The Small Wonders- Textile Accessories

Are you in habit of following everyday news on TV? If yes, then you might recall a recent news item related to a certain fashion show, regarding wardrobe malfunction. Just try to remember the photograph of the unlucky model on the next day's newspaper having an embarrassing pose! What do you think the reason for this was? In the first place, it was ofcourse a lapse on the part of the fashion designer who had been careless about the proper finishing of the final dress. It could have been the usage of low quality or improper Trims, Closures and Accessories. gives me a shiver when I think of such an incidence which might as well happen to anyone, anywhere!

Trims, Closures and Accessories

Proper textile accessories, such as trims and closures are so essential for an easy and comfortable life. Closures have become such a natural part of our existence that most of us take them for granted. But a tiny button or a sleek zipper are so so essential, rather indispensable for our dresses, shoes, bags, jackets and what not! Not only are these textile accessories used for keeping things together in place, they are also appreciated for their beauty, their quality of giving elegance to an attire or a fashion product. In fact there are so many varied types of fashion accessories that we use in everyday life, sometimes for their usefulness and sometimes for enhancing our personality.

Innovations in Trimmings and Accessories

Many of the trimmings and accessories like corsets, linings, shoulder pads, scarves, etc. come in contact with the skin of the wearer. The textile accessories manufacturers have become sensitive towards the need of accessories that are safe for human health as well as environment. You can easily find textile accessories manufacturers by browsing any of the online Textile Accessories Directory. What more can we ask when we are getting embellishments as well as health benefits along with the functionality of accessories.

That was my small effort to introduce you to the small and beautiful parts of the apparels and garments. I'll bring some more useful information for you. Till the time you browse this article, i'll find some other topic to write for you. See you then!

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Fabric- The Synthesis of Fibers, Yarns and Threads!

When you eat something, you know what is it made up of! Say a chocolate cake made up of flour and eggs and sugar and chocolate.........! When you write a sentence you use vowels, consonants, words, punctuation marks......! A tree is grown from a seed and it needs other things too- water, manure, sunrays ....! Everything is made of some or the other raw material. Do you know what is your favorite dress made up of? You must be thinking, “You have gone crazy! Of course I know, it is made of fabric. Got it?” Oh Yeah! Your dress is made of fabric and fabric is made of....... lets say cotton.........and cotton is from......a plant.......how from a plant?

Fibers, Yarns and Threads- the Basic Components

You are right, your dress must have been made of cotton, wool, jute and many others. But fibers can not be directly made into garments. They first have to be converted into yarns. Thus yarn is a long continuous length of interconnected fibers that are woven into fabrics. The fabrics are then cut and sewn to make a garment and needless to say, the cut pieces are sewn by threads, again made of fibers.

Thus you can see how important these three components of textile, Fibers, Yarns and Threads are?

Sources and Applications

Fibers – the raw material of textile can be obtained from natural sources like plants such as cotton, jute or animal hair such as wool and even from minerals like asbestos. That's not all, fibers are also made artificially which are known as man made fibers or synthetic fibers such as polyester and rayon. These fibers are then spun into yarns of different types. Fabric Construction yarns is also very interesting process to know about. Yarns and Threads are not only used for basic construction of fabrics and other textile products. Yarns and threads used in various arts and craft works like embroidery, knitting, crocheting etc. are also important from very ancient times.

I am continuously trying to make you all know about the lesser thought of aspects of textile and fabrics. Keep guessing, what could be the next topic! See you on my next post then!

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Hardened Part of the Soft Textile

What we see is what we believe. Isn't that true? When we talk of textile or apparel, the first impression that comes to our mind is that of a soft material. And that ought to be! No one will think of the big machines running at fast speeds filling up all the surroundings with growling noises churning out lengths of fabrics! But thats the fact. Various Textile Machinery of innumerable types are used for making that fabulous piece of cloth.

What Machinery?

