FIBERS THE BASIS FOR ALL FABRICS !

Fibers are the threads, yarn , filaments that are used to create Fabrics ! Simply put, you use fibers to weave or knit into a cloth ( Fabric )

Fibers can be natural like Silk, Cotton, Linen, Ramie, Wool, Cashmere, Camelhair, Angora, Alpaca, Rabbit hair, Bamboo, Jute etc

or

Manmade using natural items Like Rayon, Viscose ( using tree cellulose) , Chinon ( using dairy) etc

or 

Manmade using synthetic fibers like Polyester, Microfiber, Nylon, Lycra, Acetate etc

So now you’ve taken the silk off the silk worm’s cacoon, shorn the wool & fine hair off from Sheep, Mongolian goats, Llamas, taken cotton off the plants, pulled out the Linen & Ramie fibers from the flax reeds, you can start weaving it on looms or knitting it on needles into cloth or Fabric !

Don’t have enough ? make your own thread or yarn in Labs or chemical plants & you’re ready
to go !

So first you think of what weight of cloth you’d like, sheer, see through , gossamer or thick to keep you
warm or shiny & dazzling to impress ?

This helps you choose how thick or thin your yarn or threads would
be ! Silk only comes in 1 thickness ??? no problem ! Just twist (ply) 2 or 3 or 4 or even 6 together to get the thickness you like !

Now you can weave or knit

A loom is a very simple thing ! 

1. You make a rectangle frame with rollers at the top & the bottom.

2. You decide how much cloth you want and how tightly woven or loosely woven & tie on enough threads on the loom from bottom to top wrapping the
extra length on the top roller.

3. Now you take a thread & weave across these threads, going in & out,  over & under the lengthwise threads !

4. Alternating the next line, you continue weaving on until you have done the full length !

Your cloth is ready !!!!!

If you used silk you now have a silk fabric, if it was cotton you now have cotton fabric !

So you have been weaving merrily, up 1 thread, down the next, up one
thread & down the next  making your plain weave cloth !  

and now you’re bored – – – – So you go up 2 threads
& down 2 threads & up 2 threads & down 2 threads    

&  WOW !  you’ve created a basket weave ! which could be of silk, or cotton or wool or – – –

Then you go up one & down 2 & up one & down 2, on the next row you do the same
just starting 1 thread later

& Wow ! You’ve created a Twill weave ! the basis for Gabardine !

You could have used Silk or
Wool or Polyester or cotton or   – – –

Now you are really tired
& you go up & down whenever you feel like it so there is no distinct pattern it just looks smooth !

GREAT !!! you’ve created Satin weave where you cant read the weaving pattern !!!! 

Now you Really ambitious ! You diagram or chart so many threads up & so many threads down that the up threads start looking like flowers or waves or scrolls or other elaborate designs !!

OH Wow ! You’ve created Brocades or Jacquards !

And all along, depending
how thin & sheer or how thick & heavy the yarns are, you end up with different fabrics ! 

You can have Thin sheer Chiffons, Organza, Georgette ( a chiffon with a plied yarn giving it a more crepe texture), Tafetta or Broadcloth, batiste, lawn, Crepe ( again using yarns that are plied to get thet crinkly texture ) Gabardine, Twill, Serge, Charmeuse ( soft slinky ) Satin, Duchesse satin ( Heavier & Firm),Brocades & Jacquards in every fiber and design !

WOW ! There’s really no stopping you now !

You take your finished cloth & using metal brushes you make the surface hairy or Suede like to get Flannel,

you coat it with wax to create  shiny finished Cire ! you dissolve sections of it to make Devore,

you bleach it, wash it with sand to abrade it

you coat it with resin to make it non scratchy,

you soak it & treat it under pressure to felt it  

and so on & so on & so on   – – – –

Every day, someone finds a new way to treat fabric to create a new textile !  One can NEVER say
they seen it all, been there, done that, over it !

It is a never ending , delightful, innovative spectrum of a medium to inspire &

 UNLEASH the creative DESIGNER in YOU !!!!!

I hope you always get asexcited with a new Fabric find & it Blows you mind into new directions to create something FABULOUS! FABULOUS! FABULOUS !