Fibres and Fabrics

This booklet is part of the ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ series published by the Gatsby Science Enhancement Programme (SEP). New applications for traditional fabrics are being found, but increasingly, fibres and fabrics are engineered for specific purposes. Much research is currently being undertaken in the textile sector to design new fibres, fabrics and threads with carefully controlled properties to meet the needs of niche markets such as competitive sports wear, or specialist applications such as spacesuits. This booklet encourages students to test and research the properties of different threads, fabrics and dyes.

The Fibres and Fabrics booklet contains an illustrated overview of the topic with suggestions for teachers on how to introduce the ideas in the classroom, plus student activity sheets and notes for teachers and technicians.
The downloadable resources include:
• Student activities: zip files containing the activity sheets in PDF and editable Word formats.
• PowerPoint presentations: these contain a complete set of the images used in the booklet and activity sheets.

The ‘Innovations in Practical Work’ publications are supported by low-cost practical resources available from Mindsets:
* SEP publications and resources from Mindsets
* Practical resources for Fibres and Fabrics