Saturday, July 27, 2019

A Textile Tour of Japan[1] - Part II
(Kyoto City and Other Areas)
Resource Review

Marie-Therese Wisniowski


Preamble
For your convenience I have listed other posts on Japanese textiles on this blogspot:
Discharge Thundercloud
The Basic Kimono Pattern
The Kimono and Japanese Textile Designs
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I)
Textile Dyeing Patterns of Japan
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II)
Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III)
Contemporary Japanese Textile Creations
Shibori (Tie-Dying)
History of the Kimono
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part I
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part II
The History of the Obi
Japanese Embroidery (Shishu)
Japanese Dyed Textiles
Aizome (Japanese Indigo Dyeing)
Stencil-Dyed Indigo Arabesque Patterns (Part V)
Japanese Paintings on Silk
Tsutsugaki - Freehand Paste-Resist Dyeing
Street Play in Tokyo
Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Designs
Japanese Colors and Inks on Paper From the Idemitsu Collection
Yuzen: Multicolored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II


Introduction[1]
There are some twenty-five galleries and museums in Japan that have textiles in their collection. There are over 38 major textile-producing areas in Japan. For example, the Arimatsu Narumi in Aicchi is famous for their shibori. The origins of Arimatsu Narumi Shibori date back to the Keicho era in the Edo period (1596-1615) when Takeda Shokuro used the sophisticated tie-dyeing technique called shibori (which was handed down from people involved in the construction of Nagoya Castle), manufactured washcloths (called mame-shibori) and marketed them as kukuri-shibori.

Arimatsu-Narumi Shibori goods - 400 years of tie-dye tradition.

In Australia wearable art is collected by the National Galley of Australia, Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria as well as in small regional galleries such as the Ararat Regional Art Gallery etc. However, the number of galleries and museums with sizeable wearable art collections is minuscule compared to Japan.

Costume for a Syrian woman in 'Cleopatre' (1909, 1930).
Designer: Leon Bakst.

Today's post will concentrate on Kyoto City and other areas outside of Tokyo and its surrounds.


A Textile Tour of Japan[1] - Part II (Kyoto City and Other Areas)
Kyoto City

Kodai Yuzen'en with Yuzen Gallery (Japanese: Yuzen Bijutsukan)
Inokuma Nishi-iru, Takatsuji-dori, Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto. Tel:(075) 811-8101.
Traditional textiles and dyeing techniques.
On Horikawa-dori.
Kozai Yuzen-en and Kimono Design Gallery.

Kyoto National Museum (Japanese: Kyoto Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan).
527 Chaya-machi, Higashiyama-ku Kyoto. Tel: (075) 541-1151.
A major collection of dyed and woven fabrics.
Ten minute walk from JR Kyoto Station.


Kyoto Prefectural General Museum (Japanese: Kyoto Furitsu Sogo Shiryokan).
1-4 Hangi-cho, Shimogamo, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto. Tel: (075)781-9101.
Excellent examples of tsujigahana and other woven and dyed fabrics.
Take the Midorogaike-yuki bus from JR Kyoto Station and get off at Sogo Shiryokan-mae.


Nishijin Textile Center (Japanese: Nishijin Ori Kaikan).
Imadegawa Minami-iru, Horikawa-dori, Kamigyoyu, Kyoto. Tel: (075)451-9231.
Historical materials and kimono.
Take a bus from JR Kyoto Station and get off at Horikawa/Imadegawa-dori.


Shozan Dyeing and Weaving Gallery/Shozan Dyeing and Weaving Studio (Japanese: Shozan Senshoku Gallery/Shozan Senshoku Kogei Kan).
47 Eagamiishi-Cho, Kinugasa, Kita-ku, Kyoto. Tel: (075)491-5101.
Part of a large park with a Japanese garden, textile gallery, and restaurants.


