Courtesy of talk2myshirt.com

In the February issue of New Scientist Paul Marks reports about the ability to weave a flexible battery into fabricsthatcould provide electricity for gadgets in your clothing.  Batteries have been connected to T-shirts, but have not been built into the fabric of a garment.  “Maksim Skorobogatiy and colleagues at the Polytechnic School of Montreal in Canada say they have done just that.”  To build this the architects cram a sold polyethylene oxide electrolyte between a lithium ion phosphate cathode and lithium titanate anode.  These thermoplastic materials can be stretched under mild heating.  The material resembles artificial leather.  “After stretching, the team wove strips of it into cotton fabrics and used conductive threads to connect these batteries in series…‘It’s the first fully wearable, soft lithium-ion battery that uses no liquid electrolytes,’ claims Skorobogatiy.”  This garment could deliver hundreds of volts, which can enable applications in which a battery-backed garment could deliver power in an emergency.  The clothing can produce enough power to save a life by defibrillating a patient and emit a distress signal.  The only problem the builders now face is waterproofing the technology and making it washable.  Sandy Black, who researches smart textiles, thinks that this technology could be used first in bags, backpacks, and medical-monitoring garments.

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Fiber2fashion has recently found Eco-friendly textiles from banana & pineapple fibers as a substitute.  Agricultural waste from banana and pineapple, which are found in abundance in Philippines, can be used as an alternative material for production of “home textiles, apparels, non-woven and industrial fabrics and upholsteries.”  Philippine Textile Research Institute presented these findings; the purpose is to aid the domestic textile industry in global competitiveness through home-grown resources.  145,792.175 acres of pineapple plantations can produce 55,483 tons of pineapple fiber, while 1,104,561.055 acres of banana plantations can generate 307,000 tons of banana fiber.  Besides begin eco-friendly, biodegradable and sustainable, “they also have better performance ability in terms of fibre and fabric properties.”  In the past pineapple waste has been used as organic waste, until “recent experiments proving successful in producing silk-like textiles when fused with polyester or silk, these fibres have a new utility.”  Banana fiber is very strong and is highly absorbent, while also being biodegradable.  With increasing hype around eco-friendly fabrics, banana and pineapple fabrics are not being used for preparation of apparels and home furnishings.  These fabrics are in high demand due to their “sustainability and biodegradability.”

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If you are tired of the aggravation of the prices and the constant visits to the fabric store, then make sure to read “How-To: Print on Fabric with an Inkjet Printer” by Andrew Lewis.  This article is an informative overview of the materials and directions about how to properly print your own fabric by only using an inkjet printer.  When deciding what ink to use make sure it is printer cartridges that use pigment ink, which will not lead to unforeseen colors on the fabric or wash out under water.  One important aspect to keep in mind is that not all printers can print fabric, and doing so may permanently damage your printer.  Although this may seem like a complicated process it is not and is time efficient.  It allows the designer the freedom to construct any design pattern they can invent, while making a high quality finished product.  Below are the abbreviated steps to produce a fabric design from your own printer.

Step 1- Make sure you choose a light-colored fabric, and it is at the maximum length your printer can handle.  If your printer allows printing from a roll, then you will be able to make the fabric as long as you want.

Stretch Print Twill

Step 2- Use a piece of card, the same width as the fabric, and fix the end of the fabric to that card.  The weight will help to keep the fabric running efficiently.

Step 3- Feed the card into the printer.

Step 4- Create your design on the computer, for example Stretch Print Twill.  Do not pull or move the fabric, while monitoring the printer to make sure nothing gets jammed or creased.

Step 5- Monitor the brightness and color settings to perfect your design.

Step 6- When the printing in completed, leave your new fabric to dry for an hour.  If any excess ink comes off, rinse the fabric in warm water, then hang out to dry.

Step 7- When the fabric is dry, iron the reverse side on low, then the fabric can be treated like a fabric bought from a store. For best production, use cool wash and iron on reverse side. This will help to conserve the colors.

Challi Print

This process is a very innovative and an inexpensive way of producing fabric.  Through this procedure, you will be able to manufacture a variety of different patterns and designs, including Challi Print.

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“Milk duds,” by Insung Cho, is an eye-opening article about the benefits and revolutionary creation of milk cloth in everyday clothing; specifically T-shirts, pants, camisoles and eye masks. Although, the use of milk cloth seems brand new, this process has been around since World War I. This procedure includes drying liquid milk, extracting and separating its proteins, dissolving them in a chemical solution, then placing that solution in a machine that whirls the fibers together. This process can be used to produce woven prints and ITY prints, which includes a large quantity of designs.

Aside from being environmentally friendly, this cloth, according to Dr. Kelly Cordoro, contains 18 amino acids, which “forms a protective external layer on the skin and keeps items like toxins out of the body.” Milk clothing is also popular among its consumers; Karen Hunt claims that “it feels like you’re wearing nothing, and it drapes beautifully.” The light weight feel and wear of the cloth is comparable to slub jersey fabric. Renowned designers, Oscar de la Renta and Giorgio Armani, have even begun to use corn, flax, and soy as bases for their garments. The only problem lies in the cost of the process, which will make it difficult for it to be mass produced.

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Featured Products:

Slub Jersey Fabrics

ITY Print Fabric

Woven Prints

1. CAMOUFLAGE: Camouflage fabric is a major factor in the fashion industry for children, women and men’s apparel and accessories. Whether you are looking for hunting camouflage fabric, army digital camouflage fabrics or just a nice camo print, camouflage is becoming increasingly popular. What started as a simple idea of clothing someone in a fabric that blends them into the background has come a long way. Of course the military still uses army camouflage fabric, hunters, fishermen and outdoors men use camouflage knit fabric but you’ll see classic or modern versions of camouflage everywhere. Camouflage fabric can be used to create bedding, clothing and accessories. A camo print can create a special gift for the outdoors man that has everything.

2. DENIM: Denim continues to be a staple in casual & fashion apparel. From the basic denim blue jeans to the denim jacket to denim accessories, denim woven fabric is increasingly popular. The most desirable denim fabrics are still manufactured in the USA. The price of USA wholesale denim fabrics has increased by 65% over the last 9 months as a result of fewer & fewer mills here. Although Cheap Priced Denim Woven Fabrics are sometimes hard to come by, they are still available. Denim’s control over casual fashion is not letting up any time soon.

3. FLANNEL: Flannel is a basic fabric that never goes out of style. Especially due to the expected cold weather this upcoming 2011/ 2012 winter season, warm Flannel Fabric will be in high demand. From solids to prints to plaids and stripes, flannel woven fabrics are available in all different styles. Flannel wholesale fabrics can also be purchased in basic and heavy weights. Flannel can be used to create many things such as shirts and blankets.

4. SHERPA: Sherpa is a basic fabric that is returning as a competitive fabric to fleeces. With the texture of a sheepskin on the brushed side, Sherpa knit fabric fashion trends are using the fleece side as the outside of the garment. Sherpa wholesale fabrics are the base of a movement toward “natural diapers.” Sherpa fabrics are soft and absorbent thus making excellent natural diapers.

What basic fabrics do you use often? Comment below to share.

A wide range dots in a variety of sizes & colors now available in koshibo, georgette, chiffon, & challis fabrics.

Nick of Time Textiles will now feature new fabrics & ways to save money. We look forward to serving you.