Fibres to Fabrics
All fabrics are made from fibres. The three major steps for fibre to turn into fabric are:
• Fibre is spun into yarn.
• Yarn is woven/knitted/felted into fabric.
• The fabric undergoes finishing.
Yarn Classification Chart
We need to know not only different sources and varieties of yarns but other related information. Please therefore click here for the Yarn Classification chart which reveals concise information in tabulated form.
Fibres
Fibres can be:
• Natural (animal or vegetable/plant)
• Regenerated (biodegradable materials: plants)
• Synthetic (manufactured: petro-chemicals)
Since regenerated fibres, like synthetic ones are man-made, they too are often referred to as manufactured fibres.
Natural could be of vegetable/plant or animal origin like:
• Cotton (plant)
• Flax (plant)
• Fur (animal)
• Hair (animal)
• Jute (plant)
• Silk (animal)
• Wool (animal)
They, and many others, are all natural fibres. In fact, more than 50% of fibres produced worldwide fall into the category of natural fibres. And, of the 30 million tonne of natural fibres produced, two-thirds is cotton. Wool and jute are 2 and 3 million tonne. Some animals and plants from which natural fibres are derived have been listed separately further down.
Regenerated fibres are also made from biodegradable materials. The fibres are artificial and not truly natural or synthetic. Called cellulosics – since derived from cellulose, cotton, flax, wood-pulp, etc. – the main ones are:
• Acetate
• Lyocell (Tencel)
• Modal
• Rayon
• Viscose/VSF
Synthetic fibres, made from petro-chemicals (oil and coal), are stronger than natural and regenerated ones. The common ones are:
• Acrylic
• Nylon
• Polyester
• Polyethylene
Natural Plant/Non-animal Fibres
In an effort to increase demand for natural fibres, the Food & Agriculture Organisation (FAO) declared 2009 as International Year of Natural Fibres. All plants contain fibres but they are usually too short or weak to be used for any thing other than making paper. There are however over a hundred plants from which suitably long and strong fibres can be obtained. Some such fibres are made from stems of plants, the bark, leaves and seeds. The natural retting process is used for bast fibres (collected from the soft inner bark) like jute and ramie. The process involves steeping of stalks in water for several days so that the fibre gets separated. During this steeping process natural micro-organisms grow in the water which facilitates fibre separation. Some plant derived fibres are:
Abacá/Manila (hemp)
Banana (bark fibres)
Bamboo (leaves and bast fibres)
Coir (coconut fruit fibres)
Cotton (seed hair)
Flax (bast fibres)
Hemp/Manila (bast fibres)
Jute (bast fibres)
Kapok (seed hair)
Kenaf/Mesta (bast fibres)
Palm (leaf fibres)
Pineapple/Pina (leaf fibres)
Raffia (leaf fibres)
Ramie (bast fibres)
Sea grass (grass)
Sikki (grass)
Sisal/Agave (leaf fibres)
Sunn (bast fibres)
Natural Animal Fibres
Animal hair, fur, secretions, etc. are classified as natural protein fibres and are used for the making of fabrics. The animals are exploited and killed for all their body-parts. Some of the creatures are:
Alpaca/Llama/Guanaco (camelids)
Angora (rabbit)
Byssus/Sea silk (clams)
Camel
Cashmere (goat)
Chiengora (dog)
Costwold (sheep)
Hagfish (marine creature)
Qiviut (muskox)
Lamb
Merino (sheep)
Mink
Mohair (goat)
Muskrat
Silk
Spider
Vicuña (camelids)
Wool (sheep, goat, etc.)
Yak
Zibeline (rabbit, alpaca, camel, sable, silk worm)
Regenerated Fibres
The following are regenerated fibres made from regenerated proteins like cellulose, zein (maize/corn), seaweeds, peanut, soy bean and casein (milk):
• Acetate
• Alginate
• Cuprammonium
• Lyocell (Tencel)
• Modal
• Rayon/Viscose
• Inego (Natureworks)
Mineral Fibres
The following fibres are made from asbestos, basalt, mineral wool and glass wool and used in particular applications:
• Asbestos
• Glass/fibreglass (silicates)
• Metals (gold, silver, copper, aluminium)
Synthetic Fibres
The following are manufactured fibres:
• Acrylic/Modacrylic
• Aramide (Quiana, Kevlar, Nomex)
• Luminex
• Lurex
• Ingeo
• Nylon (6, 66, 11)
• Olefin
• PLA/Ploylactide
• Polyamide
• Polyester
• Polyethylene
• Polypropelene
• Saran
• Lycra/Elastane (Spandex)
• Vinal
• Vinyon
Fibre Blends
Blending fibres reduces cost and improves appearance, performance, comfort and after-care of the fabric. Commonly blended ones are:
• Polyester-Cotton (usually 65:35)
• Cotton-Lycra
• Acrylic-Wool
• Silk-Cotton
• Viscose-Brasso (blend of polyester viscose rayon)
• Supernet (open weave, sheer fabric consisting of a blend of nylon or polyester with cotton)
Yarn
Sizing
Yarn is derived by twisting fibres and spinning them to the required thickness and length for:
• Weaving with two yarns on a loom
• Knitting by looping one yarn
• Felting by tangling and thus interlocking fibres to form fabric
The two yarns used for weaving are called warp and weft. The length of the fabric is determined by the length of the warp yarn on the loom, whereas, the weft yarn forms the width from selvage to selvage. The warp yarn that forms the basic structure, through which the weft yarn is woven, is strengthened with sizing prior to weaving. Sizing is essential for all yarns (Khadi, Khooti, handloom and textile mill weaving) but is optional for double yarns, i.e. two yarns are taken together and twisted.
