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C8 - Missoulian, Monday, April 1, 2013

TEXTILES

LEARN ABOUT KANGAROOS IN THE NEXT INSTALLMENT OF WORLD OF WONDER© 2013 Triefeldt Studios, Inc.Distributed by Universal Uclick for UFS

At a bookstore near you: Two full-color World of Wonder compilations: “Plants & Animals” and “People & Places.”

By Laurie Triefeldt

PART FOUR OF FOUR — COLLECT ALL FOUR AND MAKE A GIANT POSTERTrim here and attach to Part Three

SYNTHETIC FIBERSFeltingFelt is a nonwoven fabric formed when sheep’s wool or animal fur is matted together and subjected to heat, moisture and pressure. The oldest evidence of the use of felt has been found in Turkey and dates to 6500 to 3000 B.C.

PrintingPrinting designs on fabric is an ancient art. The earliest printed fabric is thought to have originat-ed in India as early as 2000 B.C.In the 17th century, Indian fabrics brought to Europe by East India Co. merchant traders were very popular.The Industrial Revolution in-troduced roller printing and the production of printed textiles on a large scale. Discoveries in chemistry led to the development of synthetic dyes. By 1902, about 700 colors were available for printing on fabric.

NeedleworkDecorative needlework has been applied to fabric since ancient times. The earliest known em-broidery examples are from 3000 B.C. Embroidery, needlepoint, tapestry, quilting and appliqué are all forms of needlework. Machines now produce most em-broidery work, but needlework by hand still thrives as a hobby and cottage industry.

StarchingThe word “starch” is derived from the Middle English word sterch-en, meaning to stiffen. Starch was widely used in Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries to stiffen fashionable fluted collars and ruffs. Ruffs were often colored during starching. Vegetable dyes were used to give ruffs a yel-low, pink or mauve tint. Queen Elizabeth I banned the use of blue starch, because blue was the color of the Scottish flag.

The modern age1900: New prepackaged dyes are introduced to the home market. The Shah of Persia (Iran) forbids use of aniline dyes in homemade rugs. Penalties include fines and jail time.Heinrich Stoll creates the flatbed purl knitting machine.1901: The United Textile Workers of America (UTW) is formed. 1910: The circular bed purl knitting machine is invented.1914: The United States imports 90 percent of its dyes, and World War I disrupts imports from Eu-rope. (Germany produces about 75 percent of the world’s dyes at this time.)1918: Seventy-two new dye facto-ries are built in the U.S. 1920: DuPont secures rights to produce artificial silk in the U.S.1924: Acetate is developed.1930s: The Great Depression causes many textile mills to close.1936: DuPont creates nylon — the first true synthetic fiber created entirely from chemicals.1938: Nylon becomes available to the public.1948: Textiles become the sec-ond-largest industry in the U.S.1950: Orlon, an acrylic wool sub-stitute, is used commercially.1951: Dacron polyester is manu-factured.1953: DuPont produces the first commercial polyester fiber.1954: Fiber reactive dye is in-vented.1959: DuPont invents spandex.1950s: The first spacesuits are introduced. Mylar (BoPET film) is developed.1964: Permanent-press finishes are introduced.1965: Kevlar (a lightweight, super-strong fiber) is developed.The Gemini space mission uses a seven-layer suit composed of aluminized Mylar.1968: Man-made fibers top natural fibers in U.S. consumption.1970s: Robotic machinery, com-puters and high-speed equipment are applied to the textile industry, reducing the workforce needed.2009: A large and rare textile made from the silk of more than a million wild spiders is woven in Madagascar. 2011: Nanotechnologists weave computer memory into garments, creating “e-textiles.”

SOURCES: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Inc.; http://inventors.about.com; www.georgiaencyclopedia.org; www.nyfashioncenterfabrics.com; www.athm.org; www.textilemuseum.org

Crushed female cochineal insects (from Peru and Ecuador) produce a range of red, pink and orange dyes.

The ancient Phoeni-cians used the mucus of this snail to make a distinctive purple-blue dye.

Murex snail

The first semi-synthet-ic fiber was invented around 1855. Called artificial silk, it became known as “viscose” around 1894. The name changed again, to “rayon,” in 1924. This semi-synthetic fiber is made with regenerated wood or cotton cellulose fiber.Synthetic fibers are made from synthe-sized polymers. Petro-leum-based chemicals are used to make many of these polymers.There are several methods for manufacturing synthetic fibers, but the most common is the melt-spinning process. In this process, syn-thetic fibers are created by forcing fiber-forming materials through holes (called spinnerets) into the air, creating a thread. Today there are hundreds of types of synthetic fibers. The most common are nylon, polyester, acrylic and polyolefin. Clothing and other items made with synthetic fibers are popular because they are affordable, durable, wrinkle-resistant, quick-drying and resistant to many stains (as well as insects and fungi). But synthetic fabrics do have disadvantages. Most contain petroleum (a nonrenewable resource), and the production process can be hazardous to the environment. Also, unless recycled, they do not decompose quickly. Some people are concerned that chemical vapors from syn-thetic clothing may cause health problems. New technologies continue to advance textile manufacturing.Conventional shuttle looms operate at speeds of 150 to 160 picks per minute. (A pick is a single weft thread.) Today’s industrial looms have air-jets that weave at speeds of 2,000 picks per minute.

DyesTextile dyeing dates to the Neolithic period. In ancient times, indigo, woad and murex were the most common sources for dye. Indigo and woad are plants that make a blue dye; murex is a snail used to make a deep purple. The first human-made (synthetic) dye was mauveine (a purple), discovered in 1856. Synthetic dyes have largely replaced natural dyes because they offer a vast range of colors and are less expensive to make.

Scientists work to create synthetic fibers that improve on natural (plant or animal) fibers.

Cross-stitch sampler

Detail of woodpecker tapestry (1885) designed by William Morris, a well-known textile and tapestry designer

Wooden printing block from India

Quilting (sewing layers of padding and fabric together) may date to ancient Egypt. It was prob-ably introduced to Europe by Crusaders in the 12th century and was worn under armor.

Block printing by hand is the simplest and slow-est of all textile printing methods. Block printing is still practiced today, and fabric printed in this manner is highly prized for its distinctive and artistic designs.

The cochineal

is about the size

of a large ant.

Until the early 20th century, all textiles were made from plants or animals. The discovery of cellulose, a fibrous substance found in wood and cotton, marked the beginning of synthetic fiber research. Many of today’s textile producers

began as chemical companies.