Other Areas

Arimatsu-Narumi Shibori Museum (Japanese: Arimatsu Narumi Shibori Kaikan).
60-1 Hashi Higashi, Minami, Arimatsu-cho, Midori-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi-ken. Tel: (052) 621-0111.
More than one hundred traditional tie-dyeing patterns developed during the 370 years of the town's history.
From JR Nagoya Station take the Meitetsu Nagoya Honsen train to Arimatsu (the express train does not stop there), so take or transfer to a local line.


Hamakasuri Folk Arts Museum (Japanese: Hamakasuri Mingeikan).
57 Oshinozu-cho, Yonago-shi, Tottoriken. Tel: (0859) 25-1411.
Kasuri from the San'in area.
Take a Sotohama-line bus bound for Sakai Minato from Yanago Station on the JR San'in Honsen Line. Get off at Watamisaki Jinja-mae.


Hayashibara Museum of Art (Japanese: Hayashibara Bijutsukan).
2-7-15 Marunouchi, Okayama-shi, Okayama-ken. Tel: (0862)-23-1733.
A superb collection of Noh costumes from the Momoyama period to the Edo period belonging to the Ikeda family.
A few minutes by taxi from JR Okayama Station.


Hikone Castle Museum (Japanese: Hikonejo Hakubutsukan)
1-1 Konki-machi, Hikone-shi, Shiga-ken. Tel: (0749) 22-5657.
Possessions of the Ii family (feudal lord of Hikone) including Noh costumes and masks.
About five minutes by taxi from JR Hikone Station.


Izumo Folk Arts Museum (Japanese: Izumo Mingeikan).
628 Chiimiya-cho, Izumo-shi, Shimane-ken. Tel: (0853) 22-6397.
Tsutsugaki collection.
A five to seven minute walk from Chiimiya Station on JR San'in Honsen line.


Matsumoto Folk Arts Museum (Japanese: Matsumoto Mingeikan).
1313-1 Shimpganai, Satoyamabe, Matsumoto-She, Nagano-ken. Tel: (0263) 33-1569.
A good collection of sashiko
Take a Chuo-Line bus from JR Matsumoto Station bound for Utsukushigahara Onsen and get off at Shimoganai-mae.


Okinawa Prefectural Museum (Japanese: Okinawa Kenritsu Hakubutsukan).
1-1 Onaka-machi, Shuri, Naha-shi, Okinawa-ken. Tel: (0988) 84-2234.
A collection of about one thousand dyed and woven fabrics of Okinawa.
Take a Sueyoshi-Line bus from Naha to Ikehata.


Shizuoka Minicipal Serizawa Keisuke Museum (Japanese: Shizuoka Shiritsu Serizawa Keisuke Bijutsukan).
Toro Koen, 5-10-5 Toro, Shizuoka-She, Shizuoka-ken. Tel: (0542) 82-5522.
Renowned textile designer Keisuke Serizawa's textile collection, his varied designs, kimono and loren.
From the north exit of JR Shizuoka Station, take bus number 4 to Toro Tseki, the last stop.


Tokugawa Art Museum (Japanese: Tokugawa Bijutsukan).
1017 Tokugawa-cho, Higashi-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichiken. Tel: (052) 935-6262.
Finest Noh robes and masks in Japan. Also two quilted kosode worn by Ieyasu.
From Nagoya City Bus Terminal, Green Platform number 7, take the bus for Jiyugaoka and get off at Shindeki.


Yukara Ori Folk Craft Museum (Japanese: Yukara Ori Kogeikan).
37-218 Kamui-cho, Chuwa, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido. Tel: (0166) 62-8811.
The colorful fabric designs of the Tiny textiles on display here reflect natural features of the northern region.
About fifteen minutes from JR Asahikawa Station.


Reference:
[1] S. Yang, and R.M. Narasin, Textile Art of Japan, Shufunotomo, Tokyo (1989).

