DANCE WEAR FABRIC INFORMATION

DANCE WEAR FABRIC
INFORMATION
The breathtaking movement of dancers relies on
high-performance dance wear fabrics that keep
up with the most rigorous of schedules. Without
the proper fabric to warm and strengthen
muscles, dancers can sustain serious injuries.
From warm-up to practice to show time,
selecting the right fabrics is extremely important
for both the health of the dancer and the quality
of the performance.
The following are recommendations for suitable
dance wear fabrics to match a variety of needs:
• Warm-up and casual dance wear fabrics: polar
fleece, silk/cotton blend and cotton jersey.
• Movement dance wear fabrics: silk knit jersey,
nylon and polyester spandex, nylon powermesh,
and polyester stretch velvet.
• Costume and Performance fabrics: polyester
tulle, nylon and polyester spandex, nylon
powermesh, polyester stretch velvet, polyester
PVC solid, and viscose matte jersey.

CROCHET FABRIC INFORMATION

CROCHET FABRIC INFORMATION
Crochet, from the French word croche, meaning
"hook", is the process of creating fabric from
yarns or threads using a crochet hook. Similar to
knitting, although in crochet only one loop of yarn
is "active" at a time, crochet has evolved into a
very popular process for creating lace, doilies,
heirlooms and home decor items.
Crochet is believed to have been developed in
Europe in the early 1800's, although some
historians believe that earlier forms of crochet
existed yet did not use a physical hook, using a
bent finger in its place. It is speculated that major
textile manufacturing inventions such as the
cotton gin and spinning jenny, which allowed far
more cotton threads to be produced at lower
prices, aided the development of the crochet
process. As cotton is well suited to crochet, and
crochet uses more thread than similar weaving
techniques, these inventions made crochet more
economically viable. By the mid-1800's, crochet
was an established form of fabric and lace
creation throughout Europe and America.
The process of crochet is relative simple: a slip-
knot loop is place on the crochet hook, through
which another loop is pulled through, and
repeated until the desired length is reached. The
resulting chain can be further enhanced by
working down the rows or by creating a rounded
design. One key aspect of crochet is that at any
point in time, there is only on loop, or live stitch,
on the hook. This is different from knitting, which
uses two needles and keeps an entire row of
stitches active. One benefit of crochet over
knitting is that if a crochet stitch unravels, the
neighboring stitches are secure and intact, while
knitted stitches could come apart and threaten
the entire cloth. Crochet can produce more
elaborate and distinct designs than knitting, but
crochet must be done by hand: there is no
mechanical equivalent. Crochet requires only one
piece of hardware: the crochet hook. The hook
can vary in size and material, with the most
modern hooks made of aluminum, plastic or
wood. Traditional crochet hooks were made of a
wide variety of materials, including bone, ivory
and steel, and were sometimes adorned with
semi-precious stones.
Fabrics produced by crochet are mostly limited to
home decor and heirloom pieces, but can also be
found in bright, colorful designs used for blankets,
shirts and accessories. Crochet fabrics have
retained their popularity, although they have
transitioned from a much needed source of
income for Europe's poor to predominantly a
creative hobby. After World War II, there was a
significant resurgence in crochet, which occurred
again in the 1960's and the early 21st century.
Handmade lace, doilies, tablecloths and baby
items never seem to lose popularity, and the low
cost of crochet coupled with its use as a creative
outlet has established the process as a
permanent fixture of textile production.

