Textile design

Last updated

Textile design, also known as textile geometry, is the creative and technical process by which thread or yarn fibers are interlaced to form a piece of cloth or fabric, which is subsequently printed upon or otherwise adorned. [1] Textile design is further broken down into three major disciplines: printed textile design, woven textile design, and mixed media textile design. Each uses different methods to produce a fabric for variable uses and markets. Textile design as an industry is involved in other disciplines such as fashion, interior design, and fine arts. [2] [3]

Contents

Point paper for Dove and Rose woven double cloth by William Morris, 1879. Morris and Co Dove and Rose point paper.jpg
Point paper for Dove and Rose woven double cloth by William Morris, 1879.

Overview

Articles produced using textile design include clothing, carpets, drapes, and towels. [4] Textile design requires an understanding of the technical aspects of the production process, as well as the properties of numerous fibers, yarns, and dyes. [5]

Textile design disciplines

Printed textile design

Printed textile design: William Morris, Strawberry Thief, 1883. Textile, Strawberry Thief, designed 1883, printed ca. 1934 (CH 18340065).jpg
Printed textile design: William Morris, Strawberry Thief, 1883.

Printed textile designs are created by using various printing techniques on fabric, cloth, and other materials. Printed textile designers are mainly involved in designing patterns for home interior products like carpets, wallpapers, and ceramics. They also work in the fashion and clothing industries, the paper industry, and in designing stationary and gift wrap. [7]

There are numerous established printed styles and designs that can be broken down into four major categories: floral, geometric, world cultures, and conversational. [8] Floral designs include flowers, plants, or other botanical elements. Geometric designs feature elements, both inorganic and abstract, such as tessellations. World culture designs may be traced to a specific geographic, ethnic, or anthropological source. Finally, conversational designs are designs that fit less easily into the other categories; they may be described as presenting "imagery that references popular icons of a particular period or season, or which is unique and challenges our perceptions in some way." [8] Each category contains subcategories, which include more specific individual styles and designs. [8]

Moreover, different fabrics, like silk and wool, require different types of dye. Other protein-based fabrics require acidic dyes, whereas synthetic fabrics require specialized dispersed dyes. [9]

The advent of computer-aided design software, such as Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, has allowed each discipline of textile design to evolve and innovate new practices and processes but has most influenced the production of printed textile designs. [10] Digital tools have influenced the process of creating repeating patterns or motifs, or repeats. Repeats are used to create patterns both visible and invisible to the eye: geometric patterns are intended to depict clear, intentional patterns, whereas floral or organic designs are intended to create unbroken repeats that are ideally undetectable. Digital tools have also aided in making patterns by decreasing the amount of an effect known as "tracking", in which the eye is inadvertently drawn to parts of textiles that expose the discontinuity of the textile and reveal its pattern. [11] These tools, alongside the innovation of digital inkjet printing, have allowed the textile printing process to become faster, more scalable, and more sustainable. [12]

Woven textile design

Woven textile design originates from the practice of weaving, which produces fabric by interlacing a vertical yarn (warp) and a horizontal yarn (weft), most often at right angles. [13] Woven textile designs are created by various types of looms and are now predominantly produced using a mechanized or computerized jacquard loom. [14]

Woven textile design: A woven Navajo saddle blanket from the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Philbrook - Navajo Satteldecke.jpg
Woven textile design: A woven Navajo saddle blanket from the Philbrook Museum in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Designs within the context of weaving are created using various types of yarns, using variance in texture, size, and color to construct a stylized patterned or monochromatic fabric. There is a large range of yarn types available to the designer, including but not limited to, cotton, twill, linen, and synthetic fibers. To produce the woven fabric, the designer first delineates and visualizes the sequence of threading, which is traditionally drawn out on graph paper known as point paper. [15] [16]

The designer also will choose a weave structure that governs the aesthetic design that will be produced. The most common process is a plain weave, in which the yarns interlace in an alternating, tight formation, producing a strong and flexible multi-use fabric. Twill weaves, which are also common, alternatively use diagonal lines created by floating the warp or the weft to the left or the right. [17] This process creates a softer fabric favored by designers in the fashion and clothing design industries. Common, recognizable twill styles include patterns like Houndstooth or Herringbone. [14]

