oxidizing agents, and dry heat: Detergents, bleaches, and sweat damage the fibers.  Steam should be use when ironing.  Most protein fiber garments require dry-cleaning.

Flame resistant: Protein fibers do not ignite easily and will self-extinguish.  They emit a burnt-hair smell and leave behind a black, powdery ash.

Wool
This section is about sheep wool.  Specialty wools will be covered later.
Wool is a staple fiber from sheep’s hair.  Wool is produced primarily in Australia, New Zealand, China, and Eastern Europe.  The U.S. produces less than 1% of the world’s wool.

Wool production
Sheep are sheared once per year, usually in the spring.  A newly removed fleece (raw or grease wool) contains 30% to 70% by weight of impurities such as dirt, grease, and sweat.  The fleece is cleaned to produce scoured wool.   The fleece is graded to evaluate it for fineness and length, then sorted to separate the sections of different qualities.  Wool fibers are laid parallel to one another and twisted together to make yarns.  Felt is made by pressing wool fibers together without twisting them into yarns.

Physical structure of wool
Length: Long, fine wool fibers, with an average length of 2½ inches, are used for worsted yarns.  Short, coarse fibers, with an average length of 1½ inches, are used for woolen yarns. 

Longitudinal view: Wool is a naturally crimped fiber.  The fiber twists and bends back and forth around its axis giving it spring like qualities.  The crimp accounts for wool’s excellent resiliency, flexibility, elongation, and elastic recovery.

Cross-sectional view: Wool fibers have diameters ranging from 10 to 50 micrometers.  The fibers are round.  The cuticle, the outer layer of the fiber, contains a dense layer of scales.  These scales make the fibers water repellent, and allow felting.  The cortex is the main part of the fiber.  The cells on either side of the cortex react differently to moisture and temperature, giving wool its crimp.  The center of the wool fiber is the medulla, a microscopic honeycomb-like structure containing air spaces.  These air spaces add to wool’s thermal retention.  Most worsted fibers do not contain medullas.

Properties of wool:
Aesthetics: Wool varies in color from white to dark brown.  It accepts and holds dyes well.  Woolen wool has a matte appearance; worsted wool may be more lustrous.  Texture and drape are determined by yarn and fabric structure and by finish.

Durability: Wool fabrics are durable.  Wool has a low tenacity (1.5 g/d), but its excellent elongation and elastic recovery allow it to resist damage.  Wool’s wet tenacity is 1.0 g/d.

Comfort: Wool is highly hygroscopic – it is highly absorbent and it releases moisture slowly.  Wool absorbs small droplets of moisture such as sweat while repelling larger droplets such as rain.  Wool is a poor conductor of heat which makes it an excellent insulator.  Wool continues to provide insulation while wet.  Wool may induce an allergic reaction in some people.

Appearance retention: Wool is a highly resilient and elastic fiber.  It resists wrinkling, and recovers its shape.  If properly cared for wool has good dimensional stability, but if improperly washed it will shrink, felt, and tear.  Wool should be dry-cleaned.  Wool does not soil or stain readily, and with proper cleaning techniques stains can be removed.

Care: I can’t say this enough:  WOOL IS DRY-CLEAN ONLY!  Wool is damaged by alkalis (most detergents) and chlorine bleach.  Moths eat wool; store your wool carefully.  Wool is slow to ignite and it self-extinguishes, but there is still no good reason for you to set your wool clothes on fire.

Specialty wools
Mohair comes from the Angora goat.  It is a smooth, silky, fine fiber without crimp.  Most fibers do not have a medulla.  Mohair is highly resilient.

Cashmere is from the Cashmere goat.  The fibers have very fine scales and no medullas.  It is used to make fabrics with a warm, soft, buttery hand, lustrous appearance, and excellent draping characteristics.  It is expensive.

Llama and Alpaca wools come from South American cousins of the camel.  Alpaca fiber’s soft hand, good luster, and excellent draping characteristics make it good for apparel.  Llama fiber is coarser than alpaca fiber.  It is often used for coats and suitings.

Camel’s hair is from the two-humped beasties (Bactrian camels).  The hair is shed naturally; camels do not need to be shorn.  The fiber provides great insulation without weight.  It is usually used in coats, scarves, and suits.  It is a tan fiber that is usually used undyed.

Angora is from the Angora rabbit.  It is a long, fine, fluffy, soft, and slippery fiber.  The fiber does not dye well.  It is difficult to spin into yarns because it is so sleek, so it is often blended with other wools.  Lambs are cute, but the Angora rabbit is the most adorable wool critter.

Silk
Silk is the only natural filament fiber.  Silk was first used as a fiber in Chine more than 4,000 years ago.  It is excreted by the silkworm to spin its cocoon in an attempt to metamorphose into a moth.

Silk production
Sericulture is the production of cultivated silk.  Silk moths lay eggs on specially prepared paper.  After the larvae hatch they are fed mulberry leaves.  After roughly five weeks the caterpillars begin to spin their cocoons.  Cocoons are made from a single strand of silk, approximately one mile long.  The strands of silk are coated with a gum, called sericin.  After the cocoon is finished, the pupa is killed with heat.  The cocoons are unwound to produce fibers, the sericin is removed, and the fibers are wound together to produce yarn.

Wild silk is produced by collecting empty chrysalises from wild silkworms.  The adult moth tears through the fiber as it exits the cocoon, so wild silk is a staple fiber.  The sericin is not removed from wild silks.

Physical structure of silk
Silk is a smooth, thin fiber.  The diameter of silk fiber is approximately 11 micrometers.  It is a solid fiber with a triangular cross shape.  Slight striations may be present along the length of the fiber.  Wild silk tends to be coarser than cultivated silk.

Properties of silk
Aesthetics: Silk is a luxury fiber.  It has a soft luster with an occasional sparkle.  It wrinkles more easily than wool, but it is more resilient than cotton.  Its color, hand, and drape vary.  Wild silks have duller luster and more texture than cultivated silks. 

Durability: Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers with a dry tenacity of 4.5 g/d.  It loses up to 20% strength when wet.  Silk has medium elasticity; at 2% elongation it returns to only 90% of its original length.  Silk is damaged by sweat, body oils, chlorine bleach, sunlight, mineral acids, metallic salts (deodorants), and carpet beetles.  It is resistant to hydrogen peroxide.

Comfort: Silk is a poor conductor of heat, so it can provide insulation.  Light weight silk fabrics are comfortable in warm weather.  It has good absorbency, and it is hygroscopic.  Silk may develop a static charge.  Silk has a soft, smooth, silky hand.

