Coated fabrics play a part in miracle escape

Most aircraft passengers pay little attention to the safety briefings given at the beginning of every flight. Accidents are extremely rare, but when they do occur, all safety procedures must be adhered to. The recent crash in the Hudson River proved the safety equipment was ready and reliable. Immediately following take-off, US Airways flight 1549 lost both its engines. The lives of the 150 passengers depended on safety procedures going as planned. Crucially, the pilot landed the stricken aircraft safely on the Hudson River – allowing the passengers to subsequently be evacuated down the escape slides manufactured by Air Cruisers using coated fabrics from Trelleborg. The incident took place on January 15 this year. "It wasn't until the day after that Air Cruisers informed us that the aircraft was fitted with their escape slides," says Keith Dye, President of Trelleborg Coated Systems US. "We are all humbled to have played a part in helping to save lives. We don't look forward to seeing these products being used, but we're confident that when called on, they will be ready." Great credit goes to Air Cruisers' escape slides. Company President John O'Donnell was quick to acknowledge Trelleborg's contribution. "We do not make our products alone," he stated. "A major part of our product's success is due to our suppliers – you should share the same sense of pride we at Air Cruisers have in helping to make the 'Miracle on the Hudson' a reality." Air Cruisers has used Trelleborg coated fabrics products for about 30 years – well before Reeves Brothers, as the supplier was formerly known, became part of the Trelleborg Group in 2006. The two companies now work closely together on product development using the Six Sigma quality management process for continuous product improvement. In all projects, each of the companies appoints a Six Sigma 'black-belt,' who acts as the project champion. "It's a true partnership," says Dye, while O'Donnell describes it as a "win-win effort for both parties." Trelleborg's products are under continual development. The company is currently performing fabric tests and qualifications for materials that Air Cruisers will use to manufacture escape slides for the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Other products in its range of more than 2,000 custom-coated fabrics have life-saving purposes, such as the de-icing fabrics used on small fixed-wing aircraft, and the gasket that seals the blood port of an emergency blood analyser. In the late 1950s, Air Cruisers, a pioneer of aircraft safety equipment, launched the first inflatable evacuation chutes. The chutes – now called evacuation slides – are the mainstay of its business, according to O'Donnell. "The most critical quality of our product is the ability to make high-strength yet lightweight inflatables that can retain air pressure," he says. "The balance between weight and performance is always the challenge in the aviation business. This is where the Trelleborg product comes in – the coated fabric that supports our processes and specifications." In addition to the strict quality controls exercised by Trelleborg on its fabrics, Air Cruisers' escape slides also have to meet demanding qualification standards set by the Federal Aviation Authority and gain installation approval for each type of aircraft on which they are fitted.
"We can't have a high-quality evacuation system without high-quality coated fabrics," O'Donnell says. "Incidents such as the 'Miracle on the Hudson' remind us why quality is so important in our products."

Coatings enhance fabric properties
Trelleborg Coated Systems, a part of business area Trelleborg Engineered Systems, produces a range of coated fabrics that customers assemble into finished products – aircraft escape slides are just one example. The concept is relatively simple: a carefully engineered chemical compound or coating is applied to a textile or fabric to give it enhanced physical properties, such as high tear-strength, tensile strength, heat-resistance or flame-retardation. Some products consist of two coated fabrics bonded together. Coated fabrics are normally delivered to the customer in roll form. The products delivered to Air Cruisers are typically nylon fabrics coated with polyurethane compounds consisting of primers, adhesion promoters and flame-retardants. The fabric used for the floor of the escape slide has a low coefficient of friction, to make sliding easy, and anti-static properties, to avoid any sparking, while the fabric for the air tubes, which keep the slide afloat, is air-tight. Both fabrics are flame-retardant and water-repellent.

Designer Silk Ties and Their Creators

Here you will find a series of brief critiques about fashion designers and their designer tie creations. There are those who have haven risen to prominence, others emerging and those who have fallen from grace. Regardless of status, each one has made a significant contribution to the designer silk tie, an everlasting style

A Designer Silk Tie in Fragrant Blossom
The Spitalfield flower pattern can be traced back to Huguenot weavers of the 1800’s. Today recognised as the trademark of the Timothy Everest brand. He’s given the flower new life. It’s essence captured tastefully in a new range of lovely, colourful silk ties that reflect the brilliant hues of nature. Be ware of imitations, this pattern is exclusive to Timothy Everest, it’s his signature. Turn the tie over and you’ll witness the finite detail that only a tailor could conceive. The Spitalfields flower in fragrant blossom all seasons. It doesn’t end there, the entire collection blooms into autumn, prevail the winter gloom. And for spring it’s even brighter, classic style in a contemporary framework, each tie, an example of fine English needle work

Textile Designer

A textile designer has to deal with a great range of duties and responsibilities.

A textile designer is generally responsible for the following activities.

General work performed by textile designers

:

• Attracting clients by proper planning and presentation
• Briefing the initial ideas and concepts to clients
• Analysis and research works
• Development of design
• Commercial aspects of finished product

Textile designers primarily fall into two basic categories.

They either work for design agencies, manufacturers or retailers or they work as Freelancers.

A textile designer needs the following skills and qualities .

• A basic understanding of color, texture and pattern

• Creativity and artistic sense

• Adequate knowledge of various techniques and characteristics of different textile materials

• Knowledge of recent market trends

• Ability to work in a team

• Good communication skills

• Knowledge of relevant softwares used in textile designing

• Marketing, financial and administrative skills in case of freelancers

To create innovative and a wide variety of designs, textile designers usually works in knit, print or weave.

There are two basic fields in textile designing .

• Interiors ( home furnishing )

• Fabrics for garments and accessories

Specialized works performed by textile designers are categorically listed below .

• Creating sample design set

• Liaising with clients to plan and develop designs

• Proper interpretation and representation of clients' ideas

• Creating sketches and designs for presentation to the clients

• Proper assessment of finished products

• Utilizing specialized computer aided design software (CAD) to create a great variety of designs

• Color, fabric and texture experimentation

• Possessing updated knowledge of new developments in the field of designing and production techniques

• Creating innovative design concepts

• Maintaining deadlines

• Attending trade shows regularly

• Getting updated with contemporary fashion trends in textile designing

• Developing and maintaining a network of business contacts

Indian Textile

India has a diverse and rich textile tradition. The origin of Indian textiles can be traced to the Indus valley civilization. The people of this civilization used homespun cotton for weaving their garments. Excavations at Harappa and Mohen -jo-Daro, have unearthed household items like needles made of bone and spindles made of wood, amply suggesting that homespun cotton was used to make garments. Fragments of woven cotton have also been found from these sites

The first literary information about textiles in India can be found in the Rigveda, which refers to weaving. The ancient Indian epics-Ramayana and Mahabharat also speak of a variety of fabrics of those times. The Ramayana refers to the rich styles worn by the aristocracy on one hand and the simple clothes worn by the commoners and ascetics. Ample evidence on the ancient textiles of India can also be obtained from the various sculptures belonging to Mauryan and Gupta age as well as from ancient Buddhist scripts and murals (Ajanta caves). Legend has it that when Amrapali, a courtesan from the kingdom of Vaishali met Gautam Buddha, she wore a richly woven semi transparent sari, which speaks volumes of the technical achievement of the ancient Indian weaver.

India had numerous trade links with the outside world and Indian textiles were popular in the ancient world. Indian silk was popular in Rome in the early centuries of the Christian era. Hoards of fragments of cotton material originating from Gujarat have been found in the Egyptian tombs at Fostat, belonging to 5th century A.D. Cotton textiles were also exported to China during the heydays of the silk route. Silk fabrics from south India were exported to Indonesia during the 13th century. India also exported printed cotton fabrics or chintz, to European countries and the Far East before the coming of the Europeans to India. The British East India Company also traded in Indian cotton and silk fabrics, which included the famous Dacca muslins.Muslins from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa were also popular abroad.(Muslin-a very thin cotton material) (Chintz-cotton cloth, usually printed with flowery patterns, that has a slightly shiny appearance). The past traditions of the textile and handlooms can still be seen amongst the motifs, patterns, designs, and the old techniques of weaving, still employed by the weavers.

