Fabric construction generally means the construction of textile weaving, whereby there is interlacing of the warp and filler yarns at right angles. Fabric construction (also referred to as textile construction), is a term also associated with:
- Knitting: ability of interlocking loops of yarn.
- Tufting: a process in which a row of needles punch yarn into a woven fabric.
- Felting: is achieved when loose fibres adhere to each other.
Over the centuries, many improvements have been added to weaving looms. The earlier looms only used single shuttles which always limited the filler yarn to a sole colour. As weavers became more advanced in textile construction, the power looms were able to use four shuttles, and each shuttle was able to use a different yarn colour.
With more advancements in textile weaving processes came the shutterless loom which had many advantages, the least being its high speed of weaving. At this time, machinery allowed yarns to automatically wind round the cones, unlike the manual process of old. The choice of colours for textile weaving became vast, and larger quantities of thick yarn could be used at the same time during the weaving process.
Basic Fabric Construction
Plain Weave Fabric – The Taffeta Weave
The fabric construction of taffeta textiles involves a thread crossing over every warp yarn (the thread that runs lengthwise in a loom), or second warp yarn.
And when two or more filler yarns run over and under the same number of warp yarn, the resulting fabric construction is a basket weave. In other types of construction, the filler yarn used can be heavier than the warp yarn, resulting in a "chafonal" textured fabric.
Satin Weave
With the satin weave, the warp skips four to seven fillers, with the filler yarns finer than the warp yarns, making it almost invisible on the right face of the textile with a smooth shiny surface. The back of the textile fabric is dominated with the filler yarns.
Twill Weave
The twill weave is a slightly more complex fabric construction. Here the filler yarn runs under two and over one warp yarn. With this form of weave, a predominantly diagonal pattern appears because each succeeding row will shift the pattern over half of the "under 2, over 1" rhythm. Variations of the twill weave produces a herringbone pattern.
Pile Fabric Construction
Two sets of warp yarn and one filler, with velvet being the most recognisable of all the pile textile weaves. The first set of warp yarn is woven into a plain weave, and this forms the solid back of velvet. The second set of warp yarn is lifted by a hook, forming a loop slightly higher than the back weave. These raised loop yarns are then sliced, resulting in the velvet face of the textile.
When the loops are left uncut, the textile is referred to as a "frise." And when alternative rows are cut and uncut, we have the corduroy textile. Fanciful and creative patterns of cut and uncut designs are also created.
Leno Fabric Weave
Leno textile is a loosely woven fabric where two warp yarns are twisted together and then round a filler which results in a knot which keeps the warp yarn from slipping. This form of textiles weave is used for loose and net like kinds of fabrics.
Textile Weaving & Durability
The durability and easy maintenance of any textile fabric will always depend on three things.
- Fibre (Yarn) Type
- Spinning Form
- Fabric Construction
The strength and longevity of a fabric's construction will be determined by the various forms of weaving methods and processes utilised. Nothing has really changed that much when we really think about it. Technology has afforded mass production and a wide array of textile choices, including colours and textures. However, the fact still remains that all textile weaving methods of the past are still relevant today.
With textile weaving, the fundamental differences between the ancient hand looms used centuries ago, and the power looms used today isn’t that much, because the principles of the loom and fabric construction is straight forward and quite simple.
Related Topics:
- Textile Fabrics For Interior Furnishing Tasks – Classic Textiles
- Textile Fabrics: Natural Eco-friendly Fibres, The Textiles Of Old
Virginia Iyabo Smith - Virginia Iyabo is a professional interior designer, an interior design consultant, and a custom furniture designer. She started writing ...
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