Cotton Fibres Types

Cotton fabrics can be silky or rough, smooth or textured, thick or sheer, indestructible or luxurious, making them America’s favorites for both home furnishings and clothing. Versatility, softness, breathability, absorbency, performance and durability are just a few of the qualities that have earned it year-round status.

Here are some of the many types of Cotton fabrics:

Broadcloth: A tightly woven lustrous cotton cloth with fine embedded crosswise ribs. Resembles poplin. Use: shirts and blouses, as well as home decorating.

Canvas: Rugged, woven cloth made with coarse yarn. Also called duck. Use: cushions, slipcovers, shower curtains, paint dropcloths.

Chambray: Fabric woven with a mixture of colored and white yarn. Use: curtains, shirts, dresses.

Chenille: A fuzzy cotton yarn or fabric that has pile protruding around it, named for the French word for caterpillar. Use: Heavyweight as upholstery; lightweight for bedspreads and robes.

Chintz: Glazed fabric, often printed with floral designs or stripes. Use: upholstery and curtains for the English country look and romantic bedrooms.

Corduroy: Ribbed pile fabric in various weights and weaves. Use: cushions, curtains, bedspreads, jumpers and pants.

Damask: Patterned fabric made on a jacquard loom. Use: table linens and tea towels.

Denim: Rugged, durable twill, most popular in indigo blue, but also white, tan, red, black. Use: jeans, slipcovers, bedspreads, casual curtains.

Flannel: Plain-weave soft cloth with napped surface. Use: winter pajamas, nightgowns and sheets.

Gingham: Yarn-dyed and woven usually in checks. Use: kitchen curtains and little girls’ pinafores, and more recently sheets and pillowcases.

Jacquard: Fabric woven on the jacquard loom, which produces elaborate, figured weaves. Use: decorative fabrics such as tapestries, brocade and damask.

Knit: Stretchy fabric made by interlocking thread loops together. Use: Different weights for T-shirts, underwear, easy-care dresses and bedsheets.

Matelassé: Double-woven in different patterns on a jacquard loom to give a three-dimensional look. Use: Outer bedding and elegant tablecloths.

Oxford: Fabric made with a modified plain or basket weave. Use: button-down shirts and more recently, sheets and pillowcases.

Percale: A smooth, finely combed woven with a minimum thread count of 180 threads per square inch. Use: sheets and clothing.

Poplin: Fabric with a fine horizontal rib effect on the surface and high thread count. Use: high-quality shirting.

Plissé: Fabric treated with a solution that shrinks part of the threads to create a crinkle effect. Use: blanket covers and summer pajamas.

Sateen: A satin-weave cotton with a smooth, lustrous surface. Striped sateen mixes lustrous with matte-finish stripes. Use: sheets, tablecloths, curtains.

Seersucker: A lightweight cotton fabric with a woven crinkle achieved by altering tension in the warp yarns. Use: synonymous with the classic summer suit; also used in sportswear, curtains, slipcovers.

Sheers: Batiste, lawn, organdy, dimity, dotted swiss and voile are all finely woven cotton sheers. Some are crisp, some are soft. Use: summer party dresses, curtains and summer see-through slipcovers for wooden chairs.

Terry cloth: Fabric with moisture-absorbing loop pile covering the entire surface on one or both sides. Use: bath towels, robes and cushion covers.

Twill: Durable fabric with diagonal lines on its face. Use: pants, shorts, slipcovers.

Velvet: A warp-pile fabric with short, densely woven cut pile, giving the fabric a soft, rich texture. Use: draperies, cushions and clothing.

History Of Cotton

No one knows exactly how old cotton is. Scientists searching caves in Mexico found bits of cotton bolls and pieces of cotton cloth that proved to be at least 7,000 years old. They also found that the cotton itself was much like that grown in America today.

In the Indus River Valley in Pakistan, cotton was being grown, spun and woven into cloth 3,000 years BC. At about the same time, natives of Egypt’s Nile valley were making and wearing cotton clothing.

Arab merchants brought cotton cloth to Europe about 800 A.D. When Columbus discovered America in 1492, he found cotton growing in the Bahama Islands. By 1500, cotton was known generally throughout the world.