Strengths Weaknesses

Strengths of Indian textile Industry

• India has rich resources of raw materials of textile industry. It is one of the largest producers of cotton in the world and is also rich in resources of fibres like polyester, silk, viscose etc.
• India is rich in highly trained manpower. The country has a huge advantage due to lower wage rates. Because of low labor rates the manufacturing cost in textile automatically comes down to very reasonable rates.
• India is highly competitive in spinning sector and has presence in almost all processes of the value chain.
• Indian garment industry is very diverse in size, manufacturing facility, type of apparel produced, quantity and quality of output, cost, requirement for fabric etc. It comprises suppliers of ready-made garments for both, domestic or export markets.

Weaknesses of Indian textile Industry

• Indian textile industry is highly fragmented in industry structure, and is led by small scale companies. The reservation of production for very small companies that was imposed with the intention to help out small scale companies across the country, led substantial fragmentation that distorted the competitiveness of industry. Smaller companies do not have the fiscal resources to enhance technology or invest in the high-end engineering of processes. Hence they lose in productivity.
• Indian labour laws are relatively unfavorable to the trades and there is an urgent need for labour reforms in India.
• India seriously lacks in trade pact memberships, which leads to restricted access to the other major markets.

Outlook for Indian textile Industry
The outlook for textile industry in India is very optimistic. It is expected that Indian textile industry would continue to grow at an impressive rate. Textile industry is being modernized by an exclusive scheme, which has set aside $5bn for investment in improvisation of machinery. India can also grab opportunities in the export market. The textile industry is anticipated to generate 12mn new jobs in various sectors.

Textile Industry in India

Textile Industry in India is the second largest employment generator after agriculture. It holds significant status in India as it provides one of the most fundamental necessities of the people. Textile industry was one of the earliest industries to come into existence in India and it accounts for more than 30% of the total exports. In fact Indian textile industry is the second largest in the world, second only to China.

Textile Industry is unique in the terms that it is an independent industry, from the basic requirement of raw materials to the final products, with huge value-addition at every stage of processing. Textile industry in India has vast potential for creation of employment opportunities in the agricultural, industrial, organised and decentralised sectors & rural and urban areas, particularly for women and the disadvantaged. Indian textile industry is constituted of the following segments: Readymade Garments, Cotton Textiles including Handlooms, Man-made Textiles, Silk Textiles, Woollen Textiles, Handicrafts, Coir, and Jute.

Till the year 1985, development of textile sector in India took place in terms of general policies. In 1985, for the first time the importance of textile sector was recognized and a separate policy statement was announced with regard to development of textile sector. In the year 2000, National Textile Policy was announced. Its main objective was: to provide cloth of acceptable quality at reasonable prices for the vast majority of the population of the country, to increasingly contribute to the provision of sustainable employment and the economic growth of the nation; and to compete with confidence for an increasing share of the global market. The policy also aimed at achieving the target of textile and apparel exports of US $ 50 billion by 2010 of which the share of garments will be US $ 25 billion.

Types of textile fabric

• Cotton canvas
• Plastic fabric
• Chiffon fabric
• Cotton fabric
• Crepe fabric
• Furnishing fabric
• Industrial fabric
• Jacquard fabric
• Laminated fabric
• Narrow fabric
• Non woven fabric
• Quilted fabric
• Upholstery fabric
• Woven fabric
• Yarn dyed fabric

Uses of textile fabric

Textile fabrics are used for multiple purposes. The primary uses of textile fabrics follows.
• Used for making home furnishing products like bed sheets, cushion, cushion covers.
• Used for making carpets and rugs
• Used for preparing crests, emblems and ribbons
• Used for preparing embroidered apparel and garments
• Used for making jute products like bags, rugs and many more
• Used for preparing apparel and garments for men, women and children
• Used for preparing textile accessories
• Used for making embroidery threads and sewing treads
• Used for making towels like beach towels, bath towels, kitchen towels and aprons
• Used for preparing woolen garments,blankets and woolen accessories
• Used for making yarns including cotton and knitting yarns
• Used for making mosquito nets, insect nets and bug nets
• Used for making tents and camps
• Used for making webbing belt, twine, rope and webbing straps
• Used for making plastic products

Textile fabrics are either natural fabric or synthetic. Our country is exporting natural textile fabrics since the ancient times. Synthetic fabrics are comparatively new and evolved with the continuous growth in textile industry. According to the need and constant innovation in textile fabrics, water proof, oil resistant, UV resistant as well as abrasive resistant fabrics are also available nowadays.

the textile industry of surat

Surat, an emerging city in the state of Gujarat, is known as the textile city of Gujarat. And, the epithet is perfectly suited to the city. The textile industry is one of the oldest and the most widespread industries in Surat. A major part of the city�s population is associated with the textile industry.

Overview of the Surat textile industry

The textile industry in Surat is mainly engaged in the activities of yarn production, weaving, processing as well as embroidery.

Surat is well known for its synthetic products market. It is mainly engaged in the production and trading of synthetic textile products.

Nearly 30 million metres of raw fabric and 25 million metres of processed fabric are produced in Surat daily. The city has several textile markets that exist since times immemorial. Zampa Bazaar, Bombay Market, JJ Textile Market and Jash Market are among them. Katat Gam, Magdalla and Udhana are the areas of Surat where manufacturing is mainly concentrated. In the course of time, people from various other places like Rajasthan and Kolkata settled in Surat in order to carry out their textile business.

Brands from Surat

The famous brands of Garden and Vimal textiles evolved from Surat. A few other brands like Parag and Prafful from Surat did become famous for a short time, but failed to create a lasting impression in the market.

Major markets

The main market for Surat�s textile products are India and other Asian countries. Around 90% of polyester used in India comes from Surat. However, international demand for its products is not very significant. The Middle East is the major export market for Surat�s textile products. According to experts, more improvisation in the quality is required to cater to the demands of the international market.

Growth

The Surat textile industry has grown considerably over time. As per recent figures, textile production in Surat has grown by 10% in the last 5 years, while the market for embroidery has grown from an almost negligible amount to around Rs. 30000 million over the same period.

Strengths

One of the main reasons behind the growth of Surat�s textile industry is the city�s ability to adapt to changes and the latest trends. The city is quick to respond to any changes in the preferences of people. The industrialists here have strong entrepreneurial skills.

Handloom Weavers

The handloom was devised about 2,000 years ago and was brought to England by the Romans. The process consisted of interlacing one set of threads of yarn (the warp) with another (the weft). The warp threads are stretched lengthwise in the weaving loom. The weft, the cross-threads, are woven into the warp to make the cloth.
Weaving remained unchanged for hundreds of years until John Kay devised the flying shuttle, which enabled a weaver to knock the shuttle across the loom and back again using one hand only. The speed of weaving was doubled; and a single weaver could make cloths of any width, whereas previously two men had sat together at a loom to make broad cloth. By 1800 it was estimated that there were 250,000 handlooms in Britain.
1) Richard Guest, History of the Cotton Manufacture (1823)

The warp was placed between two beams about five feet apart; half way between the beams the warp passed through a frame work of looped threads, called healds, each alternative thread of the warp going through one heald, and the other threads through the other heald. The healds were worked by two treadles, which upon one being put down by the foot, raised one half of the healds and every second thread of the warp; the shuttle which contained the weft was then thrown by the right hand between the threads which were at rest, and the second or alternative threads raised by the treadle and the healds; the shuttle was caught on the other side by the left hand, and the weft thus transversely shot between the threads of the warp.