Saturday, July 20, 2019

ArtCloth Textiles Created by Marie-Therese Wisniowski

Guest Editors: Judy Newman and Clare Mooney
IntoCraft: Live Creatively
Expertise Events


Preamble
For your convenience I have listed other posts in this series:
That Little Art Place
Art Quill Studio@2018 Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair
Art Quill Studio@2019 Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair



Introduction
Marie-Therese has been selected as a special guest at the 2019 Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre, South Wharf from July 25 - 28, 2019. This year Expertise Events have launched their inaugural Handmade Artisan Gallery at this years fair and two of Marie-Therese's ArtCloth works have selected to be exhibited and they are:

Artist: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: Ginninderra (full view).
Technique and Media: The artist's signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation technique employing disperse dyes, native flora and low relief items on delustered satin.
Size: 60 cm (width) x 120 cm (length).

Artist: Marie-Therese Wisniowski.
Title: When the Rain Comes (full view).
Technique and Media: The artist's signature MultiSperse Dye Sublimation technique employing disperse dyes, native flora, multiple resists and low relief items on delustered satin.
Size: 60 cm (width) x 120 cm (length).


ArtCloth Textiles Created by Marie-Therese Wisniowski[1]
Guest Editors: Judy Newman and Clare Mooney

Do you ever get a bit sick of seeing the same prints and styles in every shop you visit and wish for something a little more unique and individual? Well then, have a look at the unique textiles from Marie-Therese Wisiowski.

Marie-Therese screen-printing in her Art Quill Studio at Arcadia Vale in New South Wales, Australia.

After years of dabbling in fabric printing and dyeing, graphic designer Marie-Therese decided to follow her passion and set-up ArtCloth textiles in 1998. In 2001 that grew to encompass her own independent print studio - Art Quill Studio - which specialises in creating unique, contemporary, high quality, hand-dyed and hand-printed ArtCloth textiles using time honoured and complex surface design techniques. All items are custom designed and made in Australia.

'Cult Graf' velvet ArtCloth scarf.
Technique and Media: Dyed, over-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled employing dyes and foil on silk rayon velvet. Printed both sides.
Size: 28 cm (width) x 180 cm (length).

Chocolate 'Rainforest Beauty' ArtCloth pashmina wrap collection.
Technique and Media: Dyed, over-dyed and silk screened employing dyes, glazes, transparent, opaque and metallic pigment on viscose.
Size: 74 cm (width) x 195 cm (length).

'I create a range of items that have been created using a range of natural fibers/fabrics that started as pure white fabrics before I got to them!' Marie-Therese explains. 'These fabrics include cotton, linen, rayon, bamboo silk, silk rayon velvet, silks and viscose blends.'

'My ArtCloth fabric and scarf collections showcase all of my interests and influences: environmental landscapes, urban landscapes and early civilisation and prehistoric/historic art. The collections are created as a limited edition series and are not repeated,' Marie-Therese Wisniowski explains.

'Cultural Graffiti' ArtCloth fabric length in rich red/warm gold hues.
Technique and Media: Dyed, over-dyed, discharged, silk screened and foiled on rayon employing dyes, pigment, metallic paint and foil.
Size: 185 cm (width) x 121 cm (length).

'Renaissance Man' in magenta/purple hues (detailed view).
Technique and Media: Dyed, overdyed, screen printed employing transparent, opaque and metallic pigments on cotton.
Size: 113 cm (width) x 100 cm (length).

'ArtCloth textiles are a unique creation, never to be repeated in color, tone or overall design. Some of the design elements may re-appear in other items, but the overall colors, printing/overprinting and design features is what ensures their uniqueness as a one-off speciality item to covet. Every ArtCloth textile is an original work and cannot be replicated. Hence if you buy one of my scarves you will never find a reproduction walking towards you!'

Title: Ginkgo Love.
ArtCloth fat quarters collection in two colour ways - black and purple (detail view).
Technique and Media: Dyed, lino block and screen printed employing metallic and opaque pigments on cotton.

Marie-Therese employs various surface design techniques to create the imagery for her ArtCloth textiles. 'These techniques include the initial image/mark-making process of drawing and designing and creating printing tools which feature in the designs,' Marie-Therese details. 'As with all of my textile art and designs, plain white fabrics are individually dyed followed by over-dyeing, discharging, hand painting, stencilling, stamping, screen-printing, foiling and other processes on natural fibers.'