Appearance retention: Silk has moderate resistance to wrinkling.  With its low elasticity, if it gets stretched it will stay stretched.  Silk has moderate abrasion resistance, but with its typical uses it is rarely subjected to harsh abrasions.  Staple silk may pill.

Care: Silk should by dry-cleaned.  Silk may be pressed at moderate heat (300oF) with a damp press cloth.  Silk is flame retardant and self extinguishing, but you should still keep it away from open flames.

Types of silk
Tussah is the most common type of wild silk

Noil silk (waste silk) is a staple fiber made from the broken pieces and cocoon remnants of cultivated silk.

Duppioni silk is made if two silkworms spin their cocoons together.  It is not possible to fully separate the fibers.  The yarns have a thick-and-thin appearance.  It is used to make shantung.

Spider silk is not currently commercially produced, but several researchers are attempting to develop cost effective ways to produce it.  The protein in spider silk is spidroin.  Spider silk has excellent tenacity and elasticity.  Efforts have been made to collect the silk directly from spiders and to genetically enhance silkworms and goats to produce it.  A piece of spider silk fabric is currently on display at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

Tags: textiles study guide | natural protein fibers | wool | silk | mohair | cashmere | duppioni silk

This is part two of my textiles review in preparation for my upcoming test.

Plants contain cellulosic fibrous bundles in their roots, stems, leaves, and seed casings.  These fibers may be easily removed from some plants to be used as textile fibers.  Fibers are classified according to the part of the plant from which they are removed.  Seed fibers grow in the seedpod of plants, bast fibers are from a plant’s roots or stems, and leaf fibers are obtained from leaves.

Examples of seed fibers are cotton, kapok, coir, and milkweed.

Examples of bast fibers are flax, ramie, hemp, and jute.

Examples of leaf fibers are piña, abaca, sisal, and henequen.

While there are great differences between various natural cellulosic fibers, there are some properties they all share because of their similar chemical make-up.  Properties common to natural cellulosic fibers are:

Good absorbency – cellulose can take up a lot of moisture.  Natural cellulosic fibers are good for summer wear, towels, diapers, and active sportswear.

Good conductor of heat (poor thermal retention) – Natural cellulosic fibers are bad insulators.  Apparel made from these fabrics does not trap heat.  It is a cool fabric suitable for use in warm environments.

Able to withstand high temperature – Natural cellulosic fibers can be washed and ironed at high temperatures.  They may be boiled or autoclaved for sterilization.

Low resiliency – Fabrics wrinkle badly.

Poor loft – Fibers can form dense, high count yarns and fabrics.  They may be used to make wind resistant fabrics.

Good electrical conductor – Fabrics do not build up a static charge.

Heavy fibers – Fiber density is approximately 1.5 g/cc.  Natural cellulosic fibers are heavier than natural protein fibers and most manufactured fibers.

Damaged by mineral acids – Try to avoid acid stains.  If you can’t avoid them, clean them quickly.

Resistant to alkalis – Fabrics may be washed with regular detergents.

Damaged by mildew, crickets, and silverfish – Store items in dry conditions.

Resistant to moths – Moths will not eat cellulosic fibers, but you still do not want moths living in your closet.

Inflammable – Fibers ignite quickly and continue to burn after being removed from the ignition source.  Burnt fibers smell like burnt wood and leave behind a white or light grey powdery ash.

Poor to moderate sunlight resistance – The fibers are suitable for outdoor apparel, but window treatments should be lined to prevent too much exposure to sunlight.

Cotton
Cotton is the most commonly used natural cellulosic fiber.  Cotton fibers grow from the seeds in the boll (seedpod).  Each boll contains seven or eight seeds, and each seed may have up to 20,000 fibers growing from it.

Cotton production
Ripe bolls are picked by machines.  They are sent to a gin where the seeds are separated from the fibers.  The fibers, called lint, are packed into bales and sent to spinning mills.  Each bale weighs 480 pounds.  The spinning mills make yarns.

Physical structure of cotton:
Color:  Most cotton fibers are a creamy white or light tan, but some naturally colored cottons are available.  Colored cottons produce less per acre than white cotton, but they sell for about twice as much.  Brown, red, beige, and green are available.  Unlike most dyed fabrics, colored cottons become darker with age and care.   Cotton fibers take up dyes well.

Length:  Cotton is a staple fiber.  The fibers range in length from ½ to 2½ inches depending on the genetic variety of the plant.   Long staple cottons, which are greater than 1 5/16 inch are finer and make stronger, higher quality yarns.  They cost a lot more too.  Sea Island, Egyptian, Pima, and Supima are types of long staple cottons.  Upland cottons, the most commonly grown cottons in the U.S., are medium length cottons (7/8 to 1¼ inch).  Short-stable cottons (less than ¾ inch) are produced primarily in Asia.

Cross-sectional view:  Cotton fibers are 16 to 20 micrometers in diameter.  The fiber has a thin primary cell wall surrounding a thicker secondary cell wall.  The center of the fiber is the lumen, the central canal through which nutrients travel as the fiber grows.  Immature fibers are U shaped, and mature fibers are kidney shaped.

Longitudinal view:  Cotton fibers have a ribbon-like twist called convolutions.  The convolutions allow the fibers to cling together which makes yarn spinning easy. 

Properties of cotton:
Aesthetics:  Cotton has a matte appearance and low luster.  Cotton can be made slightly lustrous through mercerization, i.e. treating it with NaOH which causes the fibers to swell.  The drape and texture is affected by the yarn size, fabric structure, and finish.  Cotton wrinkles easily.

Durability:  Cotton is a medium-strength fiber, with a dry breaking tenacity of 3.5 to 4.0 grams per denier.  It is 30% stronger when wet.  Cotton has good abrasion resistance, low elongation (3%), and moderate elasticity.

Comfort:  Cotton’s good heat conductivity, good electrical conductivity, high absorbency, and soft hand make it a very comfortable apparel fabric, particularly for use in warm environments.

Appearance retention:  Cotton has moderate appearance retention.  Its low resiliency allows it to wrinkle easily, but wrinkles may be pressed out.  Cotton will shrink unless it is given a durable-press or wrinkle-resistant finish.  Cotton has moderate elastic recovery; it recovers 75% from 2% to 5% stretch.  Stretched cotton garments stay stretched.

Care:  Cotton soils and stains easily.  Cotton withstands high heat, it is stronger when wet, and it is resistant to alkalis, so it may be machine washed with hot water and normal detergent.  Cotton may be ironed at high temperatures.  Cotton should be stored in dry conditions to prevent damage from mildew.