(2) Edward Baines, History of the Cotton Manufacture in Great Britain (1935)

In 1738, Mr. John Kay, a native of Bury, in Lancashire, then residing at Colchester, where the woollen manufacture was at that time carried on, suggested a mode of throwing the shuttle, which enabled the weaver to make nearly twice as much cloth as he could make before. The old mode was, to throw the shuttle with the hand, which required a constant extension of the hands to each side of the warp. By the new plan, the lathe (in which the shuttle runs) was lengthened a foot at either end; and, by means of two strings attached to the opposite ends of the lathe, and both held by a peg in the weaver's hand, he, with a slight and sudden pluck, was able to give the proper impulse to the shuttle. The shuttle thus impelled was called the flying-shuttle, and the peg called the picking-peg (i.e. the throwing peg). This simple contrivance was a great saving of time and exertion to the weaver, and enabled one man to weave the widest cloth, which had before required two persons.

Advantages:

• High level of water resistance
• Naturally self- cleaning
• Durable protective function
High level of water resistance:

On NanoSphere textiles, water drops, e.g. when it is raining steadily, runoff simply and reliably
Naturally self-cleaning:

Oil, dirt and dust do not adhere to the NanoSphere surface and can be rinsed off with water.
Durable protective function:

Due to the extremely high level of abrasion resistance, the NanoSphere protective function is retained even with heavy duty use, frequent washing or cleaning.
The NanoSphere-finish when compared to other traditional textile finishes has a very high level of both wet and dry abrasion resistance.
Durable protective function:

• Normal washing or dry cleaning.
• Garments with NanoSphere finish can be washed and dry cleaned very easily.
• After 50 washing cycles the function still remains.
• Fabric softeners or dryer sheets are not recommended.
• Ironing or Tumbling.
• Heat and ironing recommended for optimum function.

NanoSphere is based on blue sign standard:

This NanoSphere technology is based on the blue sign standard, and guarantees the highest possible exclusion of substances which are harmful to human so the environment and promotes the economical use of resources in manufacturing.
• Elimination of all problematic substances
• Nano particles are fixed into a coating matrix.
• First class hygienic working conditions.

NanoSphere advantages at a glance:

• Uniquely repels water and stains.
• High level of abrasion resistance.
• NanoSphere offers reliable protection and lots of comfort
• The function is maintained even after numerous washing or cleaning cycles.
• NanoSphere can be applied on all types of textiles (cotton, synthetics etc.)
• Look, feel and breath ability are not affected.
• Ecologically clean textile finish developed in accordance with the bluesign standard.

The Role of Nanotechnology

The role of nanotechnology in textile industry has accelerated with a positive momentum during the recent past years. Textile companies have been spending ample in research and development activities in order to discover appropriate products, and add innovations to their existing ones. In fact, textile industry is the first manufacturing industry to come up with finished products that are enhanced through nanotechnology-based products. Nanotechnology has versatile applications in Textile Chemicals industry in manufacturing garments with stain resistance, flame retardant finishes, wrinkle resistance finishes, moisture management, antimicrobial qualities, UV protection, and soil release properties, etc.

Fibre2fashion has got feedback from the Schoeller Technologies AG, one of the leaders in Nanofinishes from the textile industry regarding the role of Nanotechnology in textile industry.

The leaves of certain plants always stay clean, because dirt cannot adhere to the finely- structured Surfaces and is easily washed off by rain.

The natural non-stick, and cleaning process, also known as the self-cleaning effect, is permanently transferred to the textile surface by means of nanotechnology.

The result is NanoSphere an ecologically clean textile finish, developed in accordance with the bluesign standard.

Water and stains have no chance:
Water and annoying stains have no chance on textiles with a NanoSphere finish. The nanotechnology-based textile impregnation is characterized by a high level of water resistance, a natural self-cleaning effect and a durable protective function.

Antimicrobial Products in Textile Industry

As far as health-related professions are concerned, protection from pathogens is a growing concern, and textiles with antimicrobial properties are becoming more desirable. Fungi or similar other insects are responsible for lethal infections and allergic reactions. Despite the production of antimicrobial textile products; three inherent problems remain:

* Demonstration of efficacy,
* Claiming efficacy in a manner that does not invite legal challenge and,
* Maintaining efficacy over the lifetime of the textile and through generations of microbial challenges.

These problems might be restated as how to test and present the results of the testing, how to make the effect durable, and how to avoid microbial resistance to the treatment. These problems combine so that in spite of the obvious commercial and advertising potential, effective, durable, inexpensive, and safe biocidal textiles are not widely available in the market. It is of note that one promising compound which has been appearing commercially in a variety of products has just encountered its first resistant organism
Antimicrobial Technologies in Textiles:

Whether the performance or technical fabric is ultimately used outdoors, indoors, or on the body challenges such as microbial control, moisture management, odor control, elasticity, and even softness are prevalent. These challenges offer new opportunities to wisely seek technologies to address those needs whether you are looking for a single or combination of features.

This discussion will address the considerations important in choosing the right finishes for your customers performance needs, i.e. durability, ease of application, safety, and ultimate end-use performance requirements. Consumers needs drive the product value chain and features of value make the margin difference for marketplace success.

The inherent properties of the textile fibres provide room for the growth of micro-organisms. Besides, the structure of the substrates and the chemical processes may induce the growth of microbes. Humid and warm environment still aggravate the problem. Infestation by microbes cause cross infection by pathogens and development odour where the fabric is worn next to skin. In addition, the staining and loss of the performance properties of textile substrates are the results of microbial attack. Basically, with a view to protect the wearer and the textile substrate itself antimicrobial finish is applied to textile materials.

Bright Future for Indian Textile Industry

The textile industry in India is substantial, and largely diversified. It is hard to cover all its aspects even within hour-long presentation, however, research team of Fibre2fashion.com has attempted to gather significant pieces of massively complicated puzzle of this industry.

The Indian textile industry roots thousands of years back. After, the European industry insurrection, Indian textile sector also witnessed considerable development in industrial aspects. Textile industry plays an important role in the terms of revenue generation in Indian economy. The significance of the textile industry is also due to its contribution in the industrial production, employment. Currently, it is the second largest employment provider after agriculture and provides employment to more than 30mn people.

Prospect

Considering the continual capital investments in the textile industry, the Govt. of India may extend the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme (TUFS) by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (till 2011-2012), in order to support the industry. Indian textile industry is massively investing to meet the targeted output of $85bn by the end of 2010, aiming exports of $50bn. There is huge development foreseen in Indian textile exports from the $17bn attained in 2005-06 to $50bn by 2009-10. The estimation for the exports in the current financial year is about $19bn. There is substantial potential in Indian exports of technical textiles and home-textiles, as most European companies want to set up facilities near-by the emerging markets, such as China and India.

The global demand for apparel and woven textiles is likely to grow by 25 percent by year 2010 to over 35mn tons, and Asia will be responsible for 85 percent output of this growth. The woven products output will also rise in Central and Southern American countries, however, at a reasonable speed. On the other hand, in major developed countries, the output of woven products will remain stable. Weaving process is conducted to make fabrics for a broad range of clothing assortment, including shirts, jeans, sportswear, skirts, dresses, protective clothing etc., and also used in non-apparel uses like technical, automotive, medical etc...

It is been forecasted that the woven textile and apparel markets will sustain their growth from current till 2010. The imports of apparel and textiles will rise from developed economies like the USA and the western countries of Europe and Japan, along with some newly emerged economies, such as South Korea and Taiwan. Certainly, import growth has been witnessed vertical rise in the previous year.

Apparel is the most preferred and important of all the other applications. Woven fabrics are widely used in apparel assortments, including innerwear, outerwear, nightwear and underwear, as well as in specialized apparels like protective clothing and sportswear. Home textile also contributes considerably in woven fabric in products assortments like curtains, furnishing fabrics, carpets, table cloths etc.

Special kind of woven fabrics are utilized in medical as well as industrial applications. The medical applications include adhesives, dressing bandages, plasters etc.

Where as, industrial applications includes;

Geotextile - interior upholstery, trim, airbags and seat belts and lyre fabrics.
Sailcloth - tent and fabrics used architectures, transportation and tarpaulins.
And many more applications...
The Indian Industry foresees huge demand for industrial woven products for medical and automotive applications. Demand for woven fabrics is anticipated to be rise vertically in the sector of home textiles.

