Fibre To Fabric
A variety of fabrics are found in our surroundings. These fabrics include cotton, wool, silk or synthetic fibres.
• FABRIC: Cloth or other material produced by weaving or knitting fibres.
• We wear clothes to protect our bodies against the weather- strong sunlight, extreme cold or heat, and rain.
• Clothing was invented between 50,000 and 1,00,000 years ago.
• The clothing of a person depends on various factors such as climate, culture, profession, weather changes etc.
• YARN: Spun thread used for knitting, weaving, or sewing.
• FIBRE: A thread or filament from which a vegetable tissue, mineral substance, or textile is formed.
Fibre
Many kinds of clothing materials or fabrics are available. Fabrics are made of yarns, which in turn are made of fibres.
Fibre is a very thin, thread-like strand from which cloth is made. Fibres are of two types– natural and synthetic.
Types of Fibres
Natural Fibre
The fibres of some fabrics such as cotton, jute, silk and wool are obtained from plants and animals.
These are called natural fibres.
Cotton
Cotton is the most widely used natural fibre. Cotton fibre is obtained from cotton bolls (fruits) of the cotton plant.
The cotton plant needs black soil and warm climate for cultivation.
Separating seeds from cotton bolls is called ginning. Ginning can be done by hand (using steel combs)
as well as by machines.
Yarn is spun from cotton fibres using a hand spindle or 'takli' or 'charakha'. This process is calledspinning.
The process of spinning yarn into a fabric is called weaving or knitting. Weaving requires two yarns to make a fabric
and can be done using handlooms or power looms. Knitting requires only one yarn to make a fabric and can be done
by hand (using knitting needles) as well as on machines.
Cotton fibres are used for making fabrics, dresses, pillow filling and wicks of oil lamps.
Jute
Jute is obtained from the stem of the jute plant and is mainly grown in alluvial soil in the delta region
of the Ganga and Brahmaputra rivers.
Jute plants are usually cut at the flowering stage. The stems of harvested jute plants are immersed in
water for a few days. During this period, stems rot out to separate the fibres. This process is
called retting.
Jute fibres are used to make ropes, wall hangings and gunny bags to pack and store grains.
In India, jute is mainly grown in West Bengal, Bihar and Assam.
Wool
Wool is obtained from the hair of sheep, goat, rabbit, yak and camel. It is used for making
warm clothes such as sweaters, caps, shawls, gloves and blankets.
COIR
• Obtained from the outer covering or the husk of the coconut.
• Use – ropes, floor covering and also stuffing in mattresses and pillows.
SILK COTTON
• It is obtained from the silky hairs that surround the seeds of kapok trees that grows in India & Malaysia.
• It is light and fluffy.
• Used for stuffing cushions, mattress, sound insulation.
Silk
Silk fibre is obtained from the cocoons of the silk moth. The silk moth lives on the leaves of mulberry plants.
There are four stages in the life cycle of the silk moth—egg, larva, pupa and adult. Silk is a costly fabric.
Silk fibre is used for weaving cloth, especially traditional dresses in India, such as sari, kurta, shawl,
and wedding clothes. Silk has always been prized for its lustre and fine quality.
COCOON: The silky covering spun by the silkworm (or caterpillar) of silk moth is called cocoon.
The cocoon is made by silkworm to protect its development as pupa.
The cocoon is boiled in water to kill the silkworm & then the silk fibre is removed.
SERICULTURE: Rearing of silkworms for production of silk is called sericulture.
First developed in China.
Synthetic Fibre
Fibres obtained by artificial means (using chemicals) are called synthetic fibres. Synthetic fibres are strong,
wrinkle-resistant and quick drying. These fibres are used in making different materials such as clothes,
neck ties, sails, sweaters, shawls, carpets and blankets. They are also used in making boats and skating
boards.
Examples: Polyester, nylon, acrylic
Clothing in Ancient Times
In ancient times, people used to cover their body using leaves, barks, animal skin and fur. With the passage
of time, vines and animal fleece were used for clothing purposes.
Later, cotton and flax fibers were used to prepare clothes. Nowadays, different types of fabrics are used for
stitching a variety of clothes which include shirts, pants, shorts, kurtas, pajamas,sss dresses andblouses.