Cotton seed are believed to have been planted in Florida in 1556 and in Virginia in 1607. By 1616, colonists were growing cotton along the James River in Virginia.

Cotton was first spun by machinery in England in 1730. The industrial revolution in England and the invention of the cotton gin in the U.S. paved the way for the important place cotton holds in the world today.
Eli Whitney Gin

Eli Whitney, a native of Massachusetts, secured a patent on the cotton gin in 1793, though patent office records indicate that the first cotton gin may have been built by a machinist named Noah Homes two years before Whitney’s patent was filed. The gin, short for engine, could do the work 10 times faster than by hand.

The gin made it possible to supply large quantities of cotton fiber to the fast-growing textile industry. Within 10 years, the value of the U.S. cotton crop rose from $150,000 to more than $8 million.

Cotton Facts

Nature has given cotton qualities that make it a smoother, softer and more comfortable choice. Cotton breathes, so cotton sheets never feel sticky against your skin and release marks and stains more easily than other fabrics, and therefore wash better and more cleanly. Fine linens begin with fine cotton, and the quality of the cotton depends on the length of the individual fibres, or staples – the longer the staple, the better the cotton. Longer staples can be combed finer to remove more small fibres, allowing the cotton to be spun into a finer-textured thread with more tensile strength, and woven into a softer, more lustrous fabric.

Types of Cotton Thread

Cotton is the thread of choice for many seamstresses because of its softness, durability, flexibility and the nearly endless rainbow of colors available. Because there are so many different types of thread on the market these days, choosing the best thread can be a bewildering task. The choice of cotton thread depends on the intended purpose, be it hand or machine embroidery, quilting, tailoring or appliqué. The choice, however, is often simply a matter of personal preference.

Mercerized Cotton Thread

Mercerization is the process of subjecting cotton thread to a chemical process in which the thread is dipped in a sodium hydroxide bath, followed by an acid bath. The chemical treatment causes the thread to plump up before it relaxes and straightens once again. Mercerized thread more readily accepts dye and holds the color longer. It is also stronger than nonmercerized thread, has a shiny appearance and resists mildew. Most modern commercial cotton threads are mercerized.

Glazed Cotton Thread

Glazed thread is mercerized cotton thread that has been waxed or treated with various chemicals that give it a polished, lustrous appearance, which is desirable for certain hand-sewing and hand-quilting projects. Although the process of glazing strengthens the thread, the glaze often can rub off and clog up sewing machines and sewing machine needles. For this reason, most stitchers will avoid glazed cotton thread for machine sewing.

Gassed Cotton Thread

Gassed thread is mercerized cotton thread that has been exposed very rapidly to a hot gas flame. This process removes the fuzz and excess lint on the thread, giving it a brighter, smoother, slightly iridescent appearance. Gassed cotton threads are more expensive than regular mercerized cotton, although gassed thread manufactured in America will be considerably less expensive than Egyptian cotton. Gassed thread is often used in fabrics such as poplin, voile and gabardine, but its high quality makes it useful for most types of sewing or quilting.

Cotton-Wrapped Polyester Thread

Cotton-wrapped polyester thread is an all-purpose thread often referred to as “dual duty.” It is practical for nearly any sewing project, both by hand and machine, and is especially useful for blended fabrics. It is stronger than than 100 percent cotton thread. It is also more elastic, which can sometimes be undesirable, but can be useful for sewing fabrics that stretch. Lower grades of cotton-wrapped polyester thread can become fuzzy, which can lead to breakage of the thread and a build up of lint in sewing machines.

Advantages

High-quality mercerized cotton threads are soft and durable enough to adjust to normal wear and tear, but pliable enough to withstand typical fabric shrinkage. It is an easy-care fiber that can be hand or machine washed and air or machine dried, although hand washing and air drying will preserve the life of the thread. Cotton thread is available in a variety of weights that make it desirable for a number of different sewing projects.

Cotton’s Growing Cycle

Cotton is an annual, summer crop. It prefers hot summers with low humidity and a maximum amount of sunshine.

In general, cotton grows quicker as the average temperature rises and the longer and hotter the season, the greater the yield.
The growing season from planting to picking lasts approximately six months, as outlined below.