Non woven sector has great future in terms of global demand, thus major facilities of cotton yarn are currently concentrating just on home textiles. It is mandatory, that the peak management of the cotton yarn manufacturers analyze the future prospect and growing graph of demand for non woven products.

Silk Cloths

The Chinese has used silk since the 27th century B.C.. Silk is mentioned by Aristotle and became a valuable commodity both in Greece and Rome. During the Roman Empire, silk was sold for its weight in gold. The Chinese domesticated silk worms and fed them with mulberry leaves. They unwound the silkworms' cocoons to produce long strands of silk fiber

Farm women in China at that period were supposed to raise such silkworms as one of their chores. Silk was used in China and exported along the Silk Road (the ancient trade route linking China and the Roman Empire). This trade brought China great wealth, but the Chinese did not give away the secret on how silk was formed.

Christian monks finally broke China’s monopoly of the silk production by smuggling silkworm eggs out of the country, and soon other countries started to produce their own silk.

Production of silk :

Silkworms are cultivated and fed with mulberry leaves. Some of these eggs are hatched by artificial means such as an incubator, and in the olden times, the people carried it close to their bodies so that it would remain warm.

Silkworms that feed on smaller, domestic tree leaves produce the finer silk, while the coarser silk is produced by silkworms that have fed on oak leaves. From the time they hatch to the time they start to spin cocoons, they are very carefully tended to. Noise is believed to affect the process, thus the cultivators try not to startle the silkworms

Their cocoons are spun from the tops of loose straw. It will be completed in two to three days' time. The cultivators then gather the cocoons and the chrysales are killed by heating and drying the cocoons.

Care of your silk :

It is best to dry clean your silk garment either by individual or bulk method, in order to maintain the characteristic of the silk

Dry clean : Sending it to the dry cleaners may be done but make sure that you inform the dry cleaner that your garment is made of silk.

Hand wash :

1) Make sure you wash in cool water. 2) Use a small amount of soap or mild detergent to wash the silk. 3) After washing it, rinse in cold water. 4) Hang it or lay it flat in a shaded area to dry. 5) If pressing is needed, use an all cotton iron board cover, a low or moderate steam setting, and press on the wrong side of the fabric while ironing.

Other Tips :

To keep white silk white, add peroxide and ammonia to the wash. Do not use bleach or any washing detergent with bleach To remove yellow from white silk, add a few teaspoons of white vinegar to the wash..

Spray Painting

Spray painting refers to painting using a device that sprays the paint.

A basic spray painting system consists of a conventional spray painting gun, a pressurized paint container, a compressed air system, and flexible tubes connecting them all together. This type of system has transfer efficiency ranging between 20% and 50%. Improper setup and painting techniques will increase the amount of paint used and cost involved.

There are several different technologies for doing this

• Canned spray paint
  The most common type in the consumer market is an aerosol can of spray paint.
  
  
• Semi-professional spraypainting
  There are a variety of hand-held paint sprayers that either combine the paint with air, or convert the paint to tiny droplets and accelerate these out from a nozzle.
  
  
• Professional spraypainting
  Automobile body shops use air compressors and specialized equipment to spray paint onto a car body. This can be expensive, with a high-quality car paint job costing from $2000 to $5000. The high cost is due to the high quality paints, the laborious nature of surface preparations, and the cost of the equipment to do this task

Fabric Block Printing

Block printing is a special form of printing first developed in China. The earliest known example with an actual date is a copy of the Diamond Sutra from 868 A.D (currently in the British Museum), though the practice of block printing is probably about two thousand years old.

The first step in block printing is the production of the original document. This is laid on a large, smooth wooden block and fixed into place, reversed. Next, craftsmen of various skill levels, ranging from master carvers for the fine work to less talented artisans for cheaper blocks or less important sections, carve the original painted, drawn or written image into the block of wood. The block can now be covered with ink and used in a press to create duplicates of the original.

In some ways block printing is superior to cast type or moveable type -- for a language such as Chinese which has a very broad character set, block prints are much cheaper to produce for the initial run. The process also allows greater artistic freedom, such as the easy inclusion of pictures and diagrams. However, printing blocks are not very durable, and deteriorate very rapidly with use, requiring constant replacement that limits the possibility of large-scale print runs. Printing blocks can, however, be made from a variety of materials such as wood, linoleum, rubber, or even potatoes.

Dhamadka a village in Gujarat has many printers using mostly madder root for printing red color, rusty iron solution for black color and indigo for blue color. These fabrics are known as Ajrakh. The designs made by block printing are geometric. Many states have block-printing workshops using chemical dyes. However there are only small pockets of areas still using natural dyeing with age-old recipes and local plant material.

In Rajasthan, hand-woven cotton is printed with dye and then over printed with a mud compound used as a resist. When the mud dries the entire fabric is dyed in an Indigo bath. The areas covered with mud retain the red design while blue penetrates the remainder. The two designs on sale at this stall were called "young womans cloth" and "old womans cloth."

Masuliputnam in Andhra Pradesh is the main centre of block printing where the fabric is known as Kalamkari. The cloth used generally is mill made cotton, which is first bleached with cow dung and placed in the sun. The next step is to soak the cloth in a mixture of Myrobalan and milk. The Myrobalan contains tannic acid and acts as a mordant helping the dyestuffs to bond with the fibre. The buffalo milk, having high fat content, helps prevent the dye from running. Then the black outline is printed using a solution made with rusty iron soaked in sugar water and bran for several weeks. When the solution comes in contact with the myrobalan it turns black. The next step is printing on another mordant, alum.

This bonds the red dye, Madder Root, after boiling, to the areas that receive the alum. These steps continue until all colours have been printed or brushed on. It is crucial to have a good water supply for washing after printing. It takes weeks to complete all these steps.

Hand printing and dyeing

The tying of cloth with thread and then dying it is the simplest and perhaps the oldest form of creating patterns on a plain piece of cloth. It is also the earliest forms of decorated textiles. The great archaeologist Sir Auriel Stien in Central Asia found the art of tie and dye. This form of patterning requires a mastery over dyeing.

The fabric is washed. Often it is dipped in a mordant so that it can absorb the dye. The cloth is folded, first lengthwise, than widthwise into four folds. The patterns on the body are then indicated all over the surface with the use of blocks dipped in geru, a red mud color. The cloth is then pinched with the left hand, one knot follows another, using the same thread. After the section, which are to be retained in the background color had been tied, the dying is repeated and the process of tying is carried out. The fabric is gradually dyed to the final dark color, which is either a brilliant red, purple, dark green a deep ultramarine blue or black. Its contrasting color border is created then the body of the sari is tied with thick threads and then covered with a plastic sheet, which is then tied firmly with thick threads. The border is then dipped in another shade. This is the traditional technique for tying and dyeing, which is followed, in all the important centers of Saurashtra and Kutch of Gujarat and also in Rajasthan.

Rajasthan, which has developed a different range of colors, has mastered another technique in which the background is in light color while the patterns are in dark colors. This is done by dyeing sections of the sari in the desired color with the use of a piece of felt and then tying. The cloth is bleached and only the tied sections retain the colors. After this the background color is dyed and the finished bandhani emerges, with dark colored doted pattern on a light background. The red chundari, which is used as a veil by young married women in rural areas, is never dyed in fast color bandhanis.

Kutch produces the finest bandhanis in India. Mandvi and Bhuj are important bandhani producing centers. The Khatri community of dyers is known for their fine quality of work. They control the trade and the craft, purchasing and processing the material themselves. The dress of the Khatri women, the aba, a long chemise, carries the finest bandhani. It is tied and dyed at the neck, the side openings, the lower border and the sleeves. The end of the salwar and matching ordhnis are also worked with tie and die designs. The finest work is done on the wedding dress, which is enhanced with silver and gold thread embroidery.

The gharchola, a sari traditionally made for the wedding, brought by the bridegroom, has a check in gold thread, with a small motif of a lotus or a peacock worked in gold in the center. It carries tie and dye patterns within the square. The famous gharchola of Jamnagar, which is much sought after by the Gujaratis, is tied in Kutch.

