Fashion Manufacturers Ltd. Quality Assurance Program

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Specific Gravity of Fibres

Acetate= 1.33
Acrylic=1.17
Glass=2.50
Nylon=1.13
Polyester=1.38
Rayon=1.52
Alpaca=1.31
Angora=1.10
Camel hair=1.31
Cashmere=1.31
Cotton=1.54
Linen=1.50
Flax=1.50
Hemp=1.50
Jute=1.50
Mink=1.26
Mohair=1.31
Ramie=1.55
Silk Weighted= >1.60
Silk - B. Mori (raw)= 1.33
Asbestos=2.1
Silk Tussah=1.32
Wool= 1.31

Textile Quiz

1. A Welsh country town gave its name to a warm long sleeved woollen garment. Name it.

Ans: Cardigan

2. Smocking is a popular form of decoration on clothes. What is the name of the stitch in which smocking is worked ?

Ans: Honeycomb Stitch

3. Which item of clothing did James Belcher give his name to in the nineteenth century.

Ans: Scarf

4. What name is given to the thin veil worn by Muslin women in public ?

Ans: Yashmak

5. What was the name of the very narrow skirt introduced in 1910 which made it difficult for the wearer to walk?

Ans: Hobble Skirt


6. An anorak is a long hooded jacket of skin or cloth. From what language does the word "anorak" come ?

Ans: Eskimo

7. Who would wear an Orphrey, Morse and Cope and carry a cozier ?

Ans: Bishop

8. What is the name of the kind of pouch which Scotsmen wear in front of their kilts.

Ans: Sporran

9. What is the name of a loose tunic worn in Arabia, Persia and Malaysia.

Ans: Kabaya

10. What were known as Oxford Bags ?

Ans: Extremely wide bottomed trousers

11. On which part of the body is a wimple worn and who would normally be seen wearing it ?

Ans: On the head, a nun

12. One of the British Channel islands gave its name to to a knitted woollen garment. Name it.

Ans: Jersey

How to check a garment for fitting

• Lengthwise grainlines, side seams, center front and center back seams hang straight or at right angles to the floor.
• Crosswise grainlines are parallel to floor.
• Adequate wearing ease is available for sitting, moving and bending.
• Armhole seams curve smoothly over the end of shoulder.
• Darts point to the fullest part of the curve.
• Shoulder seam length comes to end of shoulders.
• Sleeves are comfortable with no wrinkles.
• Hipline fits smoothly.
• Hemline is even.
• Pant legs hang smoothly and do not restrict any part of the legs.
• Crotch depth is right, neither too low and baggy nor too tight and binding.
• Pants hang smoothly from the waist. The waistband fits the body comfortably and stays in place when bending and sitting.
• Pants have no pulls or excess fabric across the front or back crotch level.
• The length of the garment is becoming.

Fiber Identification - Burning Test- Man-made Fibers

Viscose Rayon 

All viscose including High Wet Modulus scorch and ignite quickly when brought near the flame. Like cotton they burn quickly with yellow flame when in the flame. When removed from the flame they continue to burn. There is no afterglow unlike cotton. The smell is that of burning paper. They leave a light gray and feathery ash.

Acetate Rayon  ( And Triacetate Rayon)

When brought near the flame, it fuses away from flame turning black. When in the flame, it flames quickly. The fabric puckers, sputters and melts. It drips like burning tar. When removed from the flame, it continues to burn and melt. It smells like vinegar. It leaves a brittle hard, irregular black ash which is difficult to crush.

Nylon 

Nylon fuses and shrinks away from the flame when brought near the flame. In flame, it burns slowly without melting. When removed from flame the flame diminishes and tends to die out. It has somewhat pungent odor. It leaves a hard, round, tough and gray bead.

Aramid  ( Nomex)

When brought near the flame, it shrinks away from the flame. When in the flames it puckers and chars. When removed from flame, it extinguishes by itself. It has no smell and it leaves a hard black bead.

Polyester  

Polyester fuses and shrinks away from flame. When in flame, it burns slowly with melting. When removed from the flame, it burns with difficulty. It has slightly sweetish smell. It leaves a hard round brittle, black bead.

Acrylics 

Orlon, Acrilan and Creslan and Zefran fuse and melt away from Flame when brought near the flame. When in flame Orlon flames rapidly. The fiber puckers, sputters and melts. Acrilan flames rapidly and melts. Creslan flames and melts and Zefran sputters slightly and flames. When removed flame all of acrylics continue to burn and melt. Orlon has a slightly burning meat-like smell. Acrilan has a buring steak smell. Creslan has sharp sweet smell and Zefran has a turmeric like smell. Orlon, Acrilan and Cresla have hard, brittle and irregular black bead. Zefran has irregular black ash that can be crushed easily.

Modacrylics

Verel and SEF fuse and shrink away from the flame when approached near a flame. When in flame, Verel burns very slowly with melting. SEF shrinks, melts and smolders. When removed from flames, all modacrylics are self extinguishing. Verel has a gunpower smell whereas SEF has a sharp sweet smell. Verel leaves a hard and irregular black bead whereas SEF leaves a hard and irregular black bead.

Spandax 

Fuses but doesn’t shrinks away from the flame when approached near the flame. When in flame, it burns with melting. It has an acrid smell. It leaves a soft, fluffy black bead.

Textile Testing without instruments

 The tests as given below can be used to arrive at a preliminary conclusion. Definitive conclusions must be drawn by the standard test methods.

Difference between carded and combed yarns (Or woollen and worsted yarns) of the same count

Untwist the yarn and note the arrangement in the fibers. In carded yarns, the fibers are spread unevenly across the length. In combed yarn, they will lie parallel to the yarn surface. Similar test can be done to distinguish between woollen and worsted yarns.

Closeness of the Weave

Hold the cloth to the light and look through it. It can be determined to find if the weave is loose or close. It can also give you an idea about the uniformity of yarns.

Also run your thumbnail diagonally across the cloth. Any loose weave will manifest itself in the form of pathway made across the cloth after the thumbnail.

Elasticity

Crumple the fabric and note the behavior when the pressure is removed. The fabric should spring back to its former shape quickly.

Starch

Rub the fabric together, starch will come out in the form of dust. Or tear the fabric, dust will fly.

Strength

Grasp the cloth in both hands about an inch apart and pull steadily.

Drape 

Just spread the fabric over a surface so that it hangs down all around it and note the drape.

Colorfastness to Washing and Rubbing

Simply wash it or rub with a cloth.

Fastness to spotting- Used for Silk

Sprinkle a drop of water with little lime added to it. Allow it to dry then brush off.

Strain Resistance on Seam


Push the warp and weft with the finger nails, if they are pushed easily, the material will fray at seam. Another way to teat is to weave a needle in and out of the double of the material as if making a tuck. the Single cloth is then drawn away from each side of the needle and if a row of holes shows clearly alongside of the needle the material will not bear a strain.

Fastness to Perspiration

To test the change of color, dip it in a little warm vinegar and drying between tissue papers without rinsing.

Burn test methods to detect fiber composition are covered elsewhere in this blog.