Beyond weave structure, color is another dominant aspect in woven textile design. Typically, designers choose two or more contrasting colors that will be woven into patterns based on a chosen threading sequence. Color is also dependent on the size of the yarn: fine yarns will produce a fabric that may change colors when it receives light from different angles, whereas larger yarns will generally produce a more monochromatic surface. [18]

Mixed media textile design

Mixed media textile design: An embroidered Kazakh, chain stitched rug. Kazakh rug chain stitch embroidery.jpg
Mixed media textile design: An embroidered Kazakh, chain stitched rug.

Mixed media textile designs are produced using embroidery or other various fabric manipulation processes such as pleating, appliqué, quilting, and laser cutting. [19]

Embroidery is traditionally performed by hand, applying myriad stitches of thread to construct designs and patterns on the textile surface. Similar to printed textile design, embroidery affords the designer artistic and aesthetic control. Typical stitches include but are not limited to the cross stitch, the chain stitch, and couching. Although industrial and mechanized embroidery has become the standard, hand stitching still remains a fixture for fine arts textiles. [20]

Quilting is traditionally used to enhance the insulation and warmth of a textile. It also provides the designer with the opportunity to apply aesthetic properties. Most commonly, quilts feature geometric and collage designs formed from various textiles of different textures and colors. Quilting also frequently employs the use of recycled scrap or heirloom fabrics. [21] Quilts are also often used as a medium for an artist to depict a personal or communal narrative: for example, the Hmong people have a tradition of creating story quilts or cloths illustrating their experiences with immigration to the United States from Eastern and South-eastern Asia. [22]

Environmental impact

The practice and industry of textile design present environmental concerns. From the production of cloth from raw material to dyeing and finishing, and the ultimate disposal of products, each step of the process produces environmental impacts. They have been further exacerbated with the emergence of fast fashion and other modern industrial practices. [23]

Predominantly, these environmental impacts stem from the heavy use of hazardous chemicals involved in the textile creation process which must be properly disposed of. Other considerations involve the amount of waste created by the disposal of textile design products and the reclamation and reuse of recyclable textiles. [24] The Environmental Protection Agency reported that over 15 million tons of textile waste is created annually. This consists of some 5% of all municipal waste generated. Only 15% of that waste is recovered and reused. [25]

The existence and awareness of the negative environmental impacts of textile production has resulted in the emergence new technologies and practices. Textile designs involving the use of synthetic dyes and materials can result in harmful effects on the environment. This has caused a shift towards using natural dyes or materials and research towards other mediums that result in less harm to the environment. This research includes testing new ways to collect natural resources and how these natural resources work with other materials. [26]

Electronic textiles involve items of clothing with electronic devices or technology woven into the fabric, such as heaters, lights, or sensors. These textiles can potentially have additional harmful environmental effects, such as producing electronic waste. Because of this, these textiles are often made by manufacturers with sustainability in mind. [27] These new approaches to textile design attempt to lessen the negative environmental impact of these textiles.

These concerns have led to the birth of sustainable textile design movements and the practice of ecological design within the field. For instance, London's Royal Society of the Arts hosts design competitions that compel all entrants to center their design and manufacturing methods around sustainable practices and materials. [28]

Textile design in different cultures

Strip-woven textile design: African fabric African Textile Design Pattern.jpg
Strip-woven textile design: African fabric

Textile patterns, designs, weaving methods, and cultural significance vary across the world. African countries use textiles as a form of cultural expression and way of life. They use textiles to liven up the interior of a space or accentuate and decorate the body of an individual. The textile designs of African cultures involve the process of strip-woven fibers that can repeat a pattern or vary from strip to strip. [29]