COLOR FABRIC DYEING INFORMATION

COLOR FABRIC DYEING
INFORMATION

FABRIC DYEING SERVICE
Regional craft has been an integral part of a
city's culture and New York is no different. From
iconic food to exquisite jewelry, fashion to
finance, New York is a powerhouse of an
American city, dominating global markets and
setting the standard in style and design. Because
of its enormous influence on international fashion,
it's not surprising that New York also has a long
history of producing a wide spectrum of clothing
dyes.
Colors often taken for granted in the 21st century
were considered wonders a hundred years ago. In
fact, for most of civilization, clothing colors were
limited to plant-based colors such as drab
browns and watery grays. Only aristocrats were
able to afford bold colors such as carmine red
and royal purple, colors so expensive to import
from faraway lands that they immediately marked
the wearer as being of high station (hence the
reason royal purple really indicated the wearer as
being royalty). Dye was such a coveted
commodity that one of the principle assets Marco
Polo planned on exporting from his travels in
India was indigo, a deep blue color. Scientists,
eager to capitalize on peoples' desire for vivid
wardrobe colors, started developing synthetic
equivalents for animal and plant-based dyes,
allowing the beauty of color to be accessed by
everyone.
In 1857, a German chemist named Dr. August F.
W. Partz applied for two US patents for machines
used in his attempt to create magenta dye at his
Brooklyn plant. His efforts were unsuccessful, but
paved the way for the Holliday Chemical and
Color Company which produced magenta in three
shades: Empire Red, Keystone, and Bay State.
The Holliday business was located in Brooklyn,
NY, and was considered to set the standard for
the other major dye houses in the area. Some of
the largest dye houses located in New York City
included: The 12th Street Plant in South Brooklyn
had its own dock and rail system and produced a
bluish-green water-soluble indigo; The Beckers
Aniline and Chemical Works was the largest dye
manufacturing company in the United States and
was located in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Its owner was
one of the wealthiest industrialists in the era;
Zobel Color Works produced a wide range of
colors from methyl violet to sulfur black and was
located at 2nd Avenue and 9th Street in Brooklyn;
H. Kohnstamm and Company was located near
the lower tip of Manhattan and speciliazed in
high-class colors for automobiles; Williamsburg
Chemical Company located at 250 Morgan Ave,
Brooklyn, specialized in rich, sulfur black;
Commonwealth Color and Chemical Company
specialized in direct dyes for other fibers beside
cotton and was located on Nevins Street in
Brooklyn.
New York has a rich history of textile trade and
fabric dyeing which continues to this day. Among
the skyscrapers and throngs of pedestrians are
dye houses and fabric centers that provide
designers, manufacturers and hobbyists with a
constant supply of high-quality, vibrantly colored
textiles.

CHRISTMAS FABRIC INFORMATION

CHRISTMAS FABRIC
INFORMATION
The holidays are a thrilling time of year: cool
nights, hot chocolate, families gathering together,
food passed around long tables, and presents
opened in anticipation. There is so much beauty
to be seen and experienced that it's often easy to
overlook details. Fabric may often be the last
thing anyone associates with the holidays, and
yet, consider this: table runners, stockings, tree
skirts, ribbons, warm clothing, napkins, dresses,
ties, costumes, and placemats all require holiday
fabrics. Not just any fabric, either; the holidays
demand vivid colors, gold thread, and high
quality. Great choices for holiday dresses and
blouses are silks in iridescent colors, with
gorgeous draping and light-catching hues, such
as silk shantung or silk taffeta. There's also no
need to stick with traditional holiday colors;
instead of red, green, blue, and yellow, incorporate
rich golds and majestic purples. Silks in classic
blue, silver and white are dazzling and festive for
Hannukah, and a touch of other colors adds
warmth and palette depth. When taking family
portraits, choose coordinating colors instead of
identical uniforms. Create a pleasing palette by
dressing girls in beautiful dark blues and men in
flattering greens: your family portrait will be
classy and appropriate for the whole year instead
of confined to the holiday season. Garlands, tree
skirts, and table decorations should be vividly
colored with a stiff drape. For instance, instead of
the oft-repeated cotton tree skirt with pictures of
Santa, choose a silk dupioni Christmas fabric in
lush purple or red. The dupioni will not fade or
become dated, as lesser-quality cotton will, and it
will reflect the lights on the tree. Holiday fabrics
in silks and satins can be used year after year
without needing to be replaced; a simple steam
iron will restore them to the previous year's
splendor. Don't shy away from bold colors during
the holidays: this is their time to be displayed.
When winter hits, be prepared with deeply-piled
fabric such as fleece and wool. Gear up with
stockings in cotton flannel, jersey, or crochet.
Outerwear looks beautiful with satin/wool
combinations that provide the silkiness of satin
with the warmth of wool. Corduroy also shines
during the holidays; in vests, pants, shirts, and
dresses, corduroy warms while providing a sleek
vertical weave.