Title: Acanthus Dream.
ArtCloth fat quarters collection in two color ways: warm red-orange hues and cool blue-green hues (detailed view).
Technique and Media: The artist’s signature magnesium silicate-ombre screen printing technique, screen printed employing transparent and opaque pigments on cotton.

The dyes and paints used are color-fast, light-fast and wash-fast. Hence, the cotton, linen and rayon fabrics can be washed in the washing machine on a 'gentle' cycle, whereas delicate fabrics such as bamboo silk, silk rayon velvet, silks and viscose blends should be gently hand washed. 'Most of my ArtCloth textiles can be dry cleaned with the exception of pieces employing metallic foils,' Marie-Therese explains.

Title: Urban Butterfly.
ArtCloth fat quarters collection with bright red accents (detailed view).
Technique and Media: Screen printed employing glazes, transparent and opaque pigments on cotton.

ArtCloth textiles are available as fabric lengths, fat quarters, fabric samplers and scarves and are perfect for craft, wearable art, accessories, quilting, furnishing and interior design projects, as well as framed artworks.

Marie-Therese's ArtCloth works have received numerous national and international awards as well as being exhibited both in Australia and internationally. They are held in major public and private collections in Australia, Canada, Dubai, England, Hong Kong, Ireland, Sweden, Thailand and the USA. She is also available for workshops and lectures.

Marie-Therese discussing the various techniques and media she employs to create each individual ArtCloth Textile at the 2018 Sydney Craft & Quilt Fair, noting that each completed multi dyed and multi layered/printed piece started off as a pure white piece of fabric!

Meet Marie-Therese Wisniowski and see her work on display at Melbourne Craft & Quilt Fair, July 25 to 28, 2019. Her stand is Art Quill Studio, H21.


Reference:
[1] http://intocraft.com.au/blog/artcloth-textiles-by-maria-therese-wisniowski/

Saturday, July 13, 2019

A Textile Tour of Japan[1] - Part I
Tokyo and its Surrounds Vicinity
Resource Review

Marie-Therese Wisniowski


Preamble
For your convenience I have listed other posts on Japanese textiles on this blogspot:
Discharge Thundercloud
The Basic Kimono Pattern
The Kimono and Japanese Textile Designs
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part I)
Textile Dyeing Patterns of Japan
Traditional Japanese Arabesque Patterns (Part II)
Sarasa Arabesque Patterns (Part III)
Contemporary Japanese Textile Creations
Shibori (Tie-Dying)
History of the Kimono
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part I
A Textile Tour of Japan - Part II
The History of the Obi
Japanese Embroidery (Shishu)
Japanese Dyed Textiles
Aizome (Japanese Indigo Dyeing)
Stencil-Dyed Indigo Arabesque Patterns (Part V)
Japanese Paintings on Silk
Tsutsugaki - Freehand Paste-Resist Dyeing
Street Play in Tokyo
Birds and Flowers in Japanese Textile Designs
Japanese Colors and Inks on Paper From the Idemitsu Collection
Yuzen: Multicolored Past-Resist Dyeing - Part 1
Yuzen: Multi-colored Paste-Resist Dyeing - Part II


Introduction[1]
The Japanese kimono, like the clothing of other cultures was woven from vegetable or animal fibers. Today, most kimonos are made from man-made fibers.

Japanese Kimono - Red-floral, made in polyester.

In Japan the main fibers have been hemp and silk. The same is true of China and Korea. In the fifteenth century, the growth of cotton production in China, the techniques of cotton spinning and weaving were introduced to Japan, cotton fabric became widely used throughout the nation. In contrast, the main source of fiber in Europe was flax and wool. The difference is simply a difference of the physical environment of the two regions.

A man's woolen Kimono.

In Japan, the main methods of weaving have been flat weave, satin weave, gauze weaves, and tapestry-style weaves, techniques which are used around the world.

