Fashion History Through Textiles

Module 1: Wool

All contents copyright © 2013 by educationfun1.com. All rights reserved. No part of this document or the related files may be reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the publisher

Wool comes from the coat of certain animals. On sheep this is called fleece. Each individual wool strand is called a fiber and each fiber has three parts: Outer layer (cuticle); middle layer (cortex) and inside layer (medula). The cortex contains a pigment called melanin which gives the wool its colour. The more melanin in the fiber the darker the wool will be (thus black sheep).Wool is taken off sheep through the process of shearing. Lambs are first sheared when they are between three and eleven months old.Then again when they are between nine and eighteen months old. Sheep are shorn once a year after that, usually in the spring. Asheep shearer is trained to remove the fleece without hurting the animal. Experienced shearers can shear up to twenty sheep an hour. Once wool is sheared it is pressed, weighed and baled.

Wool ProcessingShearing

Sheep Shearing math

If a sheep can live up to twelve years. How many times is it shorn?

If a farmer had 200 sheep in his flock, how long would it take an experienced shearer to shear them all?

If an adult sheep can produce 4.5 kg/9.9 lbs of wool each year, how much wool will it produce in its lifetime?

If it takes 50 fleeces to fill a wool bale, how many bales will a farmer with 1000 sheep have?

Wool ProcessingFrom washing to weaving

Wool has a natural oil called lanolin that is produced in order to make the sheep's coat waterproof. Lanolin is removed before the wool is processed by washing it in soap and water. After washing, rinsing and drying, the wool is dyed. Originally plant parts were used to dye wool (such as onion skins which create an orange/brown colour) but in modern processing chemical dyes are used. Dying can take place at this stage, or after spinning. Once the wool has the desired colour it is carded. Carding requires the wool to be pulled along wire spikes to straighten and pull apart the wool creating a thin web like result. This web-like wool is then rolled into a sliver or rolagwhich can then be spun. Spinning twists the fibers into thread or yarn. Spinning can be done by hand using a drop spindle or spinning wheel, or by a spinning machine. Once yard and thread is made they can be made into cloth. The two main ways of making wool cloth is by knitting or weaving. Knitting makes cloth by linking together rows of looped yarn. These interlocked links create the cloth. Weaving is done on a large frame called a loom. It uses two threads, the warp (goes lengthwise on the loom) and the weft (goes crosswise on the loom). Passing the threads through the warp and the weft creates a weave pattern.

Make your own drop spindle

Materialswooden car wheel (whorl)

dowling to fit in hole of wheel - about 12" long (shaft)

1. Push dowel through hole in the wheel - leave 1 to 1.5" sticking out of bottom.2. Drill a small hole in the center of the shaft in the end at the top, screw in a cup hook3. Add your leader (can be homespun or store bought yarn - around 12-14" long. Tie to the shaft at the bottom of the whorl.4. Take the leader yarn and pull it over the side of the whorl, loop it over the bottom part of the shaft and then back up over the side of the whorl and loop it into the hook.5. Leave a couple of inches of yarn to start your fiber on.

Spinning with a drop spindle1. Hold the leader yarn and let the spindle dangle underneath your hands.2. Take the spindle in your right hand and the leader in your left hand, then spin the shaft in a clockwise direction. 3. Continue to spin the spindle in the same direction until the leader begins to take in the twist.4. Leave a fluff of fiber at the end for joining on more fiber.

Wool ProcessingFulling and Finishing

After wool is made into cloth it is shrunk in a process called fulling, or milling. Moisture, heat and friction are applied to the fabric which causes it to tighten. The finishing steps depend onthe type of cloth being made. Woolen cloth can be brushed to make the end fibers soft and fluffy, as in flannel cloth. Worsted cloth (made from longer wool fibers) is sheared or singed so that there are no loose ends. This creates a smoother, crisper fabricthat is used for business suits. Chemical finishes are also applied to the fabric to make the wool machine washable, stain-proof or fire- proof. Felt is another type of wool cloth. This is made when wool fibers are pressed together using heat and moisture which makes fibres stick together.Until the early 1800s most wool was made into cloth in the home.Fulling was the first step to be done in a mill (as early as 1200) and between 1790 and 1890 almost every step became mechanized.