BRIDAL WEAR FABRIC INFORMATION

BRIDAL WEAR FABRIC
INFORMATION
A wedding is the union of families, hearts,
lifestyles, and desires. In both Western and
Eastern cultures, there is no more sacred bond
than that of husband and wife. Thus, the wedding
ceremony is the pinnacle of special events; for
many, it is the most extravagant and formal event
that they will participate in during their lifetime.
The bridal gown is at the heart of this even: it
denotes her commitment to purity and sets her
apart as the star of the wedding. The bridal gown
is not just a dress: it is a symbol.
In the West, wedding gowns have customarily
been white or some variant of off-white, such as
ivory or eggshell. Dresses in countries such as
China, Vietnam and Singapore, are traditionally
red, the color of good luck and auspiciousness.
Whatever the culture or location, many brides
prefer a dress that has been custom made to fit
both their bodies and their tastes.
For a traditional, full dress, popular fabrics are
double face satin, dutchess satin, silk cotton, silk
shantung, silk dupioni, or silk taffeta. For a more
form-fitting and curve accentuating gown, silk
charmeuse, silk habotai, silk stretch charmeuse,
silk double georgette, or silk crepe back satin are
often selected. To add a touch of flourish and
sheer elegance, silk organza or silk chiffon is
typically used. Finally, for the coordinating bridal
party attire, bridal satin, silk zibeline, silk cotton,
silk taffeta, silk dupioni, or silk crepe back satin
are perennial favorites. Polyester has recently
emerged as a lower-priced alternative to silk, but
polyester wedding dresses tend to lack the supple
drape of silk, have difficulties during the dyeing
process, and can get extremely hot.

THE GARMENT DISTRICT OF NEW YORK

THE GARMENT DISTRICT OF NEW
YORK
The Garment District of New York City is located
on the West side of Midtown Manhattan. The
massive concentration of fabric stores and textile
related companies exude fashion wherever you
look. The Garment District has been lauded as the
fashion capital of the world and prominently
boasts the headquarters of many of the world's
most distinguished fashion companies.
The Garment District is host to thousands of New
York City's showrooms and to countless major
fashion labels. Naturally, a plethora of resources
can be found, from pattern makers, full production
cutting and sewing rooms, designers, dress dyeing
service, wholesale fabric manufacturers, designer
fabrics, home decor fabrics, and just about
anything fashion related, all in less than one
square mile.
New York City is known as the fashion capital of
the world in part due to the over $15 billion in
annual revenues that are generated from local
textile businesses.
The Garment District is the epicenter for a number
of world renowned fashion designers - their global
production, showrooms, retail operations and
distribution is all controlled from The Garment
District. Many of the designers in the Garment
District make their exclusive fabrics available
solely to a small number of trusted fabric stores,
namely NyFashionCenterFabrics.com.
Due to the overwhelming number of fashion and
apparel companies in The Garment District, there
is a huge demand for first quality, high end
designer fabrics and apparel fabrics, which is the
primary reason why NyFashionCenterFabrics.com
is strategically located in the center of the
garment District.
History
In the mid 19th century, The Garment District first
began to shape when a group of tailors and
seamstresses started to produce uniforms for
sailors, work clothes for slaves and handmade
suits for businessmen. This created a growing
demand for uniform fabrics, shirting fabrics and
suiting fabrics. New York City was the only place
where there was a steady supply of exquisite
wool fabrics, linen fabrics, silk fabrics and cotton
fabrics which were being brought by explorers
from native lands. This combination of resources
and the rapidly growing population of New York
City fueled the explosive growth of the Garment
District which has carried on for decades.

