Textile Update: Recent Episodes
Gwendolyn Hustvedt
Aesthetic finishes are used to change the look or feel of fabric by changing the luster or the hand.
Direct printing also includes screen printing and inkjet printing while indirect printing solves a problem we have since the invention […]
We can dye at different stages during the production process. We can use dyes to make designs in a process […]
We don’t need to use fibers to make nonyarn fabrics, we can just use polymers in solution or look to […]
Weft and warp knits don’t have warp or weft yarns, but they do go in different directions. The warp knits […]
Double cloths can use 3, 4 or 5 yarns instead of the usual two. Textured weaves, on the other hand, […]
Pile weaves can be made in so many ways and produce so many fabrics, including velvet, velveteen and corduroy. Plus, […]
The Dobby weave was very popular for several hundred years and remains a great choice for interiors.
The basket weave, twill weave and satin weave are three other types of basic weaves, although the basket weave is […]
The Basic Weaves start with plain weaves but this is the most diverse category of weaves, despite the plain wrapper.
What sort of properties are built into fabric during weaving and how can we identify them to help us differentiate […]
We make fabrics using several methods, but we will focus on weaving for now. How do looms work?
What is up with the Venus de Milo? She isn’t Venus! But we love Goddesses of Spinning and Weaving, like […]
The Olefin polymer family goes by many other names, but Acrylic is famous for just being itself, and for being […]
The first synthetic fiber was nylon followed by polyester, both inveted by scientists at Dupont.
The late 10th century brought an eco-friendly player to the regenerated fiber scene, the generic name for this innovated fiber […]
The regenerated fibers are “manually” made. Manufacturing fibers from naturally concurring polymers, such as cellulose, is a major accomplishment of […]
We can modify manufactured fibers by adding compounds to the “dope”, we can change their size and cross section, we […]
Manufacturing fibers involved either using naturally occurring polymers or synthesizing polymers in the laboratory.
Silk is another important protein fiber that has a totally different history and set of properties, despite also being made […]
This double length episode of the podcast focuses completely on wool, my favorite fiber.
This double length episode of the podcast introduces our first natural fiber, protein fibers, and explains some of the great […]
We wrap up our discussion of the internal morphology of fibers, focusing on polymer properties, by considering what the arrangement […]
While the surface morphology of fibers is an important influence on properties like luster and hand, it is the internal, […]
Fiber crimp deserves its own podcast because it is so cool! This 3D physical property influences lots of things like […]
Performance properties such as comfort as actually a dimension of performance made up of several properties, including absorbency.
We can categorize fibers using various features, including physical structures (morphology) that we can easily see under a microscope.
Our first podcast focuses on the properties of fibers that make the textiles we make out of these fibers behave […]