Number the wool processes in order from beginning (1) to end (10)

___ Carding

___ Fulling

___ Shearing

___ Dying

___ Finishing

___ Washing

___ Weaving

___ Spinning

___ Baling

___ Making Clothing

History of wool in the use of clothing

Sheep's wool is the most commonly used animal fiber in the world. The wool, spun into thread and made into clothing, dates back to ancient times in the first civilization of Mesopotamia (now Iraq). Not only did these ancient people use wool to create woven cloth, but it also became an important export for them.

In ancient Greece sheep were used for wool, meat and milk. Cloaks (peplos) made of wool would keep the Greeks warm in the winter, and could also be used as blankets since they were just a rectangular piece of cloth.

Most of the clothing in ancient Rome was made of wool. Women or slaves would spin wool into thread in the home to make tunics and togas. Tunics were worn for everyday use and were made by sewing two pieces of woolen cloth together leaving holes for the arms. Tunics were worn belted at the waist and just covered the knees. They were also worn under togas. Togas were worn by men during public events. They were made from one piece of cloth draped over the body. Certain colours of toga would define the social status of the wearer. Woolen cloth could be dyed to change the colour. The most important men (like emperors or generals) wore purple togas with gold embroidery. This colour of dye came from shellfish. An ordinary male citizen wore a plain white toga. A magistrate or upper class boy wore an off-white toga with a purple stripe and a dark coloured toga was worn after someone died.

Emperor

MagistrateAdult citizen

EmperorMourner

Colour the toga appropriately based on the type of citizen wearing it.

Guilds in Medieval Society

In the Middle Ages (500 CE to 1500 CE) raw wool and wool cloth were an important industry. In order to ensure the quality of the wool industry (and other crafts of the time), guilds were formed. Guilds were groups of craftspeople that would apply rules to the way that the trade was conducted (these rules would be included in the guild's charter). These rules would regulate wages and prices to make sure the industry was fair and ensure that only masters of the trade could sell the products. There were three steps to become a member of a Craft Guild.1. Apprenticeship: a boy in his early teens would be sent to work for a "master" as an apprentice. This apprenticeship would last for 5-9 years depending on the trade and would provide the apprentice with room, board and training but not wages.2. Journeyman: after an apprenticeship was completed he would then become a journeyman and get paid for his work. He would create masterpieces to present to the guild as proof of his craftsmanship in hopes of being deemed a "master."3. Master: after the guild approves the journeyman's work he can become a master and set up his own shop and train apprentices of his own.

Craft Guilds in the clothing industry

In Europe there were several guilds connected to the wool/clothing industry:

Cappers: Cap makersCardmaker: makers of wool-cards for carding woolCloth-makers: manufacturers of woolen clothDrapers: makers and dealers of clothDyers: dye cloth and other materials (except leather)Fullers: tread or beat cloth to cleanse and thicken itGirdlers: belt makersHatmakers: make hatsHosiers: makers and sellers of knitted stockingsMercers: textile dealersShearmen: cloth-cutters (and possibly sheep-shearers)Tailors: make clothing from clothWeavers: weave cloth from fibre

Each Guild had its own hall and coat of arms. The Guild's emblem and Coat of Arms represented skill, integrity, quality and service as well as symbols of their trade.

Armourer’s Guild Miner’s Guild Brewer’s Guild Painter’s Guild Baker’s Guild

Create a Guild Crest that describes one of the guilds from the wool industry.Use symbols that show the tools, or the craft as well as ones that may show hard work or other aspects of the industry.

Wool comes from Where?

Sheep are raised in countries around the world but some countries have a higher level of production.Australia is the country that produces the most wool. It has over 114 million sheep being raised in over 70 000 sheep farms (called stations).China is the second largest wool producer. It has more sheep than Australia but less wool production because their sheep are also raised for meat.New Zealand which is the third largest wool producer has more sheep than people by a ratio of 2:1.Other countries that have a large wool production rate include Iran, the United Kingdom and Argentina.

Here are outlines of the top wool producing countries. Identify each country by writing the country name underneath the proper outline (you may need to use an atlas).

Characteristics of Wool

The chemical structure of wool creates a range of properties making it ideal for clothing. The cuticle is covered in scales with a waxy surface. This stops water from penetrating the fiber but also allows for absorption of water vapour.

