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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.

⏱️ 15 min 🎯 14 activities Teachers Not yet rated Students Not yet rated

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What 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 🪜

An interactive activity.

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.

natural synthetic woven non-woven knitted animal vegetable plain twill bonded

Spot the woven fabrics 🪡

Select the TWO woven fabrics.

  • Calico
  • Denim
  • Felt
  • Jersey

Spot the true statements 🖍️

An interactive activity.

The fabric-choice showdown 🧭

An interactive activity.

Two classifications, explained ✍️

An interactive activity.