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FROM FIBRE TO FABRIC
Now we have ‘harvested’ our natural fibres. What happens then??
The initial process, called spinning, is where lengths of different natural fibres are intertwined with each other (wool, cotton and silk for example) in order to make threads. (The method is the same for man-made fabrics, except that synthetic fibres will be introduced into this stage of the process). If the fibres are twisted together tightly, the resulting fabric will be one that is tough and resistant to wear and tear, whereas a light twisting will produce a smoother fabric which is softer to the touch and correspondingly less resistant to the rigours of everyday use. These threads can then be then be simply knitted or braided into a fabric. However in order to produce commodities such as curtains, carpets and clothing, a more complex system is needed and that is provided by weaving.
The threads produced from the spinning process are normally split into two groups - dependant upon colour – and then fed from two cones into a weaving machine (or loom). A continuous thread wrapped around a cone is commonly referred to as yarn. If you think of one cone supplying vertical threads and the other horizontal threads, then the weaving mechanism interlaces these two groups together.
Once the fabric has been produced it must be dyed. This can be achieved at any stage of production. The natural fibres can be dyed before they are spun into threads; or the threads can be dyed before they are weaved into fabrics; or the resulting fabric itself can be dyed.