Wool fibers can keep people warm by absorbing the water from the damp, cold air and keeping it away from the skin. Similarly, it can keep people cool by absorbing the sweat off the body and keeping it away from the skin thus keeping the body at a constant temperature. Wool's absorbency allows it to soak up liquid, including dyes, which gives it strong colour. Because the fibers hold moisture it also makes it resistant to fire. The cortex of the wool fibre is made up of two sets of cells which expand differently when reacting with water. This causes the crimping effect of the wool fiber. The crimp makes the wool springy and allows it to trap air and provide insulation. Wool fibre is made of a protein called keratin. This is the same protein found in human nails and animal hooves. This substance is what gives the fiber its strength.

Keeping in mind the following characteristics of wool, on the next page, define which characteristic makes it appropriate for the clothing made using wool.water-resistant; good absorbency; stain-resistant; flame resistant; good insulator; resilient (strong); holds colour well, ability to felt and good wrinkle recovery

In the reverse, until 1940, bathing suits were made from wool. But they would absorb so much water they became heavy and hard to swim in.

Wool Fashion

In today's fashion wool from sheep is not the only choice, although it is the most popular. Wool can also be gathered from:

Wool fashion

The concept of wool fashion brings to mind bulky, knitted sweaters. True, they are part of wool fashion but wool cloth is not always bulky anymore. Wool cloth can range from a thick, coarse material used to make a winter coat to something soft enough for a baby to wear.There are various types of wool cloth used in fashion:

Chenille is a fabric with fur-like texture. It is created by weaving the warp thread in groups making a chunky texture. Chenille is used to make sweaters, bath robes and more..

Felt is a non-woven fabric created by matting wool fibers. Felt is popular for making hats.

Flannel is a soft, plain weave fabric with slight napping on one side (which means it is softer on one side). Flannel is a favourite fabric for pajamas.

Gabardine is a fabric that comes in a variety of weights and is used for coats, suits, trousers, skirts and dresses.

Melton is a thicker sort of woolen fabric that is generally used for coats.

Serge is a high-quality weave used mainly for suits and military uniforms.

Tweed is a rough-textured, heavy fabric commonly used for suits and coats.

Worsted is a hardy woolen fabric made of smooth yarn also used for suits and coats.

What type of Wool?

Match the piece of clothing with the type of wool cloth it is made with.

Merino Wool - taking the itch out of wool fashion

Traditional wool is often associated with being prickly and itchy. This characteristic of wool garments is related to the type of wool fibers. Coarse, short fibers that push into the skin can irritate. Finer fibers, however, are more comfortable because they bend when pressed against the skin.Merino wool, from New Zealand and Australia is made with only fine fibers. Because of this, it is used to create garments comfortable to wear for sports and soft enough to touch a baby'sskin. With this new quality of wool, the bulky wool sweater fashion has graduated to high fashion.

Thanks to the softness of Merino wool, clothing of all layers can benefit from the properties of wool.On the next page, use the wool "swatches" to design an outfit that explores the various uses of wool. Cut the designs from the "fabric and dress the "model" on the following page.Try to create several layers and use varying types of wool fabric.

Answer Pages - Sheep Shearing math

If a farmer had 200 sheep in his flock, how long would it take an experienced shearer to shear them all?

200 ÷ 20 = 10It would take him 10 hours

If an adult sheep can produce 4.5 kg/9.9 lbs of wool each year, how much wool will it produce in its lifetime?

4.5 x 12 = 54 9.9 x 12 = 118.8The sheep will produce 54 kg/118.8 lbs of wool in its

lifetime.

If it takes 50 fleeces to fill a wool bale, how many bales will a farmer with 1000 sheep have?

1000 ÷ 50 = 20The farmer will have 20 bales of wool

5 Carding

8 Fulling

1 Shearing

4 Dying

9 Finishing

3 Washing

7 Weaving

6 Spinning

2 Baling

10 Making Clothing

Answer Sheet - Wool Processing

Note - dying can be number 4 or number 7 as it can be done at either time.

EmperorEmperor

MagistrateAdult citizen

EmperorMourner

Colour the toga appropriately based on the type of citizen wearing it.

Answer sheet – country outlines

United Kingdom China Iran

New Zealand Australia Argentina

Websites

http://merinoinc.co.nz

www.biotechlearn.org.nz

http://pix.popula.com/itmes/0224/vintage3/wool

www.ngw.nl/catalogue/trade/wesenberg

www.lima.ohio-state.edu/dburks/craft_guild_by_profession

www.medieval-life-and-times.info

www.historyonthenet.com/Egyptians/clothing

Books

Gleason, Carrie. The Biography of Wool. Crabtree Publishing Co. New York, 2007

People

Connie Peterson who lent her expertise in editing and wool!

Resources