Other seed fibers
Coir is from the fibrous mass between the outer shell and husk of coconuts.  It is a stiff fiber.  It is usually used to make highly durable indoor and outdoor mats, rugs, and tiles.

Kapok fiber is from the seed of the Java or Indian kapok tree.  The fiber is soft, lightweight, and hollow.  It breaks down easily and it is difficult to spin into yarns.  It is used as fiberfill and as the stuffing for pillows.  It used to be used as a stuffing for lifejackets and the mattresses on cruise ships because it is very buoyant.

Milkweed has properties similar to those of kapok.

Flax
Flax is one of the oldest textile fibers, but its use has declined since the invention of power spinning for cotton.  Flax fabric is linen, although the word linen is now often used to refer to table, bed, and bath fabrics made from other materials.  Flax is a bast fiber.

Production of flax
Flax fibers are from the stems and roots of the flax plant.  The plant is cut or pulled out of the ground to keep the fibers as long as possible.  The fibers are found just under the bark or outer covering of the plant.  They are sealed together by pectins, gums, and waxes.  There are four steps to obtain fibers from the plant:

Rippling – the plant is pulled through a machine to remove the seeds.

Retting – bacteria break down the pectin that binds the fibers together.

Scutching – the stalks are passed through rollers to crush and remove the outer covering so the fibers may be removed.

Hackling – the fibers are combed to separate them into individual strands.

Physical structure of flax
Length:  Flax is a staple fiber.  Flax fibers range in length from 2 to 36 inches.  Short fibers are called tow; long fibers are called line.

Cross-sectional view:  Flax fibers are 12 to 16 micrometers in diameter.  They have a polygonal shape.  There is a small central canal similar to cotton’s lumen. 

Longitudinal view:   Flax fibers are straight.  There are crosswise markings, called nodes, along the length of the fiber.

Properties of flax
Aesthetics:  Flax has a high luster that can be further increased with finishes.  Flax has a stiffer drape and harsher hand than cotton.  Flax takes up dyes well.

Durability:  Flax is strong for a natural fiber.  Its dry tenacity is 3.5 to 5.0 g/d, and its wet tenacity is 6.0 g/d.  Flax has very low elongation (7%) and poor elasticity (65% recovery at 2% elongation).  Flax has good flat abrasion resistance, but poor flex abrasion resistance.  Repeatedly folding a piece of linen in the same place will cause the fibers to break.

Comfort:  Flax is a good fabric for summer apparel.  Its high absorbency (better than cotton), wicking properties, and poor thermal retention make it very comfortable in warm weather.  It will not build up a static charge.

Appearance retention:  Flax has poor appearance retention.  It wrinkles very easily and does not recover from being stretched.

Care:  Flax withstands high heat, it is stronger when wet, and it is resistant to alkalis, so it may be machine washed with hot water and normal detergent.  Flax may be ironed at high temperatures, and it will require pressing often.  Flax should be stored in dry conditions to prevent damage from mildew.

Other bast fibers
Ramie:  Ramie fibers are 4 to 6 inches long.  The fibers are whiter and softer than flax.  Ramie does not retain dyes well unless it is dry-cleaned.  Ramie is strong for a natural fiber, but it lacks resiliency, elasticity, and elongation potential.  It is resistant to mildew, insects, and shrinkage.  It is used for apparel, window treatments, ropes, paper, and table and bed linens.

Hemp:  Hemp is similar to flax.  The fibers range in length from 3 to 15 feet.  Hemp production is illegal in the U.S.  Hemp has a low environmental impact; it does not require pesticides.  It produces 250% more fiber than cotton and 600% more fiber than flax on the same amount of land.  Hemp plants can be used to extract zinc and mercury pollutants from soil.  Hemp is used for ropes, apparel, and paper.  Potheads are willing to pay inflated prices for hemp apparel because it is related to the marijuana plant.

Jute:  Jute is one of the cheapest textile fibers, and one of the weakest cellulosic fibers.  Jute has poor elasticity, elongation, sunlight resistance, mildew resistance, and colorfastness.  It is used to produce sugar and coffee bagging, carpet backing, rope, and wall coverings.  Burlap is made from jute.

Leaf fibers
Piña fibers are from the leaves of the pineapple plant.  It is used to make lightweight, sheer, stiff fabrics for apparel, bags, and table linens.  It is also used to make mats.

Abaca is from a member of the banana tree family.  The fibers are coarse and very long (up to 15 feet).   It is a strong, durable, and flexible fiber used for ropes, floor mats, table linens, apparel, and wicker furniture.

Sisal and henequen are similar plants.  The fibers can be used to make strong ropes, but they are damaged to salt water so they are not suitable for maritime ropes.  The fibers are used for upholstery, carpets, and wall coverings. 

Tags: textiles study guide | natural fibers | cellulosic fibers | cotton | flax | hemp | jute | ramie | bast fibers | seed fibers

The first test of the semester in my textiles class is rapidly approaching.  I have attended every lecture and lab, done all my homework, taken meticulous notes, and kept up with all the readings, and still I am worried.  There is a lot I need to know.  The professor gave us a study guide for the test, but she could have conveyed the same information by simply saying, “Memorize chapters one through seven.”  I decided to summarize the important concepts in a blog entry.  I expect doing so will help me retain this information, and perhaps some of you will find it useful and interesting too.

Chapter 1 – Introduction to textiles
Fiber – any substance with a high length to width ratio and suitable characteristics for being processed into a fabric.  Fibers are the smallest components of a fabric.

Yarn – an assemblage of fibers twisted or laid together to make a continuous strand.

Fabric – a flexible planar substance constructed from solutions, fibers, yarns, or fabrics, in any combination.

Gray (grey, greige) goods – an unfinished fabric.

Finish – any process used to add color and enhance performance of gray goods.

Textile (textbook definition) – this term originally meant woven fabrics, but it is now used to refer to fibers and anything made out of fibers.

Textile (lecture definition) – fiber + yarn + structure + finish = textile.  Gray goods are unfinished.  Felt is made without yarn.

Chapter 2 – Serviceability concepts
Serviceability is a measure of a textile product’s ability to meet the specific needs of a customer.  There are eight serviceability concepts used to describe a textile’s performance.  These concepts do not describe a textile as good or bad, rather they allow a customer to understand how a textile will perform in specific situations.  A textile that may be great in one environment may be terrible in another.  For example, wool has excellent thermal retention, so a wool sweater that is comfortable in winter is uncomfortable in summer.