The gharchola is brought to Bhuj and with help of the local khatris very fine quality tying and initial dyeing is carried out. The final red color of the gharchola is dyed in Jamnagar, as the quality of water is supposed to have properties, which produces the brilliant red color preferred for the marriage ceremony. Most of the traditional patterns such as bavan bagh (fifty two gardens), Ras Leela, depiction of Krishna dancing with gopis, etc. were first made on ordhnis which were worn over skirts, but today these are being created on saris.

Saurashtra has important bandhani centers such as Jamnagar and Rajkot. The simple tie and dye patterns worked on the odhnis used by the different tribes are produced in a large number of centers. The Bhil community wears a brilliant red odhni with black borders and roundels. The Rathwa community also wears a similar style odhni, though of a thicker material. The nomadic Rabaris and Bharwads also have tie and dye odhnis and skirts, which are worn by married women. The main color worn by the Rabaris is black with red or maroon tie and dye worked in simple patterns. The Bhawards have more elaborate designs with borders running the length of the odhni while the body has elaborate patterns of parrot, women and trees, as well as flowers. The color is generally a deep russet brown with the designs worked in yellow, green and orange.

Rajasthan has a number of tie and dye centers. The most prominent are at Jodhpur, Jaipur and Sikar. Sikar produces some of the finest bandhanis and they produce a range of patterns, which are made for different communities in Rajasthan, Haryana and even Punjab.

Another form of tie and die, which is a speciality of Rajasthan, is the lahriya and mothra. Here the opposite end of the length of the cloth is pulled and rolled together. They are tied and dyed in different colors producing diagonal multi-colored lines. When the same process is repeated by using the opposite ends, a check, mothra is created. This is done only in Jaipur and Jodhpur. This technique was used generally for turbans made for the Rajputs in Rajasthan.

Bandhani technique is worked in north Bihar to create bold patterns in single color. The same technique is also used at Madurai in Tamil Nadu for the production of Sungrdhi saris. These are made by a group of people who originally came from Saurashtra, but later migrated to this area. It was considered essential to wear a tie and dye sari at the time of marriage.

Textile Printing

• Hand Printing
• Block Printing
• Screen Printing
• Spray Printing
• Kalamkari
• Batik
• Discharge Printing
• Tie and Dye

Textile decoration is an ancient art. It refers to the various processes by which fabrics are printed in colored design print fabrics. Examples of Greek fabrics from the 4th century B.C. have been found. India exported block prints to the Mediterranean region in the 5th century B.C.

The different ways of decorating a fabric includes dyeing, printing, embroidery etc.

The discovery of a dyed cotton fabric dating back to the Indus Valley civilization shows that the art of dyeing with the use of mordents was well known to the Indian dyers 5,000 years ago. This form of dyeing was responsible for making India famous all over the world for its dyed and printed fabrics.

The other forms of textile printing are stencil work, highly developed by Japanese artists, and block printing. In the latter method a block of wood, copper, or other material bearing a design in intaglio with the dye paste applied to the surface is pressed on the fabric and struck with a mallet. A separate block is used for each color, and pitch pins at the corners guide the placing of the blocks to assure accurate repeating of the pattern.

In cylinder or roller printing, developed in 1785, the fabric is carried on a rotating central cylinder and pressed by a series of rollers each bearing one color. The design is engraved on the copper rollers by hand or machine pressure or etched by pantograph or photoengraving methods; the color paste is applied to the rollers through feed rollers rotating in a color box, the color being scraped off the smooth portion of the rollers with knives.

More recent printing processes include screen-printing. This is a hand method especially suitable for large patterns with soft outlines, in which screens, one for each color, are placed on the fabric. Then, the color paste is pressed through a wooden squeegee.

Spray printing, in which a spray gun forces the color through a screen; and electro coating, used to apply a patterned pile are the other latest printing processes.

In certain cases, the cloth is painted by using a pen with dyes and mordants. This method is known as kalamkari, a pen work. Printing the outline of the design and filling in the details with a kalam, a pen, combines the techniques of printing and kalamkari.

Direct printing is practised all over India where a bleached cotton or silk fabric is printed with the help of carved wooden blocks.

Another technique employed was printing with the use of mordants. Mordants are chemicals that absorb the dye. The cloth is first printed with mordants and then immersed in a dye bath. Only the sections that have absorbed the mordant absorb the dye. The cloth is then washed in flowing water and spread out to dry on the riverbank allowing the sun to develop the color. Then the untreated sections were bleached with local ingredients like goat droppings, etc. Recently, discharge printing with the use of chemicals has been developed. Here dyes when printed react on one another, either bleaching the background material or producing a different shade.

Mirror Embroidery

One of the most attractive things in Indian specifically Gujarati embroidery is incorporating the shisha or the mirror. The art is supposed to have its origin in Persia somewhere around the 13th century. The mirror work is used along with the other stitches to enhance the general effect of the pattern.

It is used by the Jats of Banni. They cut the glass into different shapes and embroider it in the fabric. Incredibly miniscule mirror embroidery was done on heavily encrusted yoke with white thread, mingled with red, orange, blue and green, by the Garari Jat community. In Kathi embroidery, the mirrors are used for eyes of birds and center of flowers.

Often combination of cross-stitch, satin stitch and buttonhole stitch, along with mirrors is used in Gujarat. The mirror work is also preferred in Rajasthan with the same passion. It is also used to accentuate the appearance of Orissa applique.

It is said that earlier mica was used instead of mirror. Later ornamental mirror shapes were cut out of an urn, blown out by a mouth pipe. Now mirror sheets are produced.

Zardozi Embroidery

Zardozi, the imperial metal embroidery, adorned the costumes of the royalty, wall hanging, scabbards, walls of the regal tents and the rich trappings of elephants and horses. Intricate patterns in gold and silver, studded with pearls and precious stones enhanced the beauty of rich and glowing silk, velvet and brocade.

History
Zardozi is an ancient Persian embroidery form (Zar in Persian means gold and Dozi is embroidery) that has been passed down for generations. It reached its peak under the patronage of Mughal Emperor Akbar. It saw a decline during the reign of Aurangzeb as the royal patronage and favor stopped and the art was too expensive and the precious metals too rare to carry on.

Zari and Zardozi work was revived after independence in Hydrabad and Lucknow. The rarity of precious metal lead to the use of copper with gold or silver polish or the silk thread. Now the embroidery style is back in bloom. It is a must for any Indian wedding trousseau.

Process, Stitches and Styles
Zari embroidery is done with a crochet hook using the metallic thread and appears like chain stitch. Zardozi is an extension of the same. Zari elements like coiled wire, dabka, tilla, beads, sequins etc. are used to create the motifs. Zardozi can alternatively be called metallic applique embroidery.

The process involves tracing out the design on the cloth preferably rich fabrics like silk, satin velvet etc. The fabric is stretched over the wooden frame and the embroidery work begins. Each zardozi element is picked up by the needle and incorporated appropriately into the pattern by pushing the needle in the fabric.

The process of creating zari threads and zardozi elements was rather complicated earlier. It needed a lot of patience and precision. Today the modern means may have made the task a little easier but still the adeptness and delicate handling remains the same.

Zardozi and zari garments have become very popular and make elegant evening and ceremonial ware. The art is now being used for soft furnishing products also.

Chikankari Embroidery

Chikankari was nurtured in Uttar Pradesh primarily in Lucknow. Chikan work is done on very fine muslin and now on georgette and chiffon and other fine fabrics. It is more suited for the outerwear but these days there are certain exclusive creations using Chikan work in Cushion covers, pillow covers and table linen.

History of Chikankari
Traditionally Chikankari is the white thread embroidery done on the white muslin or mulmul. The word chikan comes from the Persian word Chakeen meaning making delicate patterns on the fabric.