Gauze Weave.

Vegetable dyes have been widely used in Japan, among then indigo and safflower.

These color samples show the wide range of vegetable dyes that can be produced.

In Europe vegetable dyes were also used including indigo and madder. From the seventeenth century, Europeans imported tropical plants from South America and created bright and colourful dyes from them; in the same fashion, the Japanese derived bright colors from plant material that they imported from the jungles of SouthEast Asia and India. Of course today, man-made dyes are used in Europe and Japan, indicating the basic technique of textile production is universal.

There is a cultural difference on how color is perceived in Japan compared to Europe. The Japanese regard color as something that changes with time rather than as an eternal, unchanging entity. The Japanese words for color, such as sakura iro (cherry-blossom color) and momiji iro (maple-leaf color) are broad descriptions instead of a part of a logical color classification (such as the Methuen color classification).

In Japan, some seven to eight shades of indigo are differentiated, from the lightest, kamenozoki (literally meaning a peek in the dye vat) to the deepest, shimbashi. Each of these shade descriptions changes over time.

Today's post will be a quick textile tour of Japan and so the map below points to the major-textile producing areas of Japan. Obviously in this post we cannot travel to all of these places and so we shall concentrate on museums and galleries that hold important textile collections.



Museums and Galleries[1]
The best way to tour the textiles of Japan is to go to their museums and galleries. All those mentioned below have textile collections worth seeing, and their general collections are often of great interest as well. Most museums in Japan are closed on Mondays and over the New Year holidays. In addition, some galleries and museums are closed for a period in the summer. Galleries generally observe weekly and seasonal holidays as well and so it is always a good idea to check on-line with the museums and galleries with respect to their opening and closing hours. At museums, a modest entrance fee is usually charged and special exhibitions are regularly announced in the Japanese and English-language press.

To demonstrate the width and breadth of these museums and galleries holdings, not all the images will be focussed on textiles alone. Today's post will concentrate on Tokyo and its surrounds.


A Textile Tour of Japan[1] - Part I
Tokyo and its Surrounds Vicinity

Bunka Fashion Museum (Japanese: Bunka Gakuen Fukushoku).
3-22-1 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: (03) 299-2387.
Fabrics, costumes, Noh costumes, and other Japanese Western and Asian fabrics and costumes.
Seven minute walk from the south exit of JR Shinjuku Station, on the Koshu Kaido line.



Crafts Gallery, National Museum of Modern Art (Japanese: Kogei Kan, Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan).
1 Kitanomaru Koen, Chiyoda-kum Tokyo. Tel: (03) 211-7781.
Dyed textiles, porcelain, lacquerware, metalwork.
Eight minute walk from Tozai Line Takebashi Station, toward Hanzomon on Kinokuni Hill.

The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. Exhibition - Bizen: From Earth and Fire, Exquisite Forms.

Eisei Bunko Museum (Japanese: Eisei Bunko).
1-1-1, Mejiroda, Bunkyo-Ku, Tokyo. Tel: (03) 941-0850.
The notable collection of the Hosokawa family. Noh costumes, lacquerware, metalwork, and amors.
Fifteen minute walk from the Tozai Line Waseda Station.

Visitors to a "shunga" exhibition look at woodblock prints and paintings at the Eisei-Bunko Museum in Tokyo on Sept. 18, 2014. The exhibition ended Wednesday, drawing more than 200,000 visitors.

Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Japanese: Nippon Mingeikan).
4-3-33 Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Tel: (03) 467-4527.
Textiles, kimono, chests (tansu), screens, and pottery.
Near Inokashira Line Komaba Todai-mae Station.



Japan Traditional Craft Center (Japanese: Zenkoku Dentoteki Kogeihin Senta).
Plaza 246 Building, 2 F1., 3-1-1 Minami Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: (03) 403-2460.
Three minutes walk from the Ginza Subway Line Gaien-mae Station, on Aoyama-dori.

Recent exhibitions have showcased pottery from Gifu, forged blades from Osaka, wooden mosaics from Hakone and various crafts from Okinawa.

