3. Fibre to Fabric
Introduction: Paheli and Boojho won a prize in a science quiz. They decided to buy clothes for their parents. They saw a large variety of cloth materials like cotton, wool, silk, and synthetic. Have you noticed how different fabrics feel?
Variety in Fabrics
Fabrics are made up of yarns arranged together. Yarns are further made up of thin strands called **fibres**.
ACTIVITY 1 & 2: Yarn and Fibres
Observation: If you pull a loose thread from a cloth, it comes out. This is a yarn. If you scratch the end of the yarn, it splits into thin strands. These are fibres.
Types of Fibres
Fibres are classified into two types:
- Natural Fibres: Obtained from plants and animals.
- Cotton & Jute: From Plants.
- Wool & Silk: From Animals (Wool from fleece of sheep/goat/rabbit/yak/camel; Silk from cocoon of silkworm).
- Synthetic Fibres: Made from chemical substances. Examples: Polyester, nylon, acrylic.
SOLVED IN-TEXT QUESTION: Boojho
Q: Boojho has seen in museums, items worn by warriors. He wants to know if these are made of some kinds of fibre.
Ans: Yes, ancient warriors wore clothes made of metal rings (chainmail) or leather, but they also used heavy fabrics made from natural fibres.
Some Plant Fibres
Cotton:
- Grown in fields (Black soil, warm climate). States: Gujarat, Maharashtra.
- Fruits (cotton bolls) burst open to show seeds covered with fibres.
- Ginning: The process of separating fibres from seeds by combing. Traditionally done by hand, now by machines.
Jute:
- Obtained from the stem of the jute plant.
- Cultivated during rainy season (West Bengal, Bihar, Assam).
- Stems are immersed in water for a few days to rot. Fibres are separated by hand.
Spinning Cotton Yarn
Spinning: The process of making yarn from fibres. Fibres from a mass of cotton are drawn out and twisted. This brings the fibres together to form a yarn.
Devices: Hand spindle (Takli) and Charkha (popularized by Mahatma Gandhi).
ACTIVITY 4: Spinning
Try it: Hold some cotton wool in one hand. Pinch some cotton between thumb and forefinger of the other hand and gently pull it out while continuously twisting. You are making yarn!
Yarn to Fabric
There are two main processes:
- Weaving: Arranging two sets of yarns together to make a fabric. Done on **Looms** (Handlooms or Powerlooms).
- Knitting: A single yarn is used to make a piece of fabric (e.g., Socks, Sweaters). Can be done by hand or machines.
History of Clothing Material
In ancient times, people used bark, big leaves of trees, or animal skins/furs to cover themselves. After settling in agricultural communities, they learnt to weave twigs and grass into mats and baskets. Early Indians wore fabrics made of cotton (near Ganga). In Egypt, cotton and flax were used. Stitching was not known; people just draped fabrics. With the invention of the sewing needle, people started stitching.
Chapter Summary
- There is a variety of clothing material or fabric, such as cotton, silk, wool and polyester.
- Fabrics are made from yarns, which in turn are made from fibres.
- Fibres are either natural or synthetic. Cotton, wool, silk and jute are natural fibres, while nylon and polyester are synthetic fibres.
- Fibres like cotton and jute are obtained from plants.
- The process of making yarn from fibres is called spinning.
- Fabric from yarns is made by weaving and knitting.
Exercise Q1: Classify
Q: Classify the following fibres as natural or synthetic: nylon, wool, cotton, silk, polyester, jute.
- Natural Fibres: Wool, Cotton, Silk, Jute
- Synthetic Fibres: Nylon, Polyester
Exercise Q2: True or False
- Yarn is made from fibres. (True)
- Spinning is a process of making fibres. (False) (It makes yarn)
- Jute is the outer covering of coconut. (False) (It is from stem of jute plant)
- The process of removing seed from cotton is called ginning. (True)
- Weaving of yarn makes a piece of fabric. (True)
- Silk fibre is obtained from the stem of a plant. (False) (From cocoon of silkworm)
- Polyester is a natural fibre. (False) (Synthetic)
Exercise Q3: Fill in the blanks
- Plant fibres are obtained from fruits (cotton) and stems (jute).
- Animal fibres are silk and wool.
Exercise Q4
Q: From which parts of the plant cotton and jute are obtained?
Exercise Q5
Q: Name two items that are made from coconut fibre.
Exercise Q6
Q: Explain the process of making yarn from fibre.
Key Facts and Definitions
- Ginning: Process of separating cotton fibres from seeds.
- Spinning: Process of making yarn from fibres.
- Weaving: Process of arranging two sets of yarns together to make a fabric.
- Knitting: Process of making a fabric from a single yarn.
| Type | Source | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Natural | Plants/Animals | Cotton, Jute, Wool, Silk |
| Synthetic | Chemicals | Nylon, Polyester, Acrylic |
In ancient times, people used the bark and big leaves of trees or animal skins and furs to cover themselves. After settling in agricultural communities, they learnt to weave twigs and grass into mats and baskets. Early Indians wore fabrics made of cotton that grew in the regions near the river Ganga. In ancient Egypt, cotton as well as flax were cultivated near the river Nile and used for making fabrics.
- Hand Spindle (Takli): A simple device used for spinning.
- Charkha: Another hand-operated device used for spinning, popularized by Mahatma Gandhi.
- Loom: A device used for weaving fabric ( Handlooms or Powerlooms).