THE HISTORY OF FABRIC AND TEXTILES

THE HISTORY OF FABRIC AND
TEXTILES
Textiles are defined as the yarns that are woven
or knitted to make fabrics. The use of textiles
links the myriad cultures of the world and defines
the way they clothe themselves, adorn their
surroundings and go about their lives. Textiles
have been an integral part of human daily life for
thousands of years, with the first use of textiles,
most likely felt, dates back to the late Stone Age,
roughly 100,000 years ago. However, the earliest
instances of cotton, silk and linen being to appear
around 5,000 BC in India, Egypt and China. The
ancient methods of manufacturing textiles, namely
plain weave, satin weave and twill, have changed
very little over the centuries. Modern
manufacturing speed and capacity, however, have
increased the rate of production to levels
unthinkable even 200 years ago.
Trade of textiles in the ancient world occurred
predominantly on the Silk Road, a winding route
across lower Asia that connected the
Mediterranean lands with the Far East. Spanning
over 5,000 miles and established during the Han
Dynasty in China around 114 BC, the Silk Road
was an integral part of the sharing of
manufactured goods, cultures and philosophies,
and helped develop the great civilizations of the
world. During the Middle Ages, simple clothing
was favored by the majority of people, while finer
materials such as silks and linens were the
trappings of royalty and the rich. During the 14th
century, however, advances in dyeing and
tailoring accelerated the spread of fashion
throughout Western Europe, and drastically
altered the mindset of both wealthy man and
commoner alike. Clothing and draperies became
increasingly elaborate over the next several
centuries, although production methods remained
largely unchanged until the invention of steam-
powered mechanized facilities during the
Industrial Revolution. From that point on, quality
textiles became available to the masses at
affordable prices.
Textiles can be derived from several sources:
animals, plants and minerals are the traditional
sources of materials, while petroleum-derived
synthetic fibers were introduced in the mid-20th
century. By far, animal textiles are the most
prevalent in human society, and are commonly
made from furs and hair. Silk, wool, and
pashmina are all extremely popular animal
textiles. Plant textiles, the most common being
cotton, can also be made from straw, grass and
bamboo. Mineral textiles include glass fiber, metal
fiber and asbestos. The recent introduction of
synthetic textiles has greatly expanded the array
of options available for fabric manufacturers, both
in terms of garment versatility and usability.
Polyester, spandex, nylon and acrylic are all
widely used synthetic textiles.
In addition to the multitude of textiles available
for use, there are many different methods for
creating fabrics from textiles. Weaving is
performed using a loom, typically a rectangular
frame on which strands of fibers are hung and
interlaced with other fibers. Knitting involves
interlacing strands of yarn with the use of a
needle, and is typically done by hand, while
weaving is largely mechanized. Lacing is
performed using a backing piece to create finer
fabrics with open holes throughout the piece.
Interlacing a yarn through an existing piece of
woven cloth results in a layer known as a pile,
which is prominent in the manufacture of carpets
and velvet. Finally, and by far the oldest
technique, is felting, which involves squeezing a
mat of fibers together in a liquid to create a
tangled, flat material.
Textiles can also be colored using a variety of
techniques, including weaving together fibers of
differing colors, bleaching to create a pure white
look, stitching colored yarn through existing
fabric, the use of resist dyeing, and many other
ways of printing directly onto finished fabric.
Modern dyeing methods can create fabrics of
almost any color or pattern imaginable.

GREY GSM VS FINISHED GSM

Grey GSM VS Finished GSM of knit fabric
Learn Apparel Merchandising, Learn Fashion design.
After receiving the yarn we knit the yarn in knitting machine for producing knit fabric. At this stage the fabric remains uncolored formed. We called this as Grey Fabric. Then we dye the grey fabric in dyeing winch (machine) as per our required color.

In this regards the please note that, GSM of the followings Grey fabric are not remain same as our require finished fabric GSM. Normally the GSM of grey fabric remains lower than the finished fabric. After knitting when we dye and washed the fabric then the GSM increase and come to near as our requirement. This increasement of GSM depends on fabric constructions & some knitting variables. Let's see an example

Say,
Fabric Construction: Single Jersey
Yarn Count : 30/s
Require GSM(finished): 145 GSM
Grey GSM : will be what?

As per practical experience we know for Single Jersey fabric, if we knit the fabric with 30/s yarn then the grey GSM  will increase 15% to 20% after dyeing and finishing.

So, if we need 145 GSM S/J fabric with 30/s
Then we should keep the

Grey GSM = 145 – (15 to 20%), supposed it the percentage will be 18 then
Grey GSM = 145 – 18%
Grey GSM = 119 GSM

So, now we know that, if we need 145 gsm single jersey fabric with 30/s yarn, then we should keep the GSM of grey fabric as 119.

Please find below the GSM different between Grey VS Finished for some more types of fabric.
  