Noorjahan the beautiful queen of Emperor Jahangir introduced the art of Chikankari. She is said to be an expert in embroidery and was inspired by the Turkish embroidery. According to Megasthenes, the chikan originated in East Bengal. He mentions chikan, the florals on fine muslins, in 3rd century BC. The craftsmen believe that the origin goes back to the time of Prophet. It is believed that while he was passing through a village in Uttar Pradesh, he requested a villager for water. On being offered that, he gave the art of Chikankari to the poor villager as an art that will never let him go hungry.

Process and Stitches of Chikankari
Whatever be the origin, the intricacy and the patterns remind you of the fine marble carvings and jalis. Today apart from the white muslin, light tinted fabrics are used. The thread is preferred to be white. The most commendable part of chikankari is the open work on the ground. An effect of drawn thread work is achieved without drawing out any.

The most common motif used is that of creepers. Floral motifs may enrich the entire garment or just one corner. Among the floral motifs embroidered, the jasmine, rose, flowering stems, lotus and the paisley motif are the most popular.

There is simply no match for the shadow work involved in the chikan. In this the herringbone stitch or Bakhiya as called locally is worked on the wrong side of the cloth. Looking on the right side the effect is that of the shadows between the double running stitch. Cutting the patterns in the same fabric as the base material and stitching it on the wrong side creates another variation of shadow work.

There are other stitches to give different stitches. The tiny raised flowers are made with stitches resembling French knots. The raised effect is evened off using the simple stem stitch called Rahet. Various effects can be created using a variety of stitches and combinations. Mainly buttonhole stitch (Hool), running stitch, and chain stitch (Zanzeer) are used to give the fillers and yet not give it a cluttered appearance. The jali or the lattice created by the thread tension on the cloth is most remarkable.

Kashmiri Embroidery

The beauty of Kashmir is captured in the Kashmiri embroidery or kashida. Embroiders often draw inspiration from the beautiful nature around. The colors, the motifs of flowers, creepers and chinar leaves, mango etc. are the most common ones. The whole pattern is created using one or two embroidery stitch styles.

Process and Stitches
The base cloth whether wool or cotton, is generally white or crème or other similar shades. Pastel colors are also often used. The craftsmen use the color shades often blending with the background. The colors of the threads are inspired from the flowers of the Kashmir valley. Very few stitches are used on one fabric. At times the whole fabric is done in a single stitch type. These stitches are often called Kashmiri stitch.

Kashmiri embroidery is known for the skilled execution of a single stitch. Chain stitch, satin stitch, the slanted darn stitch, stem, herringbone and sometimes the doori or knot stitches are used but not more than one or two at a time.

Sozni embroidery or dorukha is often done so skillfully that the motif appears on both sides of the shawl each side having a different color. There is no wrong side. The same design is produced in different colors on both sides.

Another type of needle embroidery is popularly known as papier-mache embroidery because flowers and leaves are worked in satin stitch in bright colors such as those of papier-mache and each motif is then outlined in black. This is done either in broad panels on either side of the breadth of a shawl, or covering the entire surface of a stole.

A third type of embroidery is ari or hook embroidery; motifs here are the well-known flower design finely worked in concentric rings of chain stitch. This is same as colored Zari or ari embroidery.

Kathi Embroidery Rabari Embroidery

Kathi Embroidery is a little different from the other forms of embroidery in Gujarat. The patterns include animal motifs, flowers and peacocks adopted from kathi art. The intervening spaces are filled with leaves and buds. The mirror work is used to make the center of flowers, eyes of the birds or flower representations.

The base cloth is preferred to be silk or satin and the thread is cotton or silk floss. The base in black, embroidery is done in crimson, violet golden yellow and white with greens and blues sparingly used. The main stitch is herringbone as it is faster to fill other stitches used are an elongated darn and chain-cum-interlacing.

Rabari embroidery is a pictographic representation of their mythology, beliefs, culture and life. Women embroider their clothes, cradle cloth and other linen of the house. Embroidery is a vital, living and evolving expression of the craft and textile traditions of the Rabaris. They use glass mirrors in various shapes: round, rhomboid, rectangular, square, triangular, and beak shaped.

History
Rabaris are nomadic people who came to Gujarat via Sindh, Rajasthan and Baluchistan. While the origins of this embroidery form are not exactly known, the style is quite similar to ancient Baluch embroidery. The importance given to camel also points to the connection. The embroidered chaklas and kothalos mark the relation with Rajasthan. Rabari women embroider textiles as an expression of creativity, aesthetics and identity forever.

Patterns and Stitches
As per the belief the mirrors on the cradle clothe protect their children from evil spirits. Rabaris embroider camel trappings, long adan jackets, chorani pants ludi (veil), the grooms kediyan and so many other ceremonial and daily utility things. Rabari embroidery is like a language of expression for women. The compositions created comprise specific motifs, each of which has a name and meaning. Many of these symbols represent elements intrinsic to Rabari everyday life and throw light upon how the community sees their world. Others have historical meaning and help to perpetuate the Rabari knowledge of their heritage.

There is intensive use of shaped mirrors. The stitches are square chain interlaced with buttonhole for mirror work, single chain, knot, Romanian, blanket interlaced with herringbone, running, and double running. Temple motifs, women balancing pots on their heads (paniyari), mango leaves, coconuts, scorpions, camels, parrots, elephants and the tree of life are some of the beloved and auspicious motifs of Rabari embroidery

This embroidery style is not static. The stitches, scales, color; everything changes with the imagination and spontaneity of the artist. The style is constantly evolving. Its the creativity of Rabari women, a manifestation of their extraordinary capacity for adaptation that keeps this traditional vital.

Kantha Embroidery

Kantha Embroidery involves a simple running stitch. It is the way the embroidery has been used that makes it extra ordinary. The cloth is given layers that were kept together by the stitches. The cloth had multiple uses. It could be used to sleep on or as a light blanket. Kantha for the Bengali folk means embroidered quilt. Kantha is said to be dorukha meaning turning the worn out and old textiles and fabrics to things of beauty.

History of Kantha
Kantha evolved out of necessity to drape or protect against cold. Kontha on Sanskrit means rags. It can rightly be called the recycling art. The precious silks and muslins when became worn-out, women instead of throwing them away, piled them in layers and stitched. Another legend relates kantha origin to lord Buddha and his disciples. It is said that they used to cover themselves with the thrown away rags patched and stitched together.

The oldest reference to Kantha is in Sri Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita" by Krishnadas Kaviraj, which was written some 500 years back. Kantha was said to be a ladys self-expression. The real kantha narrates a story, the emotions and the life of the artist.

Process and Stitches of Kantha
The process involves laying the worn clothes in layers and stitching them together. Though the stitch used is variations of running stitch, the motifs can range from being simple to very intricate. It is a typical example of how a simple stitch can create elaborate motifs. Usually the motifs are gods and goddesses, flowers, animals or geometric patterns that means it can be anything the worker can relate to. There are seven different types of kantha based on how it is made and the end use.

Archilata kantha are small, covers for mirrors or toilet accessories with wide, colorful borders.

Baiton kantha are square wraps used for covering books and other valuables. They have elaborate borders.

Durjani/thalia these are quilted wallets made out of rectangular kantha pieces.

Lep kantha are rectangular wraps heavily padded to make warm quilts. The whole piece is stitched in a wavy pattern. Simple embroidery is done on the finished quilt.

Oaar kantha are pillow covers in simple designs. A decorative border is sewn afterwards.

Sujani kantha are decorative quilted kantha used as blankets or spreads during religious rituals or other occasions. This started in 18th century in Bihar.

Rumal kantha is used as absorbent wipes or plates coverings. They also feature a central lotus with ornamented borders.

The various patterns are called jaal, jhod, jhinga phool, dhan chori, golak dhaga and many others all created by different placements of the running stitch.

Popular Indian styles of Embroidery

Phulkari Embroidery
The traditional Punjabi embroidery art is phulkari. The pulkari word means growing flowers. This embroidery form, true to its name includes only floral motifs in bright colors. There is sanctity to the art form as the canopy over Guru Granth Sahib; the religious book of the Sikhs is of phulkari.