Sizing is either a starchy or gelatinous mixture coated onto the warp and dried. Some times a small amount of animal fat (mutton tallow) is added to an otherwise non-animal size as a softening agent. Different substances are used as sizing, such as:
• Acrylates (textile chemical)
• Bone/hide glue (animal)
• Carboxymethyl cellulose (textile chemical)
• Flour
• Gelatine (animal)
• Maize
• Polyvinyl alcohol (textile chemical)
• Potato starch
• Sago starch
• Wheat starch
Dyeing
If the yarn has not been dyed (colour added) prior to being made into fabric, the fabric is bleached, coloured or printed at this stage. Dyeing can be carried out when in fibre, yarn or fabric forms. Different types of dyes and machines are available for yarn and fabric dyeing. Two categories of textile dyes are used:
• Natural (extracted from animals and plants)
• Synthetic
Some dyes derived from plants:
• Catechu/cutch tree (brown)
• Gamboge tree resin (dark mustard yellow)
• Himalayan rubhada root (yellow)
• Indigofera plant (blue)
• Kamala tree (red)
• Larkspur plant (yellow)
• Madder root (red, pink, orange)
• Myrabolan fruit (yellow, green, black)
• Pomegranate peel (yellow)
• Turmeric (yellow)
• Weld herb (yellow)
Some dyes derived from animals:
• Cochineal insect (red)
• Cow urine (Indian yellow)
• Kermes (red)
• Lac insect (red, violet)
• Murex snail (purple)
• Octopus/Cuttlefish (sepia brown)
Dyes derived from organisms:
• Fungi, Mushrooms, Lichens, etc. (blue, green, beige, yellow, brown, rust, orange, pink and many more)
Animal and plant pigments:
• Cochineal (animal)
• Gamboge (plant)
• Indian yellow (animal)
• Indigo (plant)
• Rose Madder (plant)
• Tyrian purple (animal)
Printing
Single or multi-coloured design printing on fabric is via various methods of printing:
• Batik
• Block
• Inkjet/Digital
• Roller
• Screen (manual, automatic flat bed, and rotory)
• Stencil
• Transfer
Finishing
Different finishes, as required and undertaken are:
• Anti-bacterial
• Antistatic
• Flame retardant
• Soil repellent
• Water repellent
• Wrinkle free
• Stain resistant
• Oil resistant
Silk
In the case of silk fabric, the fibre used is also called silk and if pure silk, the silk mark may be affixed. (The absence of the silk mark does not indicate it is devoid of silk.) To produce one hundred grams of pure silk, approximately fifteen hundred chrysalises have to die. The prefixes to silk can indicate:
• The name of the specie of moth killed from which the fibre is obtained, e.g. Eri, Muga, Mulberry and Tussar/Taspa silks
• The names of the yarns used, e.g. Tussar and Kosa are the silk worms, and Ghicha and Khewa are names given to the yarns that are not dyed when Tussar and Kosa silks are reeled. (Reeling is unwrapping silk fibre from the killed silk worm cocoons.)
• The area where the silk was produced, e.g. Benarasi, Kashmiri, Kanjeevaram
• The blend of different material fibres, e.g. silk in warp and cotton in weft like the Begum Bahar saree
• Type of loom used in production of the fabric, e.g. handloom, jacquard, satin
• The style of dyeing, e.g. batik, bandhini, leheriya, ikat
For detailed information on silk please read https://bwcindia.org/information/learn-about/silk/
Wool
For detailed information on wool please read https://bwcindia.org/information/learn-about/wool/
Cotton
India has over 20 varieties of cotton and 4 million handlooms that produce cotton cloth. Traditional cotton weaving revolves around Khadi for which hand-spun cotton yarn is used. Wool and silk yarns are also used for making Khadi. (Surprisingly polyester Khadi is also available.) Thus the word Khadi does not indicate the presence or absence of animal derivatives just like the handloom mark would not. The same applies to fabrics found at Tribal marketing outlets. Khooti fabric is just like Khadi – spun on charka and it need not be pure cotton or jute but can be blended with silk, wool, etc.