August/September – Soil Preparation

Soil prepared for planting, weeds removed, nutrients added if necessary
Soil moisture levels checked, pre-watering if necessary

September/October/November – Planting

Soil temperature checked
Cottonseed planted when soil is warm enough for satisfactory seed germination and crop establishment (i.e. soil temperature reaches 14°C at a depth of 10cm for at least three days)
Cotton seeds sprout 4-5 weeks after planting

November/February – Growing Season

Flower buds develop a few weeks after the plant starts to grow, then flowers appear a few weeks later. The flowers then fall off leaving a ripening seed pod that becomes the cotton boll (the fruit)
Ongoing checks for pests, soil moisture level tests and weed removal
On irrigated cotton farms the initial irrigation (watering) is usually followed by a further four to five irrigations, at two to three week intervals, from mid-December to late-February. This differs depending on the region and on natural rainfall levels.
Approximately fourth months of growing is needed for the cotton bolls to ripen and split open
Cotton growers use a range of natural and soft chemical options to control the pests that attack cotton (called Integrated Pest Management, or IPM)

 
March/April/May – Defoliation, Picking and Transportation to Gins

Crop checked by agronomists to make sure it is ready to pick
Large mechanical cotton pickers are used to pick the crop
Growers usually choose to pick the cotton crop once most bolls have opened and fully matured. It is extremely important that cotton is picked dry or discoloration may occur and reduce quality
Cotton is packed onto trucks and sent to the ‘gin’ where it is ginned – a process separating lint (raw cotton fibre), cottonseed and trash
The cotton lint is tightly pressed into bales, each weighing 227kg – these are then sent to ports for shipping to overseas markets

 
May-August (Off-Season)

Classing and marketing activities undertaken
Growers plant winter crops and/or graze sheep and cattle
Growers make improvements on-farm for next season
Farm maintenance

8 reasons why people love to wear cotton clothes

Cotton is a natural fiber harvested from the cotton plant. This is one of the most used natural fibers and has variety of applications. Cotton materials like cotton wool, cotton rag paper etc are integral part of our life.

Many types of cotton are blended with other natural fibers, such as linen, or to add texture and strength to the fiber. Cotton can be woven or knitted. It can also be turned into Flannel, Corduroy, Muslin, and many other fabrics.

COTTON CLOTHING HAS LOTS OF  USEFUL BENEFITS :

1. COTTON is cooling, soft, and comfortable : Cotton “breathes”. The cotton fiber is from the cotton plant’s seedpod. The fiber is hollow in the center and, under a microscope looks like a twisted ribbon. This fiber absorbs and releases perspiration quickly, thus allowing the fabric to “breathe”. Cotton can stand high temperatures and takes dyes easily. Chlorine bleach can be used to restore white garments to a clear white but this bleach may yellow chemically finished cottons or remove color in dyed cottons. Boiling and sterilizing temperatures can also be used on cotton without disintegration. Cotton can also be ironed at relatively high temperatures, stands up to abrasion and wears well.
2. It is thought to be warm in winter and cold in summer : It is a best choice to opt for cotton clothing in hot and humid weather. Also they are thought to be warm in winter, and cool in summer. Where as synthetics trap in the perspiration and can be the cause of fungus infection or rashes etc.
3. It is durable and easy to care for : You can add beauty to cottons by starching those. Cotton is inexpensive, durable, and easy to care for. To give a beauty to your cotton garments, give starching and ironing. You can buy starch sprays these days and hence the care has become easier but if you are looking for economical starching product, you can make it at home by dissolving starch in water and then concentrating the same while constantly stirring the solution.

4. It is mainly useful for people suffering from Skin problems/ asthma : Cotton is mainly very useful for the people suffering from asthma or allergies, or those who have sensitive skin prone to scratching/irritation.

5. It draws your heat away from your skin, so useful to be used in the tropical countries : Cotton is the best material which allows better circulation, which is needed for the removal and absorption of body moisture and sweat (very much useful in the tropical countries), by drawing your heat away from your skin.