The eight serviceability concepts are aesthetics, durability, comfort, safety, appearance retention, care, environmental impact, and cost.  The terms in italics after the definitions are fiber properties that relate to each concept.  The properties will be defined in the next section.

Aesthetics – attractiveness/appearance of a textile.  How it looks.  Luster, drape, texture, hand, dyeability

Durability – the manner in which a textile withstands use.  The length of time a product remains usable for the purpose for which it was intended.  Abrasion resistance, flexibility, tenacity, elongation, sunlight resistance, moth resistance, mildew resistance

Comfort – the way a textile affects heat, air, and moisture transfer.  How it feels to the body.  Absorbency, heat conductivity, density, electrical conductivity, wicking

Safety – a textile’s ability to protect a body from harm.  Tenacity, absorbency, heat conductivity, heat sensitivity, flammability

Appearance retention – how the product maintains its original appearance.  Resiliency, dimensional stability, shrinkage resistance, elasticity, loft, sunlight resistance, pilling

Care – the treatment required to maintain a textile product’s original appearance and cleanliness. Moth resistance, heat resistance, mildew resistance, chemical reactivity, shrinkage resistance

Environmental impact – effects of production, use, care, and disposal of a textile product.

Cost – amount paid to acquire, use, maintain, and dispose of a textile product.

Chapter 3 – fibers and fiber properties
Fibers may be classed as natural or manufactured.  Natural fibers grow in nature in recognizable fiber form.  They come directly from plants (cellulosic fibers) or animals (protein fibers).  Manufactured fibers are formed into fibers from chemical compounds.  They do not exist in fiber form without human intervention.  Manufactured fibers may be regenerated or synthetic.  Regenerated fibers are produced from naturally occurring polymers that do not occur naturally as fibers.  Regenerated fibers are made from cellulose (plant) or protein (plant or animal).  Synthetic fibers are made from polymers that do not occur naturally.  Most synthetic fibers are made from petrochemicals.

The properties of a fiber along with yarn properties, fabric construction, and finish contribute to the properties of a fabric.  The physical structure, chemical composition, and molecular arrangement of a fiber determine its serviceability properties.

Length is the measurement of the length of a fiber used to make yarns.  Staple fibers are short fibers measured in inches or centimeters.  Staple fibers range in length from less than one inch to approximately 18 inches.  Except for silk, all natural fibers are available only as staple fibers.  Filament fibers are long, continuous fibers measured in miles or kilometers.  Silk and manufactured fibers may be either staple or filament.

A fiber’s diameter is measured in micrometers.  Natural fibers are subject to growth irregularities that affect their diameter.  The diameter of manufactured fibers is controlled during production.

Denier is the weight in grams of 9,000 meters of a fiber or yarn.

Fibers may be solid or hollow.  Their surfaces may be smooth or textured.  The cross sectional shape and surface contour of natural fibers is a result of how the fibers grow.  The shape and surface contour of manufactured fibers is controlled during production.

Crimp is twists, curls, or coils along the length of a fiber.  Crimp affects hand, cohesiveness, resiliency, stretch, bulk, heat retention, abrasion resistance, and absorbency.  Crimp exists naturally in wool, and it can be added to manufactured fibers.

Properties:
Abrasion resistance is a fiber’s ability to resist damage from rubbing.

Absorbency (or moisture regain) is a fiber’s ability to take up moisture.

Chemical reactivity describes how a fiber responds to specific chemicals such as acids, alkalis, oxidizing agents, and solvents.

Density (or specific gravity) is the measure of the mass of a fiber per cubic centimeter.  Specific gravity is the ratio of a fiber’s density to that of water (which has a density of 1g/cc at 4oC).  Fibers with a specific gravity less than 1 float, while those whose specific gravity is greater than 1 sink.

Dimensional stability describes a fiber’s ability to retain a size and shape.

Drape describes how a fiber hangs over a three dimensional form.

Dyeability is a fiber’s ability to take up and retain dyes.

Elasticity is the ability of a fiber to return immediately to its original length.

Electrical conductivity is the ability of a fiber to transfer electrical current.  Fibers with high electrical conductivity do not develop a static charge.

Elongation measures how much a fiber may be stretched without breaking.

Flammability is a fiber’s ability to burn.  It describes how the fiber reacts to ignition sources, and at what temperature the fiber will ignite (if it is inflammable).

Hand describes how a fiber feels.  Is it smooth, harsh, silky, dry, clammy, etc.?

Heat conductivity (or thermal retention) is the ability of a fiber to retain or transfer heat.  It describes the insulation properties of a fiber.  Fibers with low heat conductivity (high thermal retention) are good insulators.

Heat sensitivity describes how a fiber reacts to high heat.  Does it shrink, soften, melt, discolor, or ignite if exposed to high heat, and at what temperature will it do so?

Loft is the ability of a fiber to spring back to its original thickness after being compressed.

Luster is the amount of light reflected from the surface of a fiber.

Mildew resistance describes a fiber’s ability to resist the growth of mildew, mold, and fungus.

Moth resistance is a fiber’s resistance to insect damage.  It describes which insects (if any) will eat the fiber.

Pilling is the formation of balls of fiber (pills) on the surface of a fabric.

Resiliency is a fiber’s ability to return to its original shape after bending, twisting, and crushing.  Fibers with high resiliency resist wrinkling. 

Shrinkage resistance is a fiber’s ability to retain its original size through use and care.

Sunlight resistance is a fiber’s ability to withstand damage and discoloration from sunlight.

Tenacity is a fiber’s strength measured in grams per denier.  The breaking tenacity of a fiber is the force required to break the fiber.  Moisture affects a fiber’s tenacity, so the breaking tenacity is measured both dry and wet.

Texture is the nature of a fiber or fabric surface.  It describes the way a fiber or fabric appears.

Tags: Textile | fiber | fabric | study guide | servicability concepts

My apparel design class began work on our skirts last week.  We are not doing this to learn how to make skirts, although that is a nice skill to have.  We are making skirts in order to learn how to adjust a pattern to fit a real person.  Anyone who has worked with a commercial pattern knows that pattern sizes and ready-to-wear sizes have little in common, and that without some alteration the finished garment will not fit perfectly.  But how do we make these alterations?

I am going to school to become a designer; my goal is to design garments instead of using someone else’s designs.  I will take a pattern drafting class next semester, but I must first learn how to construct garments and how to ensure that they fit properly.

The first step was for everyone in class to be accurately measured.  The purpose of that day’s class was for us to learn how to take measurements, but it also proved to be a camaraderie building experience.  Convenient as it might be to take these measurements in our skivvies, modesty won out and we wore t-shirts and shorts.

