Properties of Fabrics - SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology overview

The Properties of Fabrics area is the technical foundation of SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology. It explains where fibres come from, how they are made into fabric, and how all of that decides what a fabric is good for. Everything in the practical work and the question paper rests on being able to choose and justify a fabric that is fit for purpose.

What the area covers

• Natural fibres - cotton, linen, wool and silk: their origin and properties (absorbency, warmth, strength, crease resistance, flammability) and the items they suit.
• Manufactured fibres - synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon/polyamide, elastane/Lycra, acrylic) and regenerated viscose: how they are made, their properties, and the reasons fibres are blended.
• Fabric construction - woven, knitted (warp and weft) and non-woven (bonded and felted) fabrics, and how each construction changes a fabric's properties.
• Fabric finishes - functional finishes (waterproof, flame-retardant, crease-resistant, stain-resistant, antibacterial, shrink-resistant) and aesthetic finishes.
• Selecting fabrics fit for purpose - combining fibre, construction and finish to meet the performance requirements of an item.

How to study this area

1. Learn fibres as property lists, then link to uses. For each fibre, know its origin and three or four key properties, then practise saying why each property suits a named item.
2. Keep fibre and construction separate in your head. A T-shirt stretches because of its knitted construction, not because it is cotton. Examiners reward knowing which is responsible.
3. Know why blends exist. Be able to explain a polycotton or wool-acrylic blend in terms of combining strengths and reducing weaknesses.
4. Treat finishes as fixes for a weakness. A finish lets you keep a comfortable fibre and solve its one problem (cotton creases, so add a crease-resistant finish).
5. Practise full fit-for-purpose answers. Take a brief and justify fibre + construction + finish together, then state the trade-offs (cost, care, a finish wearing off).

How it is assessed

This knowledge is examined in the question paper and applied throughout the practical activity and assignment, where candidates select and justify fabrics for the item they design and make. Command words drive the marks: describe (give details), explain (give linked reasons), compare (similarities and differences across both fabrics) and justify (reasons supporting a choice). Vague or unlinked property lists score poorly.

Where this area connects

The fabrics knowledge feeds directly into Consumer and Design (choosing fabrics that meet consumer requirements and the design brief), Construction Techniques (which techniques suit which fabrics), and Textile Industry and Society (the sustainability and care implications of different fibres). Use the dot-point pages for the detail and the quiz to check your recall.