History

The history of textile design dates back thousands of years. Due to the decomposition of textile fibers, early examples of textile design are rare. However, some of the oldest known and preserved examples of textiles were discovered in the form of nets and basketry, dating from Neolithic cultures in 5000 BCE. When trade networks formed in European countries, textiles like silk, wool, cotton, and flax fibers became valuable commodities. Many early cultures including Egyptian, Chinese, African, and Peruvian practiced early weaving techniques. One of the oldest examples of textile design was found in an ancient Siberian tomb in 1947. The tomb was said to be that of a prince aging back to 464 AD, making the tomb and all of its contents over 2,500 years old. The rug, known as the Pazyryk rug, was preserved inside ice and is detailed with elaborate designs of deer and men riding on horseback. The designs are similar to present-day Anatolian and Persian rugs that apply the directly proportional Ghiordes knot in their weaving. The Pazyryk rug is currently displayed at the Hermitage Museum located in St. Petersburg, Russia. [30]

See also

Notes

  1. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Introduction". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. Briggs-Goode, A. (Amanda). "Introduction". Printed textile design. London. ISBN   978-1-78067-403-2. OCLC   898176484.
  3. Russell, Alex (2016). "Introduction". The fundamentals of printed textile design. [London]. ISBN   978-1-4742-1853-5. OCLC   1053941237.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  4. Collier, Bide and Tortora (2009). Understanding of Textiles. America: Pearson. pp. 1, 432.
  5. Gale, Lahori, and Kaur, The Textile Book, p. 37
  6. Parry, Linda. (1983). William Morris textiles. New York: Viking Press. ISBN   0-670-77075-2. OCLC   8221337.
  7. "The framework", The Fundamentals of Printed Textile Design, AVA Publishing SA Distributed by Thames & Hudson (ex-North America) Distributed in the USA & Canada by: English Language Support Office, pp. 8–43, 2011, doi:10.5040/9781474218535.ch-001, ISBN   978-1-4742-1853-5 , retrieved 2020-04-17
  8. 1 2 3 Briggs-Goode, A. (Amanda). "Design in Context". Printed textile design. London. ISBN   978-1-78067-403-2. OCLC   898176484.
  9. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Screen-printed textile designs". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  10. Bowles, Melanie, 1961- (2012). "Introduction". Digital textile design. Isaac, Ceri. (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King Pub. ISBN   978-1-78067-223-6. OCLC   866622297.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  11. Bowles, Melanie, 1961- (2012). "Patterns and Repeats". Digital textile design. Isaac, Ceri. (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King Pub. ISBN   978-1-78067-223-6. OCLC   866622297.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  12. Bowles, Melanie, 1961- (2012). "Technology for Digital Textile Printing". Digital textile design. Isaac, Ceri. (2nd ed.). London: Laurence King Pub. ISBN   978-1-78067-223-6. OCLC   866622297.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  13. "Weaving". Britannica concise encyclopedia. Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. 2006. ISBN   978-1-84972-210-0. OCLC   436847805.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  14. 1 2 Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Hand Woven Textile Designs". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. Rothstein, Woven Textile Design in Britain to 1750
  16. Shenton, Jan. "Preparation for Design". Woven textile design. Ridsdale, Eleanor. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78067-569-5. OCLC   884590266.
  17. Shenton, Jan. "Twill Weaves". Woven textile design. Ridsdale, Eleanor. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78067-569-5. OCLC   884590266.
  18. Shenton, Jan. "Colour and Weave". Woven textile design. Ridsdale, Eleanor. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78067-569-5. OCLC   884590266.
  19. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Mixed media textile design". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  20. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Embroidered Textile Design". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Fabric Manipulation". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. Gjerde, Hearther (October 27, 2008). "Stitched tapestry of Hmong history unveiled at Multicultural Center". University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  23. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Environmental Concerns". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  24. Calamari, Sage; Hyllegard, Karen H. (2016-07-07). "An exploration of designers' perspectives on human health and environmental impacts of interior textiles". Textiles and Clothing Sustainability. 2 (1): 9. doi: 10.1186/s40689-016-0020-7 . ISSN   2197-9936.
  25. "Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures 2013" (PDF). United States Environmental Protection Agency.
  26. Mansour, H.; Hilal, N.; Alhajri, S.; Al-Yahyai, F.; Al-Amri, M. (2020-02-01). "The education of art culture at Sultanate of Oman through the multidisciplinary integration between graphic design and eco-friendly textile printing. Part 1: Standardization of extraction and dyeing with natural wastes products". Energy Reports. 6: 933–939. doi: 10.1016/j.egyr.2019.12.020 . ISSN   2352-4847.
  27. Köhler, Andreas R. (2013-10-01). "Challenges for eco-design of emerging technologies: The case of electronic textiles". Materials & Design. 51: 51–60. doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2013.04.012. ISSN   0261-3069.
  28. Clarke, Simon, 1963- (2011). "Textile design, the environment, and science". Textile design. London [England]. ISBN   978-1-78539-200-9. OCLC   908338301.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  29. LaGamma, Alisa (2009). The Essential Art of African Textiles: Design Without End. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art. pp. 88–99. ISBN   9780300149623.
  30. "The World's Oldest Rug: The Pazyryk Rug - Our Blog - Matt Camron Rugs & Tapestries - Antique Oriental Persian Rugs". www.mattcamron.com. Retrieved 2023-08-04.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Weaving</span> Technology for the production of textiles

