All About Looks

            Last week my class and I made a field trip to All About Looks on Buddy Holliday. While in the shop, we were able to speak to the three women who run and own this story. It was very interesting to hear their story and how they began their journey in the fabric world.  Between the three of them, no one has a background as an interior designer or anything to do with the fabric business. They started the business because of their love for it. From being in the fabric business, they have learned as they go and have become very successful and they have broadened their intelligence with fabrics and what they can do with them.

     The mother of the shop introduced us to their background and how they have progressed over the years. I thought it was very interesting how many clients would ask them to perform tasks they have never done before and they were willing to try their best. This resulted in expanding what their shop could do for the public. As the years go on, they have mastered many designs and products, but that came along with a lot of trial by error. We were shown the new fabrics that were in style today, what fabrics are best where, and how many of them are sewn together. The shop contained some very interesting pieces of fabric or material. The thing that stood out to me the most was a new type of wallpaper and a pillowcase made from cork. The pillowcase from cork was still squishy, but I would guess mainly for looks. The style and texture of the cork pillow would make an awesome piece in a very earthy design. I love how many things from today’s earth that are unexpected are being made into a design pieces. The unexpected materials that were used were the most intriguing part to me.

     One of the daughters talked to us about hardware that was used for window treatments. We were introduced into the different materials hardware could be made out of and how they affect the look of the room. With smaller rooms, smaller pieces of hardware were the best and then the opposite for a big spacious room, larger pieces made an impact on the emotion the room portrayed. As we all know, windows can come in many different shapes and sizes and the designer does their best to accommodate those details. The women at All About Looks were explaining the different shapes and sizes of windows and how to deal with the unexpected problems. Another factor that plays into affect with windows is the world’s natural sunlight. Sunlight can be a major role in the way a room is set up. Many questions the women asked us that we should think about was, what is the room being used for, are the windows going to be covered or not, as well as if you want to block the sunlight or not.

     All About Looks is a very inspiring shop. We were taught that a lot of this business is learned through real life experiences and problems you come across and have to solve. 

The Testing Process

            To kick the week off, my fabric and materials class visited the Fiber and Biopolymer Research facility. We were able to see two things during our two visits to the center. First, we saw the fabric making process that started with cotton in the raw form. We saw it come straight from the fields on their trucks, and then sent through many machines in order to be cleaned, made into thread, and then made into a sheet of fabric. My favorite part about the trip was being able to see fabric made. It was astounding and so amazing that fabric is made the way it is. It is a long process that people would never expect it to be. After that we were able to see the next step in the fabric making and testing process.

            In our tour of the testing rooms, we were able to see multiple machines and their functions to actually test the fabrics they had. The first machine we were introduced to was the Martindale Abrasion tester. This machine zeros in on how much wear and tear the fabric can take. The fabric is placed on the machine, on a circular dish that has a rough type of surface to it. There is a top that you can add any weights to in order to add a specific amount of pressure. In order to check the fabric, there are checkpoints after a certain amount of rubs the machine does.  After the machine finishes each step of the way, the fabric is checked to see if any of the threads have broken during the process. This information is then recorded and sent back to the client.

            The second machine we were introduced to was the quick wash and drying process. During this process, the purpose of it is to see when the fabric shrinks and what happens to it when being washed and dried. The fabric size is recorded before the process and then it is recorded after to see how much of a percentage it shrunk just from being washed. The fabric is then scanned and saved for the company.

            The random pilling tester tests the amount of time and pressure it takes for a fabric to pill; pilling is defined as the little fabric balls that form on the top of the fabric form pressure and abrasion. This process is also recorded and the results are sent to the company or client in order to see if they want to use the fabric. This process is important for companies because if the fabric is going to be used on a daily basis, for an athletic team, or being rubbed on often, the amount of time it takes for the fabric to pill is very important.

            Strength of fabric is very important as well. In order to test the strength of the fabric needs to be known in order to figure out what the fabric needs and can be used for. The stronger the fabric is used for a lot different items then the weaker fabric. To test the strength of a fabric, there is a machine, which clamps the fabric on either side and pulls in opposite directions. When the first little thread pops on the piece of fabric the strength of the fabric is recorded. This is very important when clothing companies, furniture companies, and the basic fabric stores are selecting their fabrics.

            All of these machines are very important for companies to know the information the testing certain provides them with, Without these results many fabrics would be on the wrong furniture or the wrong person would being wearing it while doing a bad activity for the fabric.

FIber- Silkiest Silk

Silkiest Silk

            One of the most luxurious fibers that people die for today is silk. The smooth and cold feel of the fabric is desirable to a lot of people. The price of silk is very costly because of the process it takes to make it and the history behind it. Silk comes from the cocoon of a larva and a long process after that. The man by the name of Leizu, from China, is the man that discovered such an amazing and fragile fiber. To explain exactly how precious and expensive silk is, in history, silk was reserved for the Kings of China for their own use or if they chose to gift it for others. Luckily, silk can be made year round so the high demand for it stays under control.

            Silk is made from a specific process. Silkworms lay eggs on a monthly basis on a specially piece of paper that is prepared for them. A straw or stick is placed above them horizontally so they can produce their cocoon on that material. After two to three days of spinning, they have produced about a mile of silk. Can you believe that? After the cocoons are made, they are sorted by their color, shape, and size. They want to make sure same color of silk is paired with one of the same. Then they are soaked in water in order to separate parts of the cocoon from the actual silk. This process is very detailed and lengthy, but makes a beautiful and high end fabric. The threads that are produced are so delicate, so in order for someone to work with them they have to spin three to ten strands of silk are spun together to make it more durable.

            Silk is one of the strongest fibers that we know of, but if you happen to get your silk wet, be careful; it becomes very delicate and hard to work with. Also, do not plan on wearing your silk dress to go hiking in; it can not take the wear and tear of most more durable fabrics. The two protein fibers that make up silk are sericin and fibroin. The make up of silk does not allow the fabric to have much of a stretch or elastic feel to it, so be careful when you go to buy a silk piece of clothing; there is no room for mistakes. Many people believe the “silky” feel of the fabric would allow for it to be a breezy type of fabric, but be careful when wearing this type of fabric in the heat; it likes to trap heat.

            They’re a many types of silk. Chiffon is the lightest weight of the silks and a very thin and sheer type of silk. Chiffon can be used to add dimension to a piece of work. There is also China Silk that is a plain-weave fabric. It is one of the least expensive kinds of silk. A lot of scarves are made from China Silk. Twisting fibers clockwise and others counterclockwise makes Crepe de Chine Silk. They are woven in a plain-weave pattern and should be handled very delicately. Charmeuse is known as the traditional silk and what most people think of as silk. The front of Chermeuse is a silky shimmery weave and can be found in scarves, blouses, and lingerie. Jacquard silks can be woven in different patterns and create a positive and negative effect on the fabric on opposite sides. Douppioni is a plain-weave silk with ribs that cause texture on the fabric. You often find Douppioni in elegant and expensive pieces of fabric and gowns.

            We all love silk and we have opened a new world to experimenting with silk. Silk has grown a respectable and expensive reputation. Owning silk can be a status symbol to many, but the type of silk it is and where it is placed also plays a role into it. Silk is an amazing and luxurious piece of fabric that this world is so proud to have discovered and made use of it.