Step two was purchasing a pattern.  The women in class will make skirts for themselves, and the men will make them for a mannequin.  My pattern size was determined by the mannequin’s hip and waist measurements.  Fortunately the mannequin’s shape is similar to that of the ideal woman for whom patterns are designed, so I did not have too many alterations to make.  Some of the women in class who are curvier than mannequins need to make some large alterations.  I may have those issues with the pants and shirt.  I chose the simplest skirt pattern I could find.  I do not want complicated construction details to distract me from the alteration details which are difficult enough.

We used our body measurements to determine what adjustments to make to the pattern, but before we started altering the patterns we had to learn how to do so.  We used half scale paper skirt patterns to see how various adjustments are made. 

After a long and often confusing lesson, I now have a basic understanding of how to alter skirt patterns to fit different hip and waist sizes.  I do not yet feel comfortable doing it without consulting my textbook at every step, but it is a good start.  I make alterations to similar paper patterns at the start of my pants and shirt projects too, but this is just an intro to fit and alterations.  I will learn a lot more about it next semester in the pattern development class.

I made a few small changes to my pattern, then used it to make a muslin.  I put the muslin on the mannequin and discovered I needed to make a few more alterations.  I took in the side seams ¼” at the waist and 1/8” at the hips.  I let out and shortened the darts.  I put the altered muslin on the mannequin before cutting my fashion fabric.  The new side seams were good, but I decided to go back to the original darts.

I pressed the muslin before I used it to evaluate fit, but I did not have a camera with me at the time.  Today I had a camera but neither the time nor inclination to press the muslin.  My time was better spent attaching the zipper to my fashion fabric.  I will write something about that in a day or two.

Tags: skirt | fit | alterations | pattern

Apparel design students at UW-Stout are required to take one sociology class.  I find the class interesting, although I am not sure if as a designer I will ever use what I learn in the class.  My final project is to use the concepts from the semester to construct a sociological argument about a problem at UW-Stout.  In order to make this class more relevant to my major, I decided to find a topic that relates to apparel design.  I have noticed that as a man I am part of a very small minority in my program, so my paper will be about gender disparities in the apparel/fashion field.

The paper is due on April 29, but we were given the assignment last week so that we will have ample time to collect data.  I found graduation numbers for 1988 through 2009 (data were not available for 1989, 1991, 1992, and 1999).  In that time UW-Stout awarded 351 bachelor’s degrees to apparel design students.  Only 13 of those degree recipients were men.

Are these data typical of fashion design programs at other schools?  I would like to hear from students at other schools about the make-up of their design programs.  What percentage of the students are men?  I am interested in both quantitative and qualitative data.  Men, how do you feel about being a student in a predominantly female field?  Do you experience any problems because of your gender?  What are they, and how do you overcome them?  Women, what do you think about men in fashion design?

Any input about this matter will be greatly appreciated.  Please post your comments to this blog or email me at coled@my.uwstout.edu.  Thank you.

The identity of all respondents will remain confidential.

Tags: fashion school | men in fashion | sociology | gender disparities | apparel design | fashion design | gender in fashion

My tote bag project included a pocket.  I had experience with similar pockets, but for this one I had to miter the corners in a way I had not done before.  This type of corner adds a little time to the pocket making process, but it is not too difficult or time consuming.  Making pockets is fun.  I need a lot more practice before I can make the perfect pocket, but every pocket I make is better than its predecessor.  I wish to share with you the joy of pockets.

There are many types of pockets out there.  This is just one of them, and my method is just one of many for making this particular type.  I posted instructions for this type because it is the one with which I am most familiar.  By the end of the semester I will know how to make at least three more.

Step 1: Cut out your pattern piece. 

The piece will be 1” wider and 1 ¾” taller than the finished pocket.  Pockets will usually be cut on the lengthwise grain, but if you are working with stripes, a plaid, or a print you may want your pocket on the crosswise grain or bias for aesthetic purposes.  The white line is a fold line that we will get to in step 7.  On patterns it maybe marked with a line or with notches.

Step 2: Fold in the edges.

Fold in the sides and bottom ½”.  Press.
At this point it is possible to skip to step 6, but if you do so the corners of your pockets may bulge out a little.  If you are using light weight fabrics it probably will not be a problem, but with heavier fabrics you should use steps 3 through 5.

Step 3: Mitering the corners, part 1

Unfold the edges at the bottom corner, but do not press.  Fold in the corners at a 45 degree angle so that the fold lines line up.  Press.

Step 4: Mitering the corners, part2

Fold the pocket so that the wrong sides are together.  The bottom and side must line up.  Stitch along the fold line from step 3.

Step 5: Mitering the corners, part 3

Trim off the seam allowances from step 4.  Press the corners.

Step 6: Pocket hem, part 1

Fold in top of pocket ¼”.  Press

Step 7: Pocket hem, part 2

Fold the top to the right side of the pocket along the fold line mentioned in step 1.  Press only the corners.  Stitch along the side fold lines.  Cut off part of the seam allowance.

Step 8: Turn

Turn the pocket.

Step 9: Topstitch

Topstitch the top of the pocket 1/8” above the bottom of the hem.  Topstitching should be done on the right side of the pocket.  The needle thread looks better than the bobbin thread.  Backtacks will show, so you may wish to pull the thread to the wrong side and tie it off.

Step 10: Attach pocket

Attach the pocket to your garment by edgestitching 1/8” (or less) from the edge of the pocket.  The top of the pocket must be reinforced with additional stitching.  I like to stitch two or three stitches along the top and make a triangle (right). Another method is to make a rectangle and continue topstitching along the edge of the pocket 1/8” in from the edgestitching (left).  There are many more ways to attach these pockets.  The differences are more aesthetic than functional.

This style pocket can be found on shirts.  I used denim because I had some scraps available. The back pockets on jeans are a little different.  I prefer broadcloth to denim for shirts, but for a demonstration I do not think it matters.  If you use a contrasting color thread your topstitching must be perfect.  Mine is not.  Matching color thread is more forgiving if your stitch lines are not perfectly straight.

I like pockets; they hold my stuff.

 

Tags: shirt pocket | sewing instructions | Pockets

On Friday I turned in my tote bag, the first project for my apparel construction class.  I do not think anyone at my school harbors dreams of becoming a tote bag designer, but we all begin our apparel design studies by making one.  Tote bag construction is a simple process, but in making this bag I learned some valuable lessons that will serve me well throughout my sewing career.  Making this bag seemed to serve some additional purposes too:  it introduces students to the apparel construction process, and it marks us as apparel design students.