Weaving is a method of textile production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Other methods are knitting, crocheting, felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral threads are the weft, woof, or filling. The method in which these threads are interwoven affects the characteristics of the cloth. Cloth is usually woven on a loom, a device that holds the warp threads in place while filling threads are woven through them. A fabric band that meets this definition of cloth can also be made using other methods, including tablet weaving, back strap loom, or other techniques that can be done without looms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denim</span> Warp-faced textile

Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was first produced in Nîmes, France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Textile arts</span> Form of arts and crafts using fibers

Textile arts are arts and crafts that use plant, animal, or synthetic fibers to construct practical or decorative objects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carpet</span> Textile floor covering

A carpet is a textile floor covering typically consisting of an upper layer of pile attached to a backing. The pile was traditionally made from wool, but since the 20th century synthetic fibers such as polypropylene, nylon, or polyester have often been used, as these fibers are less expensive than wool. The pile usually consists of twisted tufts that are typically heat-treated to maintain their structure. The term carpet is often used in a similar context to the term rug, but rugs are typically considered to be smaller than a room and not attached to the floor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Satin</span> Shiny, fragile fabric weave pattern, with long floats

A satin weave is a type of fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamental types of textile weaves alongside plain weave and twill weave.

Ikat is a dyeing technique from Indonesia used to pattern textiles that employs resist dyeing on the yarns prior to dyeing and weaving the fabric. The term is also used to refer to related and unrelated traditions in other cultures. In Southeast Asia, where it is the most widespread, ikat weaving traditions can be divided into two general clades. The first is found among Daic-speaking peoples. The second, larger group is found among the Austronesian peoples and spread via the Austronesian expansion. Similar dyeing and weaving techniques that developed independently are also present in other regions of the world, including India, Central Asia, Japan, Africa, and the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persian carpet</span> Term for a handmade carpet from Iran

A Persian carpet or Persian rug, also known as Iranian carpet, is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in Iran, for home use, local sale, and export. Carpet weaving is an essential part of Persian culture and Iranian art. Within the group of Oriental rugs produced by the countries of the "rug belt", the Persian carpet stands out by the variety and elaborateness of its manifold designs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flannel</span> Soft woven fabric with a lightly napped surface

Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of varying fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, bed sheets, and sleepwear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kilim</span> Flat tapestry-woven carpet

A kilim is a flat tapestry-woven carpet or rug traditionally produced in countries of the former Persian Empire, including Iran, the Balkans and the Turkic countries. Kilims can be purely decorative or can function as prayer rugs. Modern kilims are popular floor coverings in Western households.

An oriental rug is a heavy textile made for a wide variety of utilitarian and symbolic purposes and produced in "Oriental countries" for home use, local sale, and export.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pile weave</span>

Pile weave is a form of textile created by weaving. This type of fabric is characterized by a pile—a looped or tufted surface that extends above the initial foundation, or 'ground' weave. The pile is formed by supplemental yarn running in the direction of the length of the fabric or the width of the fabric. Pile weaves include velvet and corduroy fabrics and machine-woven Berber carpets.

