Fibres and Textile Construction Types
What is a fabric made of, and how is it built? Sort fibres into natural and synthetic, tell woven from non-woven and knitted, and learn to describe any fabric by both.
Justify the choices, the way you are assessed
Free interactive practice on the decisions the assessment actually asks you to justify.
Start revising freeWhat you'll cover
Made of what, built how?
Every fabric can be described in two ways: what it is made of (its fibre) and how it is built (its construction). A pair of jeans is made of cotton fibre, built by weaving. A jumper might be wool fibre, built by knitting. This module keeps those two ideas clear and sorts fabrics by both.
The language of fibres
Start with what a fabric is made of:
Spot the natural fibres
Select the TWO natural fibres.
- Wool
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Acrylic
Match each fibre to its source
- Wool
- Cotton
- Polyester
- Acrylic
- A natural animal fibre from the fleece of sheep
- A natural vegetable fibre from the cotton plant
- A synthetic fibre made from oil-based polymers
- A synthetic fibre made to imitate wool
Two ways to classify a fabric
Fibre type and construction type are SEPARATE. Every fabric has one of each.
Classify the fabric
Denim is made from cotton, with threads interlaced at right angles in a twill pattern. Which describes denim?
- A cotton fibre in a woven construction
- A synthetic fibre in a knitted construction
- A natural fibre in a non-woven construction
- A wool fibre in a woven construction
Keep the two apart
The commonest mistake is to muddle fibre type with construction type. They answer different questions. Fibre type says what the fabric is made of (natural or synthetic). Construction type says how it is built (woven, non-woven or knitted). Always give a fabric BOTH, for example "cotton, woven" for calico or "wool, non-woven" for felt.
From fibre to fabric
Put the stages of making a fabric into the right order.
- Obtain the raw fibre from a plant, animal or polymer
- Spin the fibres into a yarn
- Weave, knit or bond the yarn or fibres into a fabric
- Finish the fabric ready to use
Match each fabric to its construction
- Calico
- Denim
- Felt
- Jersey
- Plain woven
- Twill woven
- Non-woven
- Knitted
Fabrics in words
Fibres from plants and animals are called _____ fibres, while polyester and acrylic are _____ fibres. In a _____ fabric, threads are interlaced at right angles. A _____ fabric, such as felt, is made by matting fibres together. A _____ fabric is made from interlocking loops of yarn.
Spot the woven fabrics
Select the TWO woven fabrics.
- Calico
- Denim
- Felt
- Jersey
Fibres and how fabric is made
Tap the TWO statements that are TRUE.
- Fibre type and construction type are two separate ways to classify a fabric.
- Cotton is a natural fibre and denim is a woven construction.
- Wool is a synthetic fibre made from oil.
- A knitted fabric is made by interlacing threads at right angles.
- Polyester and acrylic are natural fibres.
The fabric-choice showdown
Help a designer make three textile choices.
- A stretchy fabric is needed for a close-fitting sports top. Which construction stretches most easily?
- A warm winter jumper should use a natural fibre. Which fibre fits best?
- A label reads "100 percent cotton, woven". What does this tell you?
Two classifications, explained
Explain why fibre type and construction type are two separate ways to classify a textile. Use named examples, and describe the difference between a woven and a knitted construction.
- Explain that fibre type says what a fabric is made of, natural or synthetic
- Explain that construction type says how a fabric is built: woven, non-woven or knitted
- Give an example fabric named by both, such as denim being cotton and woven
- Describe how a woven construction differs from a knitted one