Natural plant fibres, animal skins, and bird feathers have always been the staples of our clothing, furnishing, and bedding. Remains found in eastern Europe indicate that 20,000 years ago people lived in tents of hide stretched over frames of wood or mammoth tusks. But it was another 13,000 years before we see any evidence of weaving.
In China, silkworm farms flourished in the Yellow River Valley 5000 years ago, and wall hangings, carpets, and scrolls in intricate and beautifully worked patterns were woven on bamboo looms. Carpetmaking probably originated with nomads as a means of keeping their tents warm. Later it became an art form, finding its finest expression in the carpets of Persia. Wool and silk were dyed with chamomile flowers, madder root, and acorns and carpets and rugs were made in geometric designs or symbolic patterns of flowers and birds. In the 19th century, the subtle, slowly fading colours were replaced by the brighter hues of synthetic dyes.
Historically, wool has been the favourite fabric in Europe. The ancient Romans wove woollen blankets, wall hangings, and togas and, much later, the Medicis of Florence made their fortune in the wool trade. By the middle of the 13th century, Britain had a near monopoly on wool, forbade the import of cotton, and decreed compulsory burial shrouds of wool. This supremacy lasted until Australia began to breed the Iberian merino sheep in the 18th century. Australian merino wool today constitutes more than one-third of world production.
Synthetic fibres
Just before World War II the first commercial synthetic fibre, nylon, was invented by Wallace Carothers. Since then natural fibres have been largely supplanted by “artificial” fibres of two main types. Cellulosics are derived from the cellulose in trees and plants — the major fibres being rayon and acetate. Noncellulosics can come from hydrocarbons, glass, and graphite — the major fibres being polyester, nylon, acrylic, and polypropylene. Noncellulosics account for 90 per cent of all synthetics. This is unfortunate, since cellulosics can come from renewable plant resources and offer possibilities of environmentally sustainable synthetics.
Fibres and the ecosystem
Natural fibres come from abundant and renewable resources and are produced as annual crops or animal byproducts. But “natural” does not necessarily mean “healthy”, mainly due to the prolific use of chemicals and pesticides during cultivation or afterward as additives. Cotton plantations are sprayed with pesticides and fungicides in spring and with defoliants in the autumn. Most chemical residues are removed when cotton is processed and when it is first washed. Formaldehyde, used to produce finishes that appear on labels as “easy-care”, “non-iron“, or “crease-resistant”, can be permanent. Legally enforced flame retardants can be health hazards, too. In the US, the carcinogenic TRIS is banned in children’s sleepwear but is legal in adult clothing. Wool or wool/cotton mixtures are alternatives, but they may have been mothproofed with sodium fluorosilicate, dieldrin, or DDT. Such pesticides are difficult to identify, and it is safest to use wool that has not been mothproofed. Some people are allergic to wool and to feathers.
Linen
Made from the annual flax (Linum usitatissimum), long linen fibres from the crushed stems are combed and spun into yarn. Woven or knitted linen produces a fabric with a natural sheen and slightly uneven texture, but it is moisture absorbent and cool as well as strong and durable. Linen is finished by calendering or pressing through rollers to prevent shrinking and a tendency to fray. It is sold unbleached or dyed and printed.
Cotton
Natural cellulose fibres are produced from the hairs around the seed pods of the annual cotton plant (Gossypium). Cotton gins separate the pods into seeds that yield cooking oil and cattle fodder, soft fibres (lint) spun into yarns for woven fabrics, and coarse linters used in cotton padding, rayon, and papermaking. Cotton is soft and nonirritating, absorbs body moisture, allowing the skin to breathe, and is cool in summer, warm in winter. But some finishes involve harmful chemicals (see left); mercerized and sanforized cotton, treated to resist shrinkage and to accept dyes, can be regarded as harmless.
Wool
Most sheep fleece is washed or scoured and, when carded and combed, the fibres are ready for spinning, weaving, or knitting. Finishes — to increase the bulk, reduce shrinkage, and absorb grease—include fulling of the cloth and,sometimes, mothproofing at the dyeing stage. Wool is warm in winter, cool in summer, water resistant on the outside, absorbent on the inside, and naturally flame resistant. It may be mixed with other fibres, so you should look for the official woolmark guaranteeing 100% wool content. Other wool sources include silky Kashmir goats and Angora rabbits, yaks, and llamas, vicunas, and alpacas. The coarser wool of Angora goats (mohair) is usually mixed withfine lamb’s wool; fibres from the Bactrian camel have a texture midway between the two. Felt is made by matting together woollen fibres.
Silk
Luxurious, soft, and lightweight, silk is made from the tough filaments spun by silkworms round their cocoons as they feed on mulberry leaves. The long,elastic fibres are woven to make warm fabrics of various weights and textures, while the short fibres are spun or used as silk waste.
More about: Natural House Natural fibres
- Natural House Natural Fibres continue...
- Take Care Your Home Fabrics Part 3
- Window Dressing (Fabric)
- Take Care Your Home Fabrics Part 2
- Reducing the health hazards
- Live House Colour and Pattern Part3
- Knowing your own House space continue...
- Take Care Your Home Fabrics Part 1
- The prefect Companion: Home Flooring part 2
- Care for Rugs and Carpets
July 8th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
While creating the most apt look for the bath area, all your accessories must be well coordinated right from the towels to the shower curtains. … Shower Curtain
July 9th, 2008 at 4:05 am
They are hypoallergenic, like all our down products, but made with a luxurious and traditional 300 thread count all white Egyptian cotton shell. … Foam Pillows
July 17th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Today' fiber colored cotton for manufacturing of naturally colored cotton fabric which eliminates the dyeing process. … Satin Weave Background
July 17th, 2008 at 9:20 pm
There's no question that prices attracted me to your company, but it was Pat who made the difference."… … Natural Wool Comes