6. Chemicals used for synthetics are harmful for your skin : Cottons keep you cool and more comfortable than those made of synthetic which do not absorb perspiration. Also bear in mind that the chemicals used to process and dye the synthetics go on releasing possibly harmful fumes and gases for a long time, just like a brand-new carpet would, and as our skin is porous, a lot of these toxins may find their way into our bodies, either through our respiratory or perspiration system. So to protect what we can, of this delicate planet of ours, respect, peace and love of all, use cotton.
7. It is extremely breathable : Cotton wears well and is extremely breathable, unlike synthetic; that emits static electricity, prematurely age and trap perspiration.
8. It must be used while cooking/ in the Laboratories : Only cotton overcoat should be used while you are undergoing your cooking or laboratories etc, where chances of fire hazard/ acid burns are high. Very useful factor as the synthetics tend to engrave into your skin if catch fire and consequently giving severe burn effects.

Cotton Properties and Products

The Properties of Cotton

1.Cotton is a non-allergenic natural fibre that doesn’t irritate sensitive skin

2.Cotton’s softness makes it a preferred fabric for underwear and other garments worn close to the skin

3.Cotton’s adaptability allows it to blend easily with most other fibres including synthetics such as polyester and lycra and natural fibres like wool

4.Cotton is one of the easiest fabrics to dye, because it’s white in colour and very absorbant

5.Cotton has a high absorbency rate and holds up to 27 times its own weight in water

Cotton becomes stronger when wet

1.Cotton’s strength and absorbency make it an ideal fabric for medical and personal hygiene products such as bandages and swabs
2.Cotton breathes easily as a result of its unique fibre structure. This attribute makes cotton more comfortable to wear than artificial fibres unable to provide ventilation

3.Cotton keeps the body cool in summer and warm in winter because it is a good conductor of heat

4.Cotton is often used in the manufacture of curtains, tents and tarpaulins as it is not easily damaged by sunlight

Unlike synthetic fibres, cotton is a natural product and contains no chemicals

5.Cotton is very versatile – it can be blended, coated, finished, is dry cleanable, machine washable and easy to print on

6.Cotton is often used in some way including the lint, cottonseed, linters, stalks and seed hulls

The fibre from one 227kg cotton bale can produce 215 pairs of jeans, 250 single bed sheets, 1,200 t-shirts, 2,100 pairs of boxer shorts, 3,000 nappies, 4,300 pairs of socks or 680,000 cotton balls

Products Made from Cotton Lint/Fibre

Cotton lint is spun then woven or knitted into fabrics such as velvet, coruroy, chambray, velour, jersey and flannel
About 60% of the world’s total cotton harvest is used to make clothing, with the rest used in home furnishings and industrial products
Well known cotton products include denim jeans, socks, towels, t-shirts, bed sheets and underwear
More unusual uses of cotton fibre include tents, car tire cord, fishnets and book binding

Products Made from Cotton Seed

Over half the weight of unprocessed cotton (seed cotton) is made up of seed
The most common uses of cottonseed are oil for cooking and feed for livestock. Cotton seed is pressed to make cottonseed oil. Cottonseed can be made into a meal and is a popular feed for cattle and livestock as it’s a great source of energy
Cottonseed oil can also be used in a range of industrial products such as soap, margarine, emulsifiers, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, rubber, paint, water proofing and candles
Cottonseed oil is cholesterol free, high in poly-unsaturated fats and contains high levels of anti oxidents (vitamin E) that contribute to its long shelf life

Products Made from Cotton Linters

Cotton linters are fine, very short fibres that remain on the cottonseed after ginning. They are curly fibres typically less than 3mm long
Linters are used in the manufacture of paper (such as archival paper and bank notes) and as a raw material in the manufacture of cellulose plastics
Linters are commonly used for medical supplies such as bandages, cotton buds, cotton balls and x-rays      

Variety of Cotton Products

Synthetic fibres, the proportion of cotton in terms of all fibres used in the textile industry is declining. In 1900, cotton made up about 80% of all fibres. By 2003, this had fallen to about 35%. Nevertheless cotton remains an important fibre and it is used to make a wide variety of products.

The bulk of cotton fibre worldwide is used in the garment industry. Many cosmetic and medical items such as tampons, wads, swabs and bandages are made from cotton. The latter are commonly made of short cotton fibres (so called combers ), a by-product of the ginning and spinning process.