<i>Kasuri</i> Japanese textile technique

Kasuri (絣) is the Japanese term for fabric that has been woven with fibers dyed specifically to create patterns and images in the fabric, typically referring to fabrics produced within Japan using this technique. It is a form of ikat dyeing, traditionally resulting in patterns characterized by their blurred or brushed appearance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anatolian rug</span> Term commonly used to denote rugs woven in Anatolia

Anatolian rug is a term of convenience, commonly used today to denote rugs and carpets woven in Anatolia and its adjacent regions. Geographically, its area of production can be compared to the territories which were historically dominated by the Ottoman Empire. It denotes a knotted, pile-woven floor or wall covering which is produced for home use, local sale, and export. Together with the flat-woven kilim, Anatolian rugs represent an essential part of the regional culture, which is officially understood as the Culture of Turkey today, and derives from the ethnic, religious and cultural pluralism of one of the most ancient centres of human civilisation.

The manufacture of textiles is one of the oldest of human technologies. To make textiles, the first requirement is a source of fiber from which a yarn can be made, primarily by spinning. The yarn is processed by knitting or weaving, which turns yarn into cloth. The machine used for weaving is the loom. For decoration, the process of colouring yarn or the finished material is dyeing. For more information of the various steps, see textile manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navajo weaving</span> Textile art by Navajo people of the US

Navajo weaving are textiles produced by Navajo people, who are based near the Four Corners area of the United States. Navajo textiles are highly regarded and have been sought after as trade items for more than 150 years. Commercial production of handwoven blankets and rugs has been an important element of the Navajo economy. As one art historian wrote, "Classic Navajo serapes at their finest equal the delicacy and sophistication of any pre-mechanical loom-woven textile in the world."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knotted-pile carpet</span> Hand weaving technique

A knotted-pile carpet is a carpet containing raised surfaces, or piles, from the cut off ends of knots woven between the warp and weft. The Ghiordes/Turkish knot and the Senneh/Persian knot, typical of Anatolian carpets and Persian carpets, are the two primary knots. A flat or tapestry woven carpet, without pile, is a kilim. A pile carpet is influenced by width and number of warp and weft, pile height, knots used, and knot density.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photo blanket</span>

A photo blanket is a large, rectangular piece of fabric displaying images, pictures, or designs, often with bound edges, used as a blanket or decorative object. Historically photo blanket were made of thick cloth depicting people, objects, and symbols intended to tell a story or reveal historical events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sambalpuri sari</span> Type of Sari

A Sambalpuri sari is a traditional handwoven bandha (ikat) sari wherein the warp and the weft are tie-dyed before weaving. It is produced in the Sambalpur, Balangir, Bargarh, Boudh and Sonepur districts of Odisha, India. The sari is a traditional female garment in the Indian subcontinent consisting of a strip of unstitched cloth ranging from four to nine meters in length that is draped over the body in various styles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odisha Ikat</span>

Odisha Ikat, is a kind of ikat known as Bandhakala and Bandha, a resist dyeing technique, originating from Indian state of Odisha. Traditionally known as "Bandhakala"', "Bandha", '"Bandha of Odisha", it is a geographically tagged product of Odisha since 2007. It is made through a process of tie-dyeing the warp and weft threads to create the design on the loom prior to weaving. It is unlike any other ikat woven in the rest of the country because of its design process, which has been called "poetry on the loom". This design is in vogue only at the western and eastern regions of Odisha; similar designs are produced by community groups called the Bhulia, Kostha Asani, and Patara. The fabric gives a striking curvilinear appearance. Saris made out of this fabric feature bands of brocade in the borders and also at the ends, called anchal or pallu. Its forms are purposefully feathered, giving the edges a "hazy and fragile" appearance. There are different kinds of bandha saris made in Odisha, notably Khandua, Sambalpuri, Pasapali, Kataki and Manibandhi.

<i>Hakata-ori</i> Culturally important Japanese fabric produced in Fukuoka Prefecture

Hakata-ori (博多織) is a traditional Japanese textile that has been produced in Fukuoka Prefecture for more than 770 years.

References