Sewing the bag seems to be a rite of passage for apparel design students at UW-Stout.  There are other items we will all make, but the bag is the one I hear mentioned most.  I do not know if construction students all have a special tool or if education students all have a special red pen, but every apparel design student has a tote bag.  I see students in their fourth year of school use the tote bag they made as freshmen to carry the supplies for their senior projects.  Had I know that I am destined to develop such an intimate relationship with my bag I probably would have used a different print.


We were not given enough time in class to complete the bag.  The only way to finish the project was to work on it in the open lab sessions.  Students are permitted to work on their projects at home too, but at certain points in the construction process an instructor or lab supervisor must sign off on our work before we can continue.  I finished my bag well ahead of schedule as did some of my classmates, while others are struggling to finish it on time.  Late assignments are not accepted.  I hope everyone in class finishes the bag and that they now understand the importance of good time management for our sewing projects.

Before this semester I would not have thought of a tote bag as a college level project, but I now understand that a simple project is the best way to teach the important skills that form the basis of advanced techniques.  We had one lesson just about pressing fabric.  Everyone knows how to iron, but there is a lot more to it that most people realize.  We learned about pressing equipment (ham, sleeve board, point presser, pounding block, needle board, seam roll, press cloths) and how to press fabrics without damaging or distorting them.  I did not know that I should iron in the direction of the fabric grain, nor did I know to press seams flat to set stitches before pressing them open.  I have a few yards of corduroy at home.  I knew about nap, but I had never heard of a needle board.  I am glad I did not try pressing my corduroy before this lesson.  I used to think I knew how to iron, but now I worry about what I do not yet know.

My fabric is a 60% cotton, 40% polyester blend.  It took a while to find a setting on the irons that would not damage the fabric.  I was smart enough to test the iron on scrap pieces first.  I found the fabric in the drapery section of Hancock Fabrics.  It was on sale for $3.00 per yard, down from $12.00.  Nobody wants drapes with a print that is five years old.

The measurements for the bag’s pieces were posted to the class web page.  All the pieces were rectangles.  It would have been easy to measure the rectangles onto the fabric and cut them, but we were not allowed to do so.  We had to make pattern pieces, pin the pieces to the fabric, then cut.  Learning how to make a tote bag was nice, but learning about patterns will be more useful.  I do not expect to make too many more tote bags, but I will use lots of patterns.

Before we could lay out the pattern pieces we had to ensure that our fabric was on grain.  Last semester I could simply measure from the grainline on the pattern piece to the selvage, but that method is no longer good enough.  Now I begin by pulling a  crosswise yarn and cutting along the line it makes.  I then fold the fabric so that the selvages are parallel and see if the crosswise cut I made is perpendicular to the selvage.  No one in class had fabric that was perfectly on grain.  What can you expect for $3.00 per yard?  The way to straighten the fabric is to have two people grab the short corners of the folded fabric and pull in the direction of true bias.  Fold, check, pull, and repeat until the fabric lines up right.

The bag’s seams were finished with a serger.  I would have preferred to make enclosed seams or to hide the seams with a lining, but my ability to follow directions is a large portion of my grade.  Projects I work on now must be made the way their designers intended.  Once I begin designing my own items I will be able to make them as I please.

The straps were the most difficult part of the project.  Sewing them was easy as was attaching them to the rest of the bag.  The problem was turning them right side out.  The pattern pieces were 3” wide and 31” long, and we used a ½” seam allowance.  Turning each strap took more than 15 minutes.  The rest of the project seemed quite easy.  I worked slowly because I wanted to do everything as best as I could.  I do not yet know how demanding my instructor is.  I hope I get a good grade on the bag.  I may need it to balance out my grades for the other projects which will be a lot more difficult. 

Yesterday I began work on a shirt at home, and in class today I will start work on a skirt, but the next item I finish will be another tote bag.  My instructor is allowing me to use the industrial lockstitch machines in the lab so that I will not lose the skills I picked up last semester.  I may not use the industrial machines for class projects, but I can use them for my own stuff.  I bought some nice fabric for a shirt, but the first thing I will make is a tote bag.  Every industrial machine has a unique personality, so I want to become accustomed to the lab machines before I start work on something complicated.  A tote bag will let me do this.  It will be my fourth tote bag of the semester.  I made two at home as practice and one in class.  I have no idea what I will do with all these bags.  Anyone need one?

Tags: tote bag | sewing class | fabric grain | pressing | industrial sewing machines | home sewing machines

Today I have spent 5 solid hours and 3 cups of coffee designing. I can't believe it, I am ecstatic. My creative juices are flowing. I've never been able to spend such a long time designing before!

I'm pretty tired mentally and my eyes are shot, which is why I've put the pencil down and am typing this. The only problem is I still have tons of ideas I want to get down. My creative energy is out-pacing my physical body. I'll probably stop soon...it's going to be supper soon anyway (the salmon is on the stove as I type).

This is actually the first designing I've done since my course started. I've been focussed on that because I knew there would always be time for this. In the course though we have reached this place where we are supposed to be making things that come from inside. Just splashes of paint and strange collages, stuff like that, not illustrating anything. I only "got it" this last week and holy freaking crap something has switched in my brain. I just want to create and create and create. I even used brush and ink to paint a face on the cover of the sketchpad I'm using today in just 7 strokes. This is noteable because I am terrified of making faces and always make hundreds of lines which I erase and redo over and over and over again.

I originally took this course to learn to paint and because I thought I might want to attend the school full time. By taking this course, assuming you pass it, you do not have to write the entrance exam. Now though, half way through, I am eternally grateful to myself for doing this. The experience has been unbelievable in the way it has opened me up. It has taught me that I can do things, it has taken away a lot of fear that I experience about not doing a good job and it is changing the way I think.

And not in a small way, these are huge changes. I have already done a design course where I was taught to design from inspiration and after that I would look at a tree and see a skirt, or a building and see a jacket. This is different, I can't even explain it other than to say I am learning to think like an artist. It almost makes me not want to do fashion at all lol Because it is constrained by the very definition of "clothing". I am certain I will be one of those, assuming I work in fashion as my career, that does art as my hobby. I am so happy to have this new hobby that I love so much.