Other cotton products include bed linen and cloths, furniture, tablecloths, curtains, toys such as dolls and stuffed animals, yarns for knitting and crochet, seats for cars, trains and airplanes, tents, awnings, fishing nets, ropes, and explosives.

Many centuries ago, the first Chinese paper was made of cotton lint and still today, several types of paper are commonly produced from the most important natural fibre in the world: coffee filters, blotting paper, book covers and a type of paper that we use on an everyday basis – money

About 60% of the harvested weight of cotton consists of cotton seeds, which are usually processed for oil extraction. Cotton oil is used for cooking, as an ingredient in the food industry (e.g. margarine), as a base for cosmetic products, and as fuel. Residues from oil extraction (oil cake) are rich in protein and can be fed to cattle.

Choose Organic Cotton For Cleaner, Eco-friendly Clothing

Cotton is ultimate symbol of everything a fabric should be: pure, natural, soft. But it turns out that conventional cotton, which is what most kids’ clothing is made of, is considered the world’s dirtiest crop.

Cotton farming occurs on just 2.5 percent of the globe’s cultivated land but uses 16 percent of the world’s total insecticides and almost 7 percent of all herbicides. These chemicals are some of the most toxic ever created—nine out of the top 10 cotton pesticides are classified as moderately to acutely toxic. Three are ranked by the World Health Organization among the most dangerous to human health. The EPA considers seven of the top 15 possible carcinogens.

This is an environmental concern; these poisons contaminate the air, water, and soil when used. But it is also a health concern. Research published in the Journal of Textile and Apparel Technology and Management shows that when conventional cotton leaves the field, traces of many of the pesticides used to grow it remain in the fibers themselves—something to consider when dressing a thin-skinned baby or watching your kid chew on a terry cloth towel post-bath.

Cotton also requires large amounts of synthetic fertilizers, and it takes about 1/3 of a pound of these pollutants to produce a single t-shirt.

Once conventional cotton is harvested, it’s processed with a wide variety of toxic finishing materials including heavymetals, formaldehyde, azo dyes, benzidine, chlorine, silicone waxes, petroleum scours, flame and soil retardants, and ammonia. If you have ever watched a baby suck on her collar or her sock, this will make you want to adopt a precautionary stance when it comes to these fabrics.

Organic cotton is grown and manufactured without these hazards. When we choose organic cotton instead of conventional cotton, we protect the health of our families and the environment.

Once a rarity, organic cotton is being grown in greater quantities every year. It’s now possible to find equally attractive and durable organic versions of almost every traditional cotton product—from bed sheets to swaddles to cloth diapers to blue jeans. Look for these organic alternatives when you shop. If your local stores don’t carry organic options, check online. You may also be able to find clothing made from eco-friendlier sustainably grown cotton which will contain less residues than conventional cotton but not as little as organic.

U.S. Cotton Subsidies and Cotton Production

* Cotton is grown in 85 countries and exported by 55.