The phulkari with very intricate floral patterns is called Bagh that means garden. It is primarily used on the odhanis and dupattas. It is considered auspicious for the bride and for the new born. It is worn on ceremonies. Phulkari for some time now is being used in home furnishings specially wall hangings, sofa throws and other soft furnishings.

History of Phulkari
The origin of Phulkari can not exactly be traced. Reference of Punjabi embroidery though goes back to 2000 years back to the Vedic ages. The poet Waris Shah has mentioned Phulkari in the famous tale of Heer-Ranjha. Its present form and popularity goes back to 15th century, during the reign of Maharaja Ranjit Singh.

Phulkari was not meant for sale at that time. The ladies used to make these for personal use. It was included in the bridal trousseau. It was considered auspicious. There is a different Phulkari for every occasion. The art was learnt by the daughter from her mother just as she learnt other chores.

Process
Phulkari is traditionally done on a handspun khadi cloth with simple darning stitches using the un-spun silk floss yarn called pat. Single strand threads are used for the purpose. The simple stitches in the adept hands make it one of the most sought after embroidery craft. The use of horizontal, vertical or diagonal stitches apart shading and variation to the design.

There are a variety of Phulkari styles used for different occasions and purposes.

The Chope, a red colored cloth with embroidered borders, is presented to the bride by her grandmother during a ceremony before the wedding.

Vari-da-bagh (bagh of the trousseau) is also on a red cloth with golden yellow embroidery symbolizing happiness and fertility. The entire cloth is covered with patterns of smaller flowers within the border and is intricately worked in different colors.

Ghunghat bagh or sari-pallau (covering for the head) has a small border on all four sides. In the center of each side, which covers the head, a large triangular motif is embroidered.

Bawan bagh (fifty-two in Punjabi) has as many geometrical patterns.

Darshan dwar (the gate offering a view of the deity) is usually for presentation in temples or to adorn the walls of the home when the Guru Granth Sahib (holy book of the Sikhs) is brought to a house. The theme is a decorative gate.

Suber is a phulkari worn by a bride during marriage rites. It comprises of five motifs, one in the center and one in each of the four corners.

Chamba is a hybrid Phulkari having a series of wavy creepers, stylized leaves and flowers.

Besides this, designs inspired by various day to day items, fauna and flora like sunflowers, peacock, red chilies, ace of diamonds and so on are also used.

Traditional Indian Embroidery

Folk embroidery has always been a form of self-expression for the women. It mirrors their lives, reflect their hidden desires and aspirations, and expresses the cultural traditions and religious beliefs of the society to which they belong.

India had attracted migrations from prehistoric times and people came with their cultural traditions, which were absorbed and formed the rich cultural traditions of the people. Embroidery, which is essentially meant to strengthen the fabric and to decorate it, was an important part of the household tradition. Pastoralists, who need to strengthen their objects of everyday use, and their dresses, as well as to decorate their tent dwellings, create rich embroidery. Gujarat, which had an open land route connecting it to Central Asia, had a large number of settlers from Central Asia. They settled in Kutch and Saurashtra and retained their traditions of embroidery that can be found in these areas.

The women embroiders prepared clothes for their personal use, for their children and even special items for the use of their men. The animals decorations with embroidery are also part of the pastoral tradition. They prepared decorations for the horns of the bull, for their forehead and also decorative covers. Horse and camel decorations were also embroidered with great attention to detail and some of the finest embroidered camel decorations are prepared by the Rabaris of Kutch.

The bagh and phulkari embroidery of Punjab is a labour of love. At the birth of a male child, the dadi, paternal grandmother begins to embroider vari da bagh for his wedding, dreaming of the day when she will wrap the boys bride in it, before she enters her new home.

Another variety produced here is the chope. This carries stylized motifs worked richly over the surface on the holbien stitch or a double running stitch.

Applique work of Orissa, which is prepared in Pipli, a village near Puri, comprises special canopies, fans and umbrellas for use in the famous Ratha festival of Puri. These are also used at other ritual celebrations.

In Chikanayakapeta, Tamil Nadu, applique work on cloth is specially prepared for decorating the carved ratha, in which the statues of gods are taken in a procession. They make tubular forms, which is very similar to pillars, or long banners, carrying Ganesha, the lingam, etc. for giving a rich effect the designs are appliqued with thick felt and rich contrasting colors.

The kasuti embroidery of Karnataka is a stylized form with stitches based on the texture of the fabric. The three different stitches are the negi, the gavanti and the menthi. Negi is a long running stitch imitating the weaving technique; gavanti is a double running stitch, which creates a pattern on both sides; and menthi, deriving its name from the seed of methi, fenugreek, is the cross-stitch, which is rarely used. The patterns are geometrical and show the influence of local beliefs. Stylized rathas, Lord Hanuman, lotus flowers and flowing patterns of the shankh, conch-shell, mingle with flowering bushes, birds and animals.

Another important embroidery is that prepared by the Toda women, who live in the nilgiris. They wear a toga like garment, which is embroidered with exquisite patterns. Many people trace their origins to Greece.

Textiles Embroidery

Embroidery is an ancient variety of decorative needlework in which designs and pictures are created by stitching strands of some material on to a layer of another material. Most embroidery uses thread or wool stitched onto a woven fabric, but the stitches could be executed in, for example, wire or leather strands, and embroidery can be worked onto many materials. Non-woven traditional materials include leather and felt, but modern textile artists embroider on many non-traditional materials such as plastic sheeting. Often, specific embroidery stitches are used.

Hand embroidery is embroidery done without the help of a sewing machine or similar electric tool. Hand embroidery is used by traditional artists who are skilled in their craftmanship and have inherated the art embroidery from their ancestors.

Nowadays, machine embroidery has replaced hand embroidery as machine embroidery saves a lot of time and hard work. Machine embroidery has become a vast subject on its own. It is both used for creative work on individual pieces and for mass-produced clothing products.

Embroidery has traditionally been used to decorate clothing and household furnishings including table linens, tray cloths, towels and bedding, but one can literally embroider anything as long as it is made out of an evenly woven fabric and can be held firmly in the hand or in a special embroidery hoop or tapestry frame. The art of hand embroidery is a painstaking and laborious process, but today garments are often decorated with machine embroidery instead.

Embroidery has also been used as a form of art and for decoration, through the creation of embroidered or cross-stitch samplers, tapestries, wall-hangings and other works of textile art. Some types of patchwork also incorporate embroidery as a form of extra decoration.

Polyester

Polyester is the general name for any group of widely used synthetic products. Polyesters are strong, tough materials that are manufactured in a variety of colours, shapes and sizes.

History of the use of polyester:
The first commercial production of polyester was by the du Pont de Nemours Company. It is the most used fibre in the United States.

Production of polyester:
Polyesters are made from chemical substances found mainly in petroluem. Polyesters are manufactured in three basic forms - fibers, films and plastics.

Polyester fibers are used to make fabrics. Poly (ethylene terephthalate, or simply PET) is the most common polyester used for fiber purposes. This is the polymer used for making soft drink bottles. Recycling PET by re-melting it and extruding it as fiber saves much raw materials as well as energy.

PET is made by ethylene glycol with either terephthalic acid or its methyl ester in the presence of an antimony catalyst. In order to achieve high molecular weights needed to form useful fibers, the reaction has to be carried out at high temperature and in a vacuum.

Care of your polyester garment:

• Machine-wash your fabric in cold water.
• Wash with light colours.
• Use a gentle cycle while washing.
• Tumble dry with the setting low.
• Do not bleach.
• If needed, iron with a cool iron.

Properties of the polyester:

• It is resists wrinkling.
• It is easy to launder.
• It dries quickly.
• It is resistant to stretching and shrinking.

Uses:
Polyester is used to make most forms of clothing like shirts, running shorts, track pants, windbreakers, and lingerie. It can also be made into curtains and draperies.

Printed And Dyed Textiles

Aside from exploiting the effects achieved by using natural fibers, the only ways to introduce color into textiles are by printing or dyeing.