Tags: foundation course | preparatory course | fashion design | designing | art

My homework for textiles class yesterday was to answer four questions about natural fibers from the textbook.  The first two questions were about cellulosic fibers, and the last two were about protein fibers.  I had no problems with the first three questions, but the final question was quite difficult.  For five products I had to describe the properties of wool and silk that some manufactured fibers attempt to duplicate.  The products are carpeting, blanket, blouse, interview suit (wool), and interview suit (silk).  Wool carpets and blankets along with silk blouses are clearly better than ones made from manufactured fibers, but the use of manufactured fibers to make these items is perfectly acceptable.  But suits!  Suits MUST be 100% natural.  I hope that the purpose of this question was to demonstrate how inappropriate manufactured fibers are for suits rather than to countenance their use.  I will not bore you with my answers to the first three parts of this question, but I will share with you my answers to the final two parts so that you might better understand my indignation about suits made with manufactured fibers.

(d) A suit should be 100% natural.  Unfortunately, some men lack the necessary fashion sense or money, so suits made of natural/manufactured blends or even 100% manufactured fibers are available.  No manufactured fiber will ever come close to matching the prestige of a 100% wool suit, but they do attempt to duplicate the luster, hand, drape, and resiliency of worsted wool.  They are doomed to fail, but from a distance it may be difficult to tell the difference between wool and manufactured fiber suits.
My required uniforms for my last two jobs included 100% polyester suits.  These suits looked cheap, they were uncomfortable, and I was embarrassed to be seen in them.  I am pleased to say that every suit or blazer that I have purchased for myself was 100% wool.

(e) The lining of a suit should be made of silk, but silk’s high cost has made linings of manufactured fabrics acceptable.  A 100% silk suit possesses aesthetic and comfort properties that cannot be matched by manufactured fibers, and the attempt should not be made.  Silk suits cost thousands of dollars.  Prices for wool suits start below $200.  Silk suits are better than wool, but there is no situation in which an imitation silk suit made of manufactured fibers would be better than one made of wool.

One day in 1995, while I was shopping for a new blazer, I spotted a silk blazer on the rack.  The moment I spotted it I knew it was better than any of the wool blazers I had already tried on.  It was cheap for a silk blazer but still far beyond my price range.  I had to try it on.  It was the nicest, most comfortable blazer I have ever worn.  Blazers made with manufactured fibers may look like wool blazers if one does not look too closely, but no manufactured fiber blazer will ever resemble a silk one.  This was fifteen years ago, yet I still look back on the experience fondly.  Wearing it, even for just a moment in the store, made me feel great.  No manufactured fiber garment has ever engendered such a strong positive emotional response in me.

Tags: wool | silk | protein fibers | manufactured fibers | suits | homework

I know that I've lapsed a little in the past couple of weeks in my posting rate. I've not forgotten you all, I promise! :)

I've just had a really stressful time recently. A lot of family drama and health issues have come up that have piled on the stress, and getting my University work done has been my driving factor through all this.

So far for the musical, I've done most of the dog costume and the peripheral bits and pieces that have come my way. The fur layer for the dog is done, and the lining is mostly sewn together now, so I just need to combine the two. The ears (which need to flap up and down) were made with wire, and while I'm not entirely happy with the construction (I'm worried the headband will slip off with the downward pull) they work, they just need refining. The tail is done and just needs attaching, and I need to buy a zip, too.

Most of my free time has been devoted to my dissertation lately, so I've not had the chance to do any commissions. It's annoying, but it's nice to have a break from them too for a year.

 

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You know I finally figured out what this part 3 of our course is all about. The whole shape and form thing...I just didn't get it. It is why I have not made many blog postings: I honestly did not know what to write about. I did not understand what was happening and could not explain what we had done or what our homework was.

Anyway, I realize that we had a 3D part for learning about 3d aspects of art. Then we had a 2D part for learning skills and being exposed to many different styles, techniques, types of 2d, etc. This part here is about literally exploring shape and texture and rhythm and colour. She doesn't want anything she can recognize, it's not the point. The point of part 3 is to improve our techniques with developing texture, combining colour, and using non-distinguishable shapes. The goal is to learn to combine these so that we can solicit emotion, that is why we were asked to do word association exercises and then making artwork that is representative of the words. And that is also what she means by cliche.

In the end it is a misunderstanding, she is not really using the word cliche right. When she says cliche she actually is meaning the pre-determined visual associations we have. So, painting blue with white to represent the sky is a cliche in her words because it is an association that already exists. Instead she would want us to pick out characteristics of the sky and use shape, colour, texture, rhythm, etc to translate those characteristics onto paper (or sculpture or whatever). I look at the sky right now and it is bright blue with little clouds everywhere so how do I translate that? Sure it's blue, but it's beautiful too and godlike. Maybe I paint yellow because to me yellow is happy and add white stripes to draw the eye the same way the clouds do.. Then to represent the rhythym of those clouds, which by the way look playful and are dancing around the sky, maybe I take a bunch of colourful childrens buttons and glue them all over the place with a rhythmic but not repetitious pattern.

The reason we are doing this is so that we can learn how to be creative in a way we didn't know how before and bring more maturity to our art-making processes. It's not about the thing I always joke about "this is representative of the struggles of....blah blah". It is not about making artwork using weird colours or materials that represent something. Instead it is about learning how to find inspiration to create our own artwork without taking the inspiration we are using literally. So maybe the sky was my inspiration for that piece of art but in the end it does not represent the sky, it is a brand new piece of art which started because I looked at the sky. Part 3 of our course is about freeing ourselves from associations we have and about seeing the world through the eyes of a child's make believe where nothing is set in stone and nothing means anything because we are making up the game as we go.

I realized all this when I showed her an apple painting that I did in response to a word association exercise using Eden. She made a comment about cupping my hands on the painting, making a tiny square and maybe that is all that is needed: Just a splash of green and a red. She was showing me one technique to free myself from that "cliche" of an apple representing Eden and instead to say maybe this extra shiny bumpy patch of bright red with a smooth white square (the shiny part) is a way of translating that inspiration (Eden) into your own art -- your own totally new art.

The exercise last week was misunderstood a bit I think by almost everyone. I will be making a post detailing the last 3 weeks now that I understand what went on but essentially we were told to make a picture. Then we attached another picture to it and did it over and over again until we had a large piece of artwork. Most people just put their papers together and treated it like one big painting. Rather than adding piece to piece they just used a bigger canvas in total. I actually misunderstood in the opposite way as I made one painting and then progressed through a series of 6 paintings into the painting at the end of the series. Mine were related in progression but did not make up a large image when placed together.

But what we were supposed to learn from that was how to compartmentalize to make things which hold their own and also which are so related to one another that they become a large picture when moved together. I think the reason they tried to teach that to us was to try to hone our exploration skills while remaining within a very tight frame of reference. Anyone can make a big painting and anyone can change their shapes into recognizable things like faces but you need great interpretation and analytical skill to make a big picture which is make up of individual parts and does not cheat by using the ability of the human psyche to recognize things we know (like faces, or animal shapes) made up from those parts inside that big picture.

