FAS4-A2. Materials in the textile sector

TIMING/LENGTH (IN MINUTES): 30’

DESCRIPTION

In this activity, we will briefly go into the materials that are usually used in the textile sector, as an example of an area of work.

DEVELOPMENT/ METHODOLOGY

LEARN

MATERIALS IN THE TEXTILE SECTOR

In the sewing and fashion sector we have a wide variety of materials, all of which are necessary for professional work.

First of all, we want to refer to those that we could consider of continuous use, and that, although they are fungible in their great majority, they can be used in more than one occasion and their wear is not as fast as others:

On the other hand, to be able to make the different articles, garments and products requires material that, although it can be reused to a great extent, has a higher wear and tear than the one mentioned above. In this case we are talking about the fabrics, beads and threads used for the actual manufacturing.

• Fabrics: we can find a great variety of fabrics in this sense manufactured with different materials and following specific processes. We can find organic fabrics, considered as ecological fabrics, which above all are characterized by their purity and sustainability in their manufacture and components (cotton, linen, hemp…); or synthetic fabrics considered as such those that try to imitate natural fibres, but avoiding their disadvantages, at the expense of a deterioration of the environment (polyester, polyamide, acrylic, nylon…), usually mixed with natural fibres.

We take this opportunity to remind you of the alternatives within the fashion sector for recycling and reusing materials that are in good condition, transforming garments into other items (jeans and shirts into skirts, skirts into backpacks, etc.). Stop by the Recycling and Reuse teaching unit to refresh the concepts.

• Threads: We also have a great variety of thread types (polyester, cotton, silk, twine, elastic…), depending on the use we want to give them or the fabrics we are going to sew with them. For example, we have the basting thread which is a cotton thread that breaks easily and serves to fix the fabrics before sewing them with the machine.

DO

Now we would like to propose that you investigate the materials that are most used in one of the following sectors, and that you check if the reusable or recycled material is chosen: construction, automobiles, hotel business, office work.