For single jersey fabric:

If the yarn count is 30/s then the grey gsm will be 20% to 15% less from the finished Gsm

If the yarn count is 26/s then the grey gsm will be 22% to 20% less from the finished Gsm

If the yarn count is 24/s then the grey gsm will be 24% to 23% less from the finished Gsm

If the yarn count is 20/s then the grey gsm will be 24% to 21% less from the finished Gsm
CALCULATION OF GSM
Learn Apparel Merchandising, Learn Fashion design.
Dear All,

GSM means the weight in gram per square meter of fabric.GSM is a very important parameter for specified a certain quality of knitted fabric. The production of knitted fabric is calculated in weight. The GSM cutter is very popular and easy usable GSM testing instrument used in most knitted factory. But the construction of this cutter is very simple. It is circular disk of 100 square cm area with sharp blade attached to its edge. So 100 square cm of fabric can easily cut by it and weighted at the electric balance to get GSM reading.

There are two formulas for calculating the GSM of a knitted fabric

First formula is as under:

               Course per inch X Stitch length X 39.37 X 39.37 X Tex
GSM =    ----------------------------------------------------------------------
                                               1000 X 1000

aNd

                WPI X CPI X SL(mm)
GSM =    ---------------------- X 0.9155
                         Count(Ne)

CALCULATION OF WALES PER INCH (WPI):

We calculated the number of Wales in 10 inch fabric unraveling the yarn. Then we divide the no of total Wales by 10 inch to getting the Wales per inch.

CALCULATION OF COURSE PER INCH (CPI):

We calculated the number of course in five inch with the help of counting glass and needle. Then we divide the total no of course by five inch to getting the course per inch.

MEASUREMENT OF STITCH LENGTH (SL mm):

Stitch length is theoretically a single length of yarn which includes one needle loop and adjacent needle loops on either side of it. Loop exits in course in course length and it is that which influence fabric dimension and other properties including weight.

In order to determine the stitch length, we count 100 no Wales or stitch and count its length by hanging the yarn on the stitch counter. The reading is found in mm unit.

MEASUREMENT OF YARN COUNT:

We have fallowed a different way to find out the count of the yarn. At first we unravel a considerable no yarn from the fabric. Then we measured the total length of the yarn and measured the weight of that no of yarn. From these weights, we find out the count of the yarn.

The equation we followed is as follow:

                 N x L x 453.6
Count =   ----------------
                 Wt x 36 x 840
Where,

N   = number of yarn in bundle.
L    = length of yarn.
Wt  = weight of yarn.

Another formula is the following:

                    Ks x Tex
GSM =   ---------------------
              Stitch length (mm)

Where,
Ks is a constant. Its value is different for different fabric structure and fabric type. Ks is calculated and estimated as below:

              GSM x Stitch length
Ks =     -----------------------------
                          Tex

How do calculate Kg from Yards (Knit fabric)
Learn Apparel Merchandising, Learn Fashion design.

From this post we will learn how to calculate Kgs from Yards.

Say,

Fabric length  - 3.3611 yards ( 121 ")
Fabric Width - 45 "
Fabric Gsm - 140

Rules:

= Fabric length X Fabric width X GSM / 1550 / 1000

= 121" X 45" X 140 /1550 / 1000

= 762300 /1550 /1000

= 0.49180645161 kgs (weight of the followings fabric)

Hope above information will help you

The Fabric of Everyday Life

The fabric of everyday life

The enduring importance of fabric in our everyday lives -- for clothing, furnishings, symbolic communication, and commerce -- is underscored by the study of historic cloth. And, conversely, when we exploit our own experience to imagine ancient cloth artifacts as they were used in the past, then our understanding of the everyday concerns of past lives is greatly enhanced.

Several broad categories useful for the consideration of textiles in everyday life are listed below. They lead to more specific comments, which may serve as a prelude or guide to viewing the Historic Textiles from Karanis presented in this virtual exhibition.

The Importance of Fabric

The importance of fabric

Fabric has been an integral part of everyday life since prehistoric times. It serves a variety of purposes because it is such a flexible medium. Cloth can be wrapped tightly or draped loosely, woven to one shape or knitted to stretch and conform to changing shapes, or pieced together and combined with other materials to create items as different as rag dolls and tents.