Anyway, this is what I have figured out and now everything makes a lot more sense to me and I wish I could go back to the first day and redo it! (or that I had time to redo it all at home).

Tags: foundation course | preparatory course | painting | inspiration

I spent the first weekend of the semester sewing, studying, and doing homework.  I hope I can keep up these good work habits for the next four years.

I mounted the 125 swatches in the kit for my textiles lab.  Hopefully they are still in the correct order.  If by the end of the semester I can identify all 125 swatches I will consider my tuition money to have been very well spent. 

I am quite fond of flat-felled seams, but they were by far the most difficult part of the project.  I do not know if I will be using them for any of my class projects this semester, but I plan to work on them a lot at home.  One year ago I would have laughed at the notion of having a favorite seam.  Now I look forward to learning additional types of seams, and I wonder if I will find any of them as pleasing as flat-felled seams.

Tags: swatch kit | flat-felled seam | seams | tote bag | fabric swatches | textiles

The first week of the semester is over. We are still just getting started, but I think I have seen enough to have a good notion of what the coming few month hold in store for me. My goal for the semester is a 4.0 average, so I will be spending a lot of time studying. Studying and doing homework is a break from my earlier college strategy of doing just the bare minimum to get by, but looking at how earlier attempts at college turned out I think a new strategy is necessary.

I will not be learning about apparel design or the fashion industry in my sociology and packaging classes, but the classes are still interesting. While they are not about apparel/fashion, I expect that some of the lessons learned will prove to be useful in my eventual career.

I will not be using industrial sewing machines for class this semester, but I hope to be able to spend some time on them in open lab to retain my skills. In class I will use an Elna 3210 mechanical lockstitch and a Juki 4-thread serger. Some computerized lockstitch machines are also available.I will spend some time learning how to use them, but I plan to do most of my work on the mechanical machines. So far I have just sewn a few lines on muslin in order to learn the machine, but I think I like it a lot.

I will not be working with any knit fabrics this semester; the serger will be used for seam finishes on woven fabrics. I will spend a lot of time sewing on muslin rectangles, but I also have four projects to make. Next week I start work on the first project, a tote bag.The other three projects are a pair of pants, a skirt, and a shirt. The pants and shirt will be for me; I do not know who the skirt will be for.

This semester’s sewing class is an introductory class as was the class I took last semester, but I will learn a lot more this time. Last semester was mostly about using industrial machines. I learned how to use the machines and how to follow a pattern to make shirts. My class this semester will go into much more detail. Not only will I learn how to make items, I will learn how to modify the patterns in order to fit the items to a specific body.

The textiles class will probably be my most difficult class this semester. There is so much I need to memorize. In textile lab today I looked at canvas swatch under a stereoscopic microscope. I knew it was a woven fabric, but I had no idea how much detail I would find.The threads on the lengthwise grain were made of three pieces of yarn laid parallel to each other, while the crosswise grain thread was made of one larger piece of yarn. I had no idea fabrics were so complicated, and this is a comparatively simple fabric. It was exciting, but also daunting to realize how little I know and how much I have to learn.

My fashion industry class has only met once. We were supposed to meet yesterday, but another class was using our classroom. This should be sorted out by next week. The class seems interesting, but I do not have much to go on yet. I already have an idea for what my final project will be, but I will keep that to myself until I start work on it. I think you will like it.

Tags: apparel construction | textiles | classes

No one in my class seemed to have any idea what was going on this week so I am confident my absolute confusion is not caused by a language problem on my part.

On Saturday we started part 3 of my course. I don't know what the translation would be exactly but basically the next 6 weeks are about doing whatever we want with guidance. They want to see our thought processes and that we can think creatively and be challenged to change those processes.

The day started out with a film about someone who I can't remember now. I will write more about that when I figure out who it was because it was really interesting and I want to share info with you. After that we were split into our groups (I was excited to discover I stay with my group for another 6 weeks) and sent off for our first day with a new instructor. We were given a poem and asked to do a word association exercise: think of a central word that is related to the poem, then think of a word related to that word and so on. A few words down you may have departed from the poem completely. Then we were asked to do 10 quick drawings/paintings using whatever media we wanted (but urged to stay away from what we were most comfortable with). They should be pictures of the words.

So everyone did it and then when the instructor went through them she kept making comments about how the pictures were too cliche and saying how she could see other ways of representing things. One of mine really was too cliche, I knew that but still I had (and have) no idea what to make of her comments. I wanted to represent blood and the author referenced glistening lips so I painted lips with blood dripping to a pool. Yes, definitely cliche. But she kept saying that she could think of many other ways to do it. Everyone would ask what she means and  could she give an example and she would say that we need to figure it out ourselves. Some people got quite upset and most of the group didn't do anymore work because they start goofing around when they get overwhelmed. As an aside: about 1/3 of us are over age 25 and I guess you could say have more life experience so we are better at taking criticism and also dealing with boredom whereas the other 2/3 get pretty loud and "act-out" in a friendly way when they are frustrated.

So anyway, for the homework we are to do some more drawings and I seriously have absolutely no idea what we are supposed to do. It will be interesting to see what others come up with. Over this week some of us will get it and the rest will be floundering lost like we were in class. It's very frustrating!! I am hoping I am one of the ones that gets it when I have time to sit down and do the work.

Tags: foundation course | preparatory course | frustration | ideation

Yesterday I picked up supplies for the semester:  notebooks, folders, textbooks, and a new computer.  Students at my school do not need to purchase their textbooks; the school has a textbook rental program.  A $5.22 fee is added to the cost of each credit to cover the cost of books.  Students pick up the books required for their classes at the start of the semester, and return them after the semester is over.  Books a student wishes to keep can be purchased at reduced prices.  I far prefer renting books to purchasing them.  In the past I would spend a few hundred dollars each semester on books.  The only thing I needed to buy this semester was the fabric swatch kit for my textiles class.

In addition to the textbook rental fee, a laptop rental fee is also added to tuition.  Students get a new computer every two years.  I already had a computer, so I am not sure what I will do with my new one.  The fee is not optional, so now I have two computers.  My music, photos, and other documents are on my old computer.  The new computer has some good graphics programs that I will probably need in future semesters, but for now I plan to continue using my old one.

Click here for more information about UW-Stout’s textbook rental system or here for information about laptop rental.

Read more to see what books I got

Tags: Textbooks | school supplies | computer | textiles | sociology | packaging | swatch kit