National Museum of Japanese History (Japanese: Kokuritsu Rekishi Minzoku Hakubutsukan).
117 Jonai-cho, Sakura-sh, Chiba-ken. Tel: (0434) 86-0123.
Nomura Shojiro collection of kimonos and textiles from the sixteenth through to the nineteenth century, one of the finest in Japan. It consists of 156 kosode robes and over 120 partial robes mounted on screens.
Ten to fifteen-minute walk from the Keisei Line Keiset Sakua Station.



Silk Museum (Japanese: Shiruku Hakubutsukan).
1 Yamashita-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama. Tel: (045) 641-0841/0843.
Original kosode, kimono, Noh costumes, reproductions of costumes, and dolls from the Edo through the Taisho period.
Take a taxi or bus from Sakuragicho Station on either the JR Keihin Took Line or the Toyota Line.



Suntory Museum (Japanese: Suntory Bijutsukan).
Suntory Building, 1-2-3 Moto Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: (03) 470-1073.
Important Japanese Textiles.
Five-minute walk from Ginza or Marunouchi Subway Line Akasakamitsuke Station.

A hitoe is an unlined kimono worn in summer.
Date of production: Edo period. Second half of the 19th century.
Dimensions (in cm): L. 173.0, D. (sleeve) 45.0, L. (center-to-sleeve) 64.0

Tokyo National Museum (Japanese: Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan).
13-9, Ueno Koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo. Tel: (03) 822-1111.
Clothes worn by nobility, the military, commoners, and costumes used in popular entertaining.
Ten minutes walk from west exit of the JR Yamanote Line Ueno Station.



Toyama Museum (Japanese: Toyama Kinenkan).
675, Oaza Shironuma, Kawashima-machi, Hiki-gun, Saitamaken. Tel: (0492) 97-0007.
From folk textiles to tsujigahana, and examples of weaving and dyeing from India, Indonesia, Iran, and other countries.
Take the Tobu Tojo Line to Kawagoe Station, and leave from the east exit. Take the Okegawa-yuki bus to Ushigayado bus station (about twenty to twenty-five minutes), or catch a taxi.

Girls dolls.


Reference:
[1] S. Yang, and R.M. Narasin, Textile Art of Japan, Shufunotomo, Tokyo (1989).

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Other Finishes
Art Resource

Marie-Therese Wisniowski


Preamble
This is the eighty-ninth post in the "Art Resource" series, specifically aimed to construct an appropriate knowledge base in order to develop an artistic voice in ArtCloth.

