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Properties of Fabrics

5 dot points across 5 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How are fabrics constructed from yarns, and how does the method of construction change a fabric's properties?

Fabric construction methods - woven, knitted (warp and weft) and non-woven (bonded and felted) fabrics - and how each method of construction affects the properties of the fabric (stretch, strength, fraying, warmth, drape) and therefore its suitability for items.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on fabric construction, explaining woven, knitted and non-woven (bonded and felted) fabrics, how each construction method changes properties such as stretch, strength, fraying and drape, and how that decides which items a fabric suits.
13 min answer →

How can a finish change a fabric's properties after it is made, and why is that useful?

Fabric finishes - functional finishes (waterproof and water-repellent, flame-retardant, crease-resistant, stain-resistant, antibacterial, shrink-resistant) and aesthetic finishes - applied to change or improve a fabric's properties, and how the right finish makes a fabric suitable for an item.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on fabric finishes, covering functional finishes such as waterproofing, flame-retardancy, crease and stain resistance, and aesthetic finishes, explaining how finishes change a fabric's properties and make it suitable for particular items.
12 min answer →

Where do natural fibres come from, what properties do they have, and how do those properties decide what they are good for?

Natural fibres (cotton, linen, wool, silk): their origin, characteristic properties (absorbency, strength, warmth, crease resistance, durability, flammability), and how those properties make them suitable or unsuitable for particular fashion and textile items.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on natural fibres, covering the origin of cotton, linen, wool and silk, their characteristic properties such as absorbency, warmth, strength and crease resistance, and how those properties decide which fashion and textile items each fibre suits.
13 min answer →

How do you choose a fabric that is fit for purpose by matching fibre, construction and finish to what an item must do?

Selecting fabrics that are fit for purpose: matching the combined effect of fibre, construction and finish to the performance requirements of a fashion or textile item, and justifying the choice in terms of the properties needed.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on selecting fabrics fit for purpose, showing how to combine fibre, construction and finish to meet the performance requirements of an item and how to justify the choice using the properties needed.
12 min answer →

How are manufactured fibres made, what properties do they have, and why are they so often blended with natural fibres?

Manufactured fibres - synthetic (polyester, nylon/polyamide, elastane/Lycra, acrylic) and regenerated (viscose): their origin, characteristic properties, and how those properties make them suitable for particular fashion and textile items, including the reasons for blending fibres.
An SQA Higher Fashion and Textile Technology answer on manufactured fibres, covering synthetic fibres (polyester, nylon, elastane, acrylic) and regenerated viscose, their origin and properties, why they suit particular items, and the reasons fibres are blended.
13 min answer →