How are fibres turned into fabric, and how does the construction method change a fabric's properties?
Methods of fabric construction (woven, knitted, felted and bonded/non-woven) and how each construction method affects the properties of the resulting fabric.
A focused answer to the SQA National 5 Fashion and Textile Technology content on fabric construction, covering how woven, knitted, felted and bonded (non-woven) fabrics are made and how each method changes the properties of the finished fabric.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to know the main ways fibres and yarns are turned into fabric (woven, knitted, felted, bonded/non-woven) and, crucially, how the construction changes the fabric's properties. The exam favours reasoning: explaining why a knitted fabric stretches, or why a woven one frays, and matching a construction to an item.
Woven fabrics
The locked right-angle structure is why a woven fabric must be cut on the grainline and why seams need an edge finish to stop fraying.
Knitted fabrics
Stretch is the headline property: knit suits close-fitting, comfortable garments that must move with the body.
Felted and bonded (non-woven) fabrics
Matching construction to an item
Try this
Q1. Name the two sets of yarns in a woven fabric. [1 mark]
- Cue. Warp (lengthwise) and weft (crosswise).
Q2. State why a knitted fabric is suitable for a sock. [1 mark]
- Cue. It stretches and recovers, so the sock fits the foot snugly and pulls on easily.
Q3. Explain why a non-woven (bonded) fabric is used for interfacing inside a collar. [2 marks]
- Cue. It is cheap, has no grain to worry about and does not fray, so it can be cut in any direction and ironed in to stiffen and support the collar.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA-style Describe4 marksDescribe how a woven fabric is made and explain one property this construction gives the fabric.Show worked answer →
Award up to 2 for describing the construction and up to 2 for a property linked to it. A woven fabric is made by interlacing two sets of yarns at right angles: the lengthwise warp yarns and the crosswise weft yarns pass over and under each other on a loom (up to 2). Because the yarns are locked together at right angles, the fabric is firm and stable and does not stretch much, so it holds its shape well and frays at a cut edge (up to 2). Other creditable properties: hard-wearing and strong along the grain. Markers want a clear construction description plus at least one property that follows from it.
SQA-style Explain4 marksA T-shirt is made from a knitted fabric rather than a woven one. Explain two reasons why a knitted fabric suits a T-shirt.Show worked answer →
Award up to 2 marks for each reason explained, to a maximum of 4. A knitted fabric is made from interlocking loops of yarn, so it stretches in use; this lets the T-shirt move with the body and pull over the head comfortably (2). The loops also trap air and give a soft, flexible handle, so the T-shirt is comfortable and warm against the skin (2). A further point: knitted fabric recovers its shape after stretching. A woven fabric would be too stiff and would not stretch, which shows why the knitted construction suits a close-fitting, comfortable garment. Markers reward the link between the looped construction and the stretch/comfort the T-shirt needs.
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