Other posts in this series are:
Glossary of Cultural and Architectural Terms
Units Used in Dyeing and Printing of Fabrics
Occupational, Health & Safety
A Brief History of Color
The Nature of Color
Psychology of Color
Color Schemes
The Naming of Colors
The Munsell Color Classification System
Methuen Color Index and Classification System
The CIE System
Pantone - A Modern Color Classification System
Optical Properties of Fiber Materials
General Properties of Fiber Polymers and Fibers - Part I
General Properties of Fiber Polymers and Fibers - Part II
General Properties of Fiber Polymers and Fibers - Part III
General Properties of Fiber Polymers and Fibers - Part IV
General Properties of Fiber Polymers and Fibers - Part V
Protein Fibers - Wool
Protein Fibers - Speciality Hair Fibers
Protein Fibers - Silk
Protein Fibers - Wool versus Silk
Timelines of Fabrics, Dyes and Other Stuff
Cellulosic Fibers (Natural) - Cotton
Cellulosic Fibers (Natural) - Linen
Other Natural Cellulosic Fibers
General Overview of Man-Made Fibers
Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers - Viscose
Man-Made Cellulosic Fibers - Esters
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Nylon
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Polyester
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Acrylic and Modacrylic
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Olefins
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Elastomers
Man-Made Synthetic Fibers - Mineral Fibers
Man Made Fibers - Other Textile Fibers
Fiber Blends
From Fiber to Yarn: Overview - Part I
From Fiber to Yarn: Overview - Part II
Melt-Spun Fibers
Characteristics of Filament Yarn
Yarn Classification
Direct Spun Yarns
Textured Filament Yarns
Fabric Construction - Felt
Fabric Construction - Nonwoven fabrics
A Fashion Data Base
Fabric Construction - Leather
Fabric Construction - Films
Glossary of Colors, Dyes, Inks, Pigments and Resins
Fabric Construction – Foams and Poromeric Material
Knitting
Hosiery
Glossary of Fabrics, Fibers, Finishes, Garments and Yarns
Weaving and the Loom
Similarities and Differences in Woven Fabrics
The Three Basic Weaves - Plain Weave (Part I)
The Three Basic Weaves - Plain Weave (Part II)
The Three Basic Weaves - Twill Weave
The Three Basic Weaves - Satin Weave
Figured Weaves - Leno Weave
Figured Weaves РPiqu̩ Weave
Figured Fabrics
Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements
Crêpe Fabrics
Crêpe Effect Fabrics
Pile Fabrics - General
Woven Pile Fabrics
Chenille Yarn and Tufted Pile Fabrics
Knit-Pile Fabrics
Flocked Pile Fabrics and Other Pile Construction Processes
Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms
Napped Fabrics – Part I
Napped Fabrics – Part II
Double Cloth
Multicomponent Fabrics
Knit-Sew or Stitch Through Fabrics
Finishes - Overview
Finishes - Initial Fabric Cleaning
Mechanical Finishes - Part I
Mechanical Finishes - Part II
Additive Finishes
Chemical Finishes - Bleaching
Glossary of Scientific Terms
Chemical Finishes - Acid Finishes
Finishes: Mercerization
Finishes: Waterproof and Water-Repellent Fabrics
Finishes: Flame-Proofed Fabrics
Finishes to Prevent Attack by Insects and Micro-Organisms
Other Finishes
Shrinkage - Part I
Shrinkage - Part II
Progressive Shrinkage and Methods of Control
Durable Press and Wash-and-Wear Finishes - Part I
Durable Press and Wash-and-Wear Finishes - Part II
Durable Press and Wash-and-Wear Finishes - Part III
Durable Press and Wash-and-Wear Finishes - Part IV
Durable Press and Wash-and-Wear Finishes - Part V
The General Theory of Dyeing – Part I
The General Theory Of Dyeing - Part II
Natural Dyes
Natural Dyes - Indigo
Mordant Dyes
Premetallized Dyes
Azoic Dyes
Basic Dyes
Acid Dyes
Disperse Dyes
Direct Dyes
Reactive Dyes
Sulfur Dyes
Blends – Fibers and Direct Dyeing
The General Theory of Printing

There are currently eight data bases on this blogspot, namely, the Glossary of Cultural and Architectural Terms, Timelines of Fabrics, Dyes and Other Stuff, A Fashion Data Base, the Glossary of Colors, Dyes, Inks, Pigments and Resins, the Glossary of Fabrics, Fibers, Finishes, Garments and Yarns, Glossary of Art, Artists, Art Motifs and Art Movements, Glossary of Paper, Photography, Printing, Prints and Publication Terms and the Glossary of Scientific Terms, which has been updated to Version 3.5. All data bases will be updated from time-to-time in the future.

If you find any post on this blog site useful, you can save it or copy and paste it into your own "Word" document etc. for your future reference. For example, Safari allows you to save a post (e.g. click on "File", click on "Print" and release, click on "PDF" and then click on "Save As" and release - and a PDF should appear where you have stored it). Safari also allows you to mail a post to a friend (click on "File", and then point cursor to "Mail Contents On This Page" and release). Either way, this or other posts on this site may be a useful Art Resource for you.