In 2020 Titan came out with the Khadi limited edition of watches but would not answer if the yarn utilised was silk, so BWC informed them that we presumed it was silk. Soon after, the largest shoe manufacturing hub in Agra came up with a range of footwear using Khadi as raw material.
North East India noted for handloom karigari, has weavers and looms in each and every house, has changed from traditional throw shuttle looms to fly shuttle and jacquard; and synthetic yarns like Thailand dulia and acrylic have almost replaced cotton.
Fabrics
Fabrics that are positively charged are called cationic materials. Cations are positive charged ions. Cationic dyes, cationic polyester and cationic fabrics are available. Cationic fabrics are all polyester with cationic yarns used for the warp and normal polyester for the weft. Since cationic compounds eliminate static and have antibacterial properties, they are also found in fabric softeners, hair conditioners, disinfectants and deodorants. However, they could be toxic and result in allergies, and their disposal adversely affect the environment.
Brasso as in viscose-brasso refers to a process during which the design is created by burning away portions of the fabric with an acid etch resulting in a semi-opaque textured look.
Slub fabric is characterised by its uneven texture created by variations in yarn thickness during weaving, for example Slub Taspa (Tussar silk).
Caution
When purchasing fabrics by the metre (or sarees) it is good to make it a habit to ask to see the manufacturer’s stamped details on the inside of the roll or fabric which usually states percentage-wise the fibres utilised. But, there is no way to ascertain in the shop whether animal substances in sizing/de-sizing or colours (dyeing/printing/painting) were used or not during manufacture of the fabric. However, if for example the material is batik printed/dyed, rest assured a mixture of beeswax and paraffin wax was used.
Hundreds of different fabrics are available. The names of fabrics do not all indicate the fibres utilised. Very many are not made in a single type of fibre making them blended fabrics. Certain fabrics are named indicating the style of weave or dyeing technique, e.g. twill, bandhani/tie & dye and leheriya/diagonal stripes – usually silk or cotton. Many types of lace, made from cotton, linen, silk, synthetic and gold/silver threads, are also available.
Some common fabrics are:
• 2×2 (cotton)
• Acrylic (synthetic)
• Alpaca (camelid hair)
• Angora (rabbit hair/fur)
• Aramid (synthetic)
• Brocade (silk, rayon, nylon)
• Burlap (jute)
• Calico (cotton)
• Cambric (cotton, linen)
• Canvas/Duck (hemp, flax, cotton)
• Carbon (synthetic)
• Cheesecloth/Gauze (cotton, silk)
• Chenille (cotton, rayon, acrylic, olefin, wool, silk)
• Chiffon (silk, synthetic)
• Corduroy (cotton)
• Crepe (silk, synthetic)
• Damask (linen, cotton, rayon, silk, blended)
• Denim (cotton)
• Felt (wool, synthetic)
• Flannel (cotton, wool)
• Fleece (wool, synthetic)
• Gabardine (wool, cotton, synthetic, blended)
• Georgette (silk, synthetic)
• Gingham (cotton)
• Ingeo (synthetic blend with cotton)
• Lurex (metal, polyester)
• Linen (flax)
• Madras (cotton)
• Manila (hemp)
• Mashru/Mushru (silk & cotton blend)
• Merino (wool)
• Milk/Casein (milk of animal origin)
• Mohair (wool)
• Muslin (cotton)
• Nylon (synthetic)
• Olefin (synthetic)
• Organdy (cotton, polyester)
• Organza (silk)
• Pashmina (wool)
• Piqué (cotton)
• Polar Fleece (polyester)
• Polyester (synthetic)
• Poplin (cotton, rayon, wool, blended)
• Quilting fabric (cotton)
• Rayon (regenerated)
• Satin (silk, synthetic, cotton)
• Seersucker (cotton, nylon, silk)
• Siamoise (cotton, linen)
• Silk (silk worms, cocoons & moths)
• Spandex (synthetic)
• Taffeta (silk, rayon)
• Tiffany (silk, hemp/flax)
• Tulle (synthetic, silk, rayon)
• Tweed (wool)
• Velvet (silk, cotton, rayon, synthetic)
• Voile (polyester, wool, cotton)
• Wool (sheep, goats, other animals, synthetic, blended)
Inventions
Newlife developed from discarded plastic bottles that are thrown away, is blended with recycled polyester. It requires less energy to produce than new polyester and is being utilised by famous fashion designers. Patagonia and Espirit were among the first, followed by Timberland, Speedo and G-Star and Levi’s Waste<Less denim range utilises 8 discarded plastic bottles (and food trays) for a pair of jeans. In India EcoLine is a front runner in PET (PolyEthylene Terephthalate) bottle recycling and sustainable textiles by up-cycling them into value-added products such as garments.
Weganool is an alternative to Cashmere, it consists of 70% organic cotton and 30% Calotropis plant which is commonly known as milkweed or eruku in Tamil (it grows abundantly in the dry wastelands).
Page last updated on 26/08/25