Blog 4- All About Looks

Kayla Towns

ID 3311.002

GAINES

26 September 2011

All About Looks

Last Tuesday, we made a trip to the best downtown fabric and upholstery store in all of Lubbock. All About Looks is such a fun experience and there is so much to learn there. It would be a recommendable trip to anyone in my book.  

            One of the biggest things that we kept hearing about in the tour of the shop is trends that are being set right now and things that are in style. There are several types of upholstery that have become popular in the last year. Some of the more common are linen, polyester, chenille, and mohair. Most of these fabrics are common, but there were a few that I found interesting for use in upholstery, those being jute (or burlap), bamboo, cork, and truck tarp. There is the coolest Euro pillow in the shop that was made entirely from cork. It makes me want to buy a whole bunch of them and put them all over the house. Another thing I really like is the re-upholstery side of All About Looks. In his younger days, my grandfather did re-upholstery, so there has always been an interest in this area of interior design for me. Hopefully, someday he will be able to pass on some of his knowledge to me.
             Something else that I feel is important is the information that was given on leather. Real leather is not sold by the yard, only Faux Leather is sold that way. Real leather is sold by the hide or cow. An average hide is usually 54 sq. ft. There is a lot more good information that the owner told us, but not enough room to do it justice in this paper.
            In conclusion, my visit to All About Looks was very informative and an experience I would gladly have again. I will be sure to go back if I ever need anything.      

Kayla Towns

ID 3311.002

GAINES

9-13-2011

Fibers and Biopolymer Research Institute Visit #2

On Tuesday of this week, we visited the Fibers and Biopolymer Institute for Texas Tech to hear about the different methods they use to test fabric strength and durability. There are four methods that were shown to us that will be discussed in further detail in the following paragraphs.

The first method discussed is the Martindale Abrasion Tester. The Martindale Abrasion Tester “determines the abrasion resistance of textile fabrics, or the wear ability of textile fabrics” (Martindale Abrasion Tester handout). As stated in the handout, “The abrasion resistance is measured by subjecting the fabric specimen to a rubbing motion in the form of a geometric figure, that is, a straight line, which becomes a gradually widening eclipse, until it forms another straight line in the opposite direction and traces the same figure again under known conditions of pressure and abrasive action”.  Several fabrics can be used in the tester such as a plain weave, crossbred, or worsted wool fabric.

The second method is the Breaking Force and Elongation of Textile Fabrics. In this step, the machine “determines the breaking force and elongation of textile fabrics, using either a grab sample, a raveled or cut strip sample”. It can also determine the bursting strength of fabrics “(handout). In this process, different accessories and load cells are used. This machine can also be used to do “skein breaks of yarn and individual fiber strengths” (handout). The grab test procedure is used to determine “the effective strength o the fabric; that is the strength of the yarns in a specific width together with the fabric assistance from adjacent yarns”. The raveled strip procedure is used to determine “the force required to break a specific width of fabric (handout).

The third method used at the research institute is the Tearing Strength Elmendorf Method. In this process, “this instrument computes the average tearing force of a cut specimen from the energy loss of a falling pendulum” (handout). This machine is used to present the fabric in a “real-life” scenario where it might be exposed to a sudden heavy load that will cause tearing, “propagating an existing tear, such as a seam or button hole”. In this procedure, the fabric is loaded into the “sample jaws”, which are then closed and the fabric is cut by pulling down the knife handle.

The fourth and final method is the Dimensional Changes of Fabrics Accelerated (Quickwash). The Quickwash machine is used to simulate many diverse home and commercial laundering procedures. This process is started by drawing 4 dots in a diamond on the fabric, measuring the distance between them and washing the fabric. Once dried, the distance between the dots is measured again to determine the fabric shrinkage.

All in all, these four methods are very beneficial and a great way to test out fabric strength and durability.

                             Photoshopped Image

                                                                

Draft 1- Fibers: IKAT

Kayla Towns

ID 3311.001

GAINES

9-7-2011

Fibers: IKAT

There are many fibers that are not only beautiful, but full of history, background, and meaning and IKAT is most certainly one of those. In a few short paragraphs, a summary of the most important and interesting facts about this fiber will be covered, beginning with its origin: Indonesia.

IKAT is the most popular and signature fiber that is used for many different things in the Indonesian culture. The word IKAT comes from the Indonesian word ‘mengikat’ which means ‘to tie or wrap’. Before it was called IKAT, Europeans called it “Flame Cloth” because of the flame-like designs found in the fabric.

Indonesians have been practicing the art of IKAT for generations. It is a very complicated system of creating fibers that is very tedious and time-consuming. In short, the threads are tied together in groups before they are woven. Certain groups of tied threads are also covered in wax to keep them from absorbing dye in the later dyeing process. This is called resist-dyeing. However, in a Double IKAT, both the warp AND weft threading is tied together and coated in wax. This is done to create slightly hazy borders between colors, giving the finished piece a softer look. If there are many colors in the fabric, it takes longer to dye, dry, and repeat the process in the remaining colors. The process highly involves color layering and takes a considerable amount of time to achieve a beautiful fabric.

IKAT is not only found in Indonesia, but all over Asia. It is a very popular style in Malaysia, India, China, and Uzbekistan. IKAT has been used for very special purposes, including ceremonial significance in the Indonesian culture.      

In conclusion, IKAT is not only a beautiful technique, but is also full of history, background and meaning.  

                                          Original image found at:
                        http://www.google.com/imgres?q=ikat+fabric/

                                                                                  
                                            Photoshop rendering