Do you remember your grade 3 lesson of science where you learned what a machine is? It was so amazing to know that a lever, and a wheel or a pulley and even a screw is a machine, a simple machine for that matter. If you can recollect the image of a traditional spinning wheel or a weaving loom, you will now be able to identify them with simple machines that were used for making textile in the earlier ages. In fact, they are still used but only for a limited application such as for making hand woven textile for handicrafts or art purpose. In fact, the history of textile machinery is an interesting topic to read.

Modern Textile Machinery

“Necessity is the mother of invention”- a very old saying but true in all senses! Industrial Revolution and the beginning of commercial production of textile gave birth to many textile machinery . From the basic applications like those of spinning yarn from fiber to the most advanced ones like making a fabric fit for functional uses such as water or flame resistance, machine for each and every process has been invented. New developments and innovations in textile machinery sectors are making the textile production more and more efficient. These machines are not only used for making fabrics and garments but other products too such as leather products and footwear.

After reading this, I hope you are more comfortable with the complex aspect of textile industry- the Textile Machinery. In my future posts, I'll inform you about the various textile machines individually and how they work. Hope you'll find them interesting too.

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Colors- The Joy of Textile

“Man needs colour to live; it's just as necessary an element as fire and water”. These are the words uttered by Fernand Leger, the painter. I fully agree with this statement. Do you? In fact when I imagine a life devoid of colors, it just scares me. Look at the world around you- the beautiful colors scattered everywhere. People around you wearing blue and pink and red and black and yellow and so many other colors. That sheen curtain in off white giving glimpse of greenery outside. Your marvelous wardrobe having a rainbow of colors. The contrasting cushions and pillows with that colorful bed cover!.... Now close your eyes and visualize all these in simple white! I'll not comment on what you see with your closed eyes but I am sure, that is enough to know the significance of colors in each of our lives!

Colors- How They are related to Textile?

Till now, you have known that fabric is woven with fibers- natural or synthetic. These fibers, if natural, don't have colors and if they have, they are so light that it is equivalent of having no color. They have to be dyed with textile colorants. These colorants may be in form of textile chemicals - dyes or pigments. The synthetic fibers these days are made with colors at the first instance. And if not, then they are also dyed like the natural fibers.

More Textile Chemicals

Textile Chemicals are not only used for coloring the fabrics, there are many other processes involved in textile manufacturing that need a variety of chemicals to be applied. Whether the raw material is prepared for making textile or dyeing and printing has to be done or the finishing processes have to be carried out for the final product, chemicals of one or the other kind has to be necessarily used.

I have introduced you to the lesser known aspect of textile manufacturing- the textile chemicals. Meanwhile you find out more about these chemicals, I will gather information on some other aspect of textile. Keep reading!

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Fabric- Its So Wonderful!

Have you ever seen a bird making its nest? How they bring one straw at a time and tuck them at the exact position so that it joins the other straws already collected and placed on the branch of a tree! Such a simple activity but so scientific a concept! Our ancestors might have got the inspiration for making fabric from these beautiful creatures only. After all fabric is woven with more or less the same concept- connecting the fibers with each other so that they are tightly joined to form a network which is then known as 'Fabric'. When we go shopping for clothes and reject one after other to select the one with a perfect feel and look, we don't even think about the efforts gone into making that fabric!

How is Fabric Constructed

You now know that fabric is basically manufactured through weaving fibers. Based on the composition of fiber, fabric may be a natural fabric or a synthetic fabric. There are other categories of fabrics too. Other than weaving, there are other techniques also for making fabric, such as knitting and braiding. The technological developments in the textile industry has now made it possible to make fabrics without weaving too. Such fabrics are known as non woven fabrics.

The New Fabrics

As we all know, todays age is the age of specialists. Fabrics are no exception in that matter. Functional fabrics are fast becoming the norm of the day. The Fireworkers cannot work in cotton, they need to have uniform made of flame resistant fabric. The aeroplanes cannot have seats made of ordinary fabric, they need a strong as well as beautiful fabric such as carbon fabric. Why go so high, think of yourself having urgent work out when its raining heavily. Won't you need a raincoat made of some water resistant fabric?

Thats the importance of fabric in our lives! So I'll take your leave now and will come back with some more interesting information on textile.

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