* The US is the second largest cotton producer and by far the largest exporter in the world and regularly ships 40 to 60% of its yield abroad.
* As the largest exporter, the US currently accounts for more than 50% of the world¹s exported cotton.
* From 1995 to 2001, 78% of the US subsidies for cotton went to only 10% of the cotton farmers‹about 2000 farmers.
* Before NAFTA and GATT were passed US spinning mills consumed 12 million bales of cotton and the US shipped out about 6 or 7 million. Currently, domestic mill use is closer to 7 million bales, but US growers continue to produce about the same amount of cotton. Consequently, the US now exports 5 million more bales of subsidized cotton than it did before NAFTA.
* More than 11 million of bales (480lbs. per bale) of US cotton per year were dumped on the world market from 1995 to 2003 at rock bottom prices. The price of cotton dropped to 48 cents in 1997 and bottomed out at 28 cents in 2000. Until 2003 the price continued to sell in the 48 cent range. At 48 cents a pound, cotton was being sold at about 30 cents less than the average cost to grow it and 40 cents less than the average of what US farmers received for it at the cotton gin.
* In India, low prices for cotton and high prices for chemicals have caused tens of thousands of farmers to go bankrupt. As a result, there have been more than 20,000 cotton farmer suicides since 1995. Additional thousands of Indian farmers sold their kidneys into the world organ market to pay their pesticide and fertilizer bill to Monsanto, Cargill or multinational banks.
* In Africa more than ten million people directly depend on cotton exports for their livelihood. Mali, Benin, and Burkina Faso have lost twice as much on the drop in cotton prices as they received in US foreign aid. This has driven more than 4% of each country¹s population into abject poverty and prompted a common African lament which goes: The more we produce The more we export The poorer we get!
* More than a million Mexican farmers lost their land since the passage of NAFTA and the subsequent dumping of surplus US corn, cotton, wheat and other crops The dumping of subsidized crops (especially corn and cotton) into the Mexican markets drove prices below the cost of production. Small farmers could not compete and were driven out of business and off the land.
* In 1946 the average size of the US cotton farm was 17 acres and there were more than a million cotton farmers. Today, cotton farms average over 1,000 acres. Before NAFTA there were 40,000 cotton farms, today, there are only 20,000 left.
* Only 36% of the US farmers receive all of the crop subsidies. 64% of US farmers receive none. Only 3.6% of the US farmers received 71% of all the government payments. The next 3.6% got 15%, which means that 7.2% of the farms received 86% of all the US subsidy payments.
* Besides being highly subsidized, cotton is the most toxic crop in the world. Cotton uses more than twenty-five percent of all the insecticides in the world and 12% of all the pesticides. Cotton growers use 25% of all the pesticides used in the US. Yet cotton is farmed on only 3% of the world¹s farmland.
* California is one of the only states where farmers are required to provide pesticide use reports. The California EPA reported that only15 chemicals accounted for 77% of the pesticides used on cotton from 1989 to 1998 and that these were some of the most toxic chemicals in the world. Cal EPA and US EPA analyses illustrate that seven of these fifteen most used cotton chemicals were probable cancer-causing pesticides, eight caused tumors and five caused mutations. Twelve of the top fifteen cotton pesticides in California caused birth defects, ten caused multiple birth defects, and thirteen were toxic or very toxic to fish or birds or both.
* On the average, seven times as many pounds of toxic fertilizer are regularly used on cotton as are pesticides. Cotton fertilizers have fouled the air and polluted rivers, groundwater basins and aquifers wherever cotton is grown.
* Cotton fertilizers and pesticides have killed and injured millions of fish, birds, and other wildlife as well as countless thousands of rural residents.
* 75% of the cotton and cottonseed in the US is genetically modified.
* In the US we eat or drink more cotton products than we sleep on, wash with, or wear.
* Cottonseed accounts for about 60% of the harvest tonnage, gin trash (leaves, fibers and twigs) 5% to 20%, and cotton fiber only 30 to 35%.
* About 80% of all the cottonseed and almost all the gin trash go right into our milk. The other 20% of the cottonseed is made into oil, meal and cake and winds up in many different junk foods. An average of eight pounds of cottonseed is fed out to most dairy cows in the US every day. Large amounts of gin trash are fed out or used for bedding for dairy cows and beef cows.
* In addition to GMO cotton seed and gin trash, the cows are also fed GMO corn and soybeans. Many are also shot up with genetically modified bovine growth hormones. This makes milk one of the most toxically produced and genetically modified products. Since kids drink the bulk of the milk in the US, kids get the most poison as well the most exposure to genetically modified bacteria, viruses, hormones and antibodies.
* Subsidies must end to millionaire and billionaire farmers who are obviously poisoning the land, poisoning consumers and bankrupting small farmers and rural communities in the US and around the world. Subsidies for the mega rich corporate farmers should be immediately put on a fast track to sunset.
* The current subsidies to the corporate rich should be redirected to existing water quality, pest control, and fertility management programs that have been enacted by Congress but which are currently under-funded.
* Bale tax money (about $2.10 per bale), which funds both the Cotton Council and Cotton Incorporated, should be redirected to local infrastructure development in cotton growing communities, a retooling of our domestic garment industry, and value added programs for cotton farmers and cooperatives.