In textile printing, the dyes are dissolved in water. Thickening agents (e.g., starch) are added to the solutions to increase viscosity. The oldest method is block printing, usually from wooden blocks in which a design is carved. Stencil printing is done with the aid of paper or thin metal stencils. In silk screen printing, the design is formed on a silk screen, which then serves as a stencil. Most cloth is printed by roller printing. The printing area is engraved on a copper roller to form a recessed pattern (intaglio), which is coated with a color paste. The roller transfers the paste to the cloth.

Pattern dyeing uses two principal procedures: resist dyeing and mordant dyeing. In resist dyeing, a resist substance such as hot wax, rice paste, or clay is applied to those areas chosen to resist the dye and remain white. The cloth is then dyed and the resist is later removed. The technique is widely known in China, Japan, and West Africa, but is most often identified with Javanese batik. Tie dyeing is a resist technique in which parts of the cloth are tied with bast or waxed cord before dyeing. The dyeing is done quickly so the wrappings are not penetrated, and a negative pattern emerges. Many dyestuffs are not directly absorbed by fibers, so mordants or fixing agents are used that combine with the dye and fibers to make the color insoluble.

There are two main types of textile dyeing machines: in one type the dye solution is circulated through the fabric, which remains at rest; in the other, the fabric is passed through a stationary bath of the dye solution.

Types of textiles

Tapestries

Although the term tapestry usually conjures up images of large pictorial wall-hangings of the sort used in medieval and post-medieval Europe, tapestries are in fact distinctive woven structures consisting specifically of a weft-faced plain weave with discontinuous wefts. This means that the weft crosses the warp only where its particular color is need for the fabric design. The technique has been used in many cultures to produce fabrics ranging from heavy, durable floor coverings to delicate Chinese silk. Compared to other weaving techniques, tapestry allows the weaver much more freedom of expression.

Woven rugs

Rugs can be made by a number of techniques, including tapestry, brocade (in which a plain weave foundation is supplemented with supplementary wefts), and pile weaving. Pile rugs are most commonly associated with rug weaving, however. These rugs are made of row after row of tiny knots tied on the warps of a foundation weave which together form a thick pile.

Embroidery

Embroidery is a method of decorating an already existing structure, usually a woven foundation fabric, with a needle. Embroideries have also been done on other media such as parchment or bark. For the past 100 years, it has been possible to produce embroidery by machine as well as by hand. Embroidery yarns are woven into a fabric after it has come off the loom, unlike brocade, which in which yarns are placed in the fabric during the weaving process.

Lace

Lace is essentially an openwork fabric constructed by the looping, plaiting, or twisting of threads using either a needle or a set of bobbins. It is not woven. Needle lace is made with one thread at a time. Bobbin lace is constructed with many different threads, each wound on its own bobbin. These are manipulated in a manner similar to that used in braiding. Machine-made lace was first produced around 1840.

Weaving

Weaving is an ancient textile art and craft that involves placing two sets of threads or yarn made of fiber called the warp and weft of the loom and turning them into cloth. This cloth can be plain (in one color or a simple pattern), or it can be woven in decorative or artistic designs, including tapestries.

The majority of commercial fabrics are woven on computer-controlled Jacquard looms. In the past, simpler fabrics were woven on other dobby looms and the Jacquard harness adaptation was reserved for more complex patterns. The efficiency of the Jacquard loom makes it more economical for mills to use them to weave all of their fabrics, regardless of the complexity of the design. Handweaving, along with hand spinning, is a popular craft. Weavers use wooden looms to create rugs, fabrics, and tapestries. Fabric in which the warp and/or weft is tie-dyed before weaving is called ikat. Fabric decorated using a wax resist method is called batik.

In general, weaving involves the interlacing of two sets of threads at right angles to each other: the warp and the weft. The warp threads are held taut and in parallel order by means of a loom. The loom is warped (or dressed) with the warp threads passing through heddles on two or more harnesses. The warp threads are moved up or down by the harnesses creating a space called the shed. The weft thread is wound onto spools called bobbins. The bobbins are placed in a shuttle which carries the weft thread through the shed. The raising/lowering sequence of warp threads gives rise to many possible weave structures from the simplest plain weave (also called tabby,) through twills and satins to complex computer-generated interlacings.

Both warp and weft can be visible in the final product. By spacing the warp more closely, it can completely cover the weft that binds it, giving a warpfaced textile such as rep weave. Conversely, if the warp is spread out, the weft can slide down and completely cover the warp, giving a weftfaced textile, such as a tapestry or a Kilim rug. There are a variety of loom styles for hand weaving and tapestry. In tapestry, the image is created by placing weft only in certain warp areas, rather than across the entire warp width.

Art of weaving and dying in India
Woven textiles are one of the earliest techniques developed by people the world over. Many architects while writing the history of architecture point out that it began with fabrication or weaving together of twigs to create a shelter. Weaving of goat hair to create mobile tents of the nomadic people was the beginning of creating a mobile shelter. They could roll up their tented dwellings and move with it and set it up anywhere they could have water and shelter.

The woven cloth protected the body from the heat and cold and later developed into a form of dress, which expressed the cultural values of the people and their identity.

The art of weaving and dying of fabrics was practiced in India from very ancient times. It was such an important part of the life of the ancient times that many of its techniques gave the name to philosophical and religious thoughts. You all know about the Sutras. These are the ancient Buddhist scriptures. The word Sutra is derived from sut, the thread to string together. Granth, the name for a holy book as in the Guru Granth Sahib of the Sikhs comes from a textile term for knitting or weaving together. There are many other examples.

India from ancient times exported cloth. India was the home of cotton, which it has been cultivating from ancient times. Ancient travelers described cotton cultivation, as sheep growing on trees, for they only know white wool, which was taken from sheep. Long stapled cotton was cultivated as a cash crop to be spun or sold, as it was to be prepared by the professional carders and then by the weavers.

The centers known for very finely woven cotton were in Bengal, Varanasi, Chenderi and in the town of Uppada, Mngalagiri and Venkatagiri of Andhra Pradesh.

The Dhakai weavers of East Bengal, now Bangladesh, were famous not only for figured cotton sarees, but also for the finely woven cotton mulmul, muslin, which was used for turbans and for making upper garments. The names of different varieties expressed the quality of the cloth, e.g. shabnam, evening dew, and abe-rawan, running water. The patterned finely woven cotton was known as jamdani, a distinctive style of weaving, which is an Indian specialty. Traditionally elaborate patterns were worked in white on a white background by placing the pattern to be woven under the warp thread and using that as a guide they wove with extra weft threads. These extra weft threads, which created the patterns, were of the same fineness as those used in the fabric. They were thus absorbed into the fabric, and the design could be discerned only when it was held against the light. The jamdanis were women especially for the cotton angarkhas, once worn by the nobility all over north India, while the later day sarees are patterned with thicker colored threads.

During the time of Aurangzeb, the local ruler had to supply woven mulmul and patterned jamdani as part of his tribute to the Emperor. The specially woven fabrics were packed in bamboo containers and sent to the Mughal Court. They often had flowing diagonal lines similar to the flow of a river. The colors were also typical-deep maroon, black, indigo blue and chrome yellow. There was also the famous Nilambari saree in which the midnight blue-black background was held together by star-like flowers, as a dark star-studded, moonless night.

Weavers who migrated, weave the Dhakai sarees today in West Bengal from their original homes. The sarees woven in West Bangal also known as jamdani and follow the traditional patterns. The texture however is quite different, as the twisted yarn is closely woven together, with the result that the sarees can be washed easily and are more lasting.

Chanderi weavers weave very fine cotton sarees and shallus, wraps, worn by women over their sarees. At present the warp is of silk and the weft is of cotton, whereas originally they were woven in cotton. The sarees carry motifs of roundels or ashrafi butti on the body. The weavers of central India wove very fine cotton, and in Chanderi, Paithan, Hyderabad, Gadwal and wanaparti, pallus and borders were woven in the Paithani technique.

The spinners of Chanderi were generally women who had long, supple fingers, which could not be roughened by housework. Even today the people of Chanderi recite a couplet: