Natural plant fibres
Cellulose fibres: cotton from the seed hairs of the cotton plant, linen from the stem of the flax plant, plus hemp and ramie. They absorb moisture well and take a hot iron.
Important: do the burn test only on a tiny snippet, held with tweezers over a metal or glass dish, away from anything flammable, with an adult present.
Natural animal fibres
Protein fibres: wool from sheep, silk from the silkworm's cocoon, cashmere from the soft undercoat of Kashmir goats, mohair from Angora goats, and angora from Angora rabbits.
Regenerated fibres
Made from natural cellulose (usually wood pulp) that is dissolved and spun back into fibres: viscose (rayon), modal, lyocell, acetate and cupro.
Synthetic fibres
Made from petrochemicals: nylon (DuPont, 1935), polyester (Britain, 1941), acrylic and elastane (DuPont, 1958, known as Lycra).
The burn test
Cotton and linen burn like paper with soft grey ash. Wool and silk smell of burning hair with crushable black ash. Polyester and nylon melt, drip and leave a hard bead.
Why blend fibres?
To combine strengths: cotton with polyester for fewer creases, a little elastane for stretch, wool with nylon for durability.
Choose the right fabric for every design
Learn fabrics, their properties and how to sew them, in Anna Stella's Manchester classes.
Sources
- Sara J. Kadolph, Textiles, Pearson.
- J. J. Pizzuto, Fabric Science, Fairchild Books.
- The Woolmark Company: properties of wool fibre.
- Science History Institute: Wallace Carothers and nylon.