The Art Resource series will be the first post in each calendar month. Remember - these Art Resource posts span information that will be useful for a home hobbyist to that required by a final year University Fine-Art student and so undoubtedly, some parts of any Art Resource post may appear far too technical for your needs (skip over those mind boggling parts) and in other parts, it may be too simplistic with respect to your level of knowledge (ditto the skip). The trade-off between these two extremes will mean that Art Resource posts will hopefully be useful in parts to most, but unfortunately may not be satisfying to all!


Introduction
We have covered an array of different finishes from mechanical to pleating to beetling to decatizing to tendering to shearing etc. We have also covered additive and chemical finishes. Today's post will concentrate on: antiseptic finishes, anti-shrink treatments for wool, soil-retardant finishes; soil release finishes; insulating finishes; anti-static finishes.

It is interesting to note that sizing and chemicals make up 4% of the overall cost of fabrics to the consumer (see below).



Other Finishes

Antiseptic Finishes
Antiseptic finishes are used to inhibit the growth of bacteria and other odor-causing germs and to prevent the decay and damage from perspiration.

It happens to most of us — those unsightly underarm and collar stains from perspiration.

These finishes are important in skin-contact clothing, shoe linings and especially hospital linens. The chemicals used are surface reactants, mostly quaternary ammonia compounds. Those substances can be added to the spinning solution of rayon and acetate fibers. Most diaper service establishments add the finish during laundering.

Anti-Shrink Treatments
(a) Labelling
Many labels state that a garment is preshrunk, but this term is of little value. What you need to know is how much more it will shrink. Less than 1% residual or remaining shrinkage will not have any noticeable effect on size, but more than 2% can affect the comfort and fit of the garment.



Effect of Resin Finishes
Some fabrics which have resin finishes added for improved crease resistance and water repellency will hold their original shape as long as the resin finish is intact. Improper washing (too much heat and too long agitation) may remove it and then you may find that a dress has become too small "all of a sudden". Anyway, that is the excuse you can use to forgive your additional weight!

(b) Wool
Shrink-resistant wool textile materials can be obtained by:
(i) Modifying the wool fiber surface by partial dissolution of the epithelial cells (scales);
(ii) Coating the wool fiber with a film of resin to mask the epithelial cells.

Both treatments have the same effect; namely, the reduction of the directional friction effect (DFE) caused by scales and responsible for the felting of wool fibers. In reducing the DFE, fiber migration in a root ward direction is minimised when agitation of the wool textile material occurs, as during normal laundering.



Shrinkage resistance is achieved by controlled surface dissolution of the scales and is usually carried out with chlorine containing compounds in an aqueous or gaseous medium, under acid or alkaline conditions. The two methods are called wet and dry chlorination, respectively. Wool textile materials can also be made shrink resistant by applying to them such resins as polyacrylic, polyurethane or polyamide-epichlorhydrin. Knitted wool garments sold under the registered trademark of Superwash Wool have been treated with one of these resins and are therefore machine washable.



This shrink-resist treatment used to produce Superwash wool is very effective because the fibers first undergo wet chlorination; that is, they are treated with a chlorine solution which partially dissolves the epithelial cells. Only then is polyamide epichlorhydrin resin applied; the cross-linked polymers of the resin attach themselves with covalent bonds to the amide and sulfide groups in the wool polymers on the surface fiber.

(c) Other Fibers
Most thermoplastic fibers will not change their size as these fibers do not absorb moisture and have usually been heat set to a correct size during manufacture. However, cellulose materials, if not properly treated, can shrink so that a garment may be no longer usable.

Easy Care
When nylon, the polyesters and other thermoplastic fibers first came on the market, women experienced the joy of clothes that did not need ironing after every wearing or washing. They were used to having wrinkles hang out from woolen clothes, but wool was not suitable for all uses. To answer the demand for less ironing of all fabrics, chemists developed finishes for cotton, linen and rayon which were first called "wash and wear". So many problems developed that women began to think of these finishes as "wash and beware". Although wash and wear is still used in the US, the term "easy care" is a more accurate description for these garments.



These fabrics may need a little touch-up after washing, but no longer is it necessary to sprinkle, starch and laboriously iron every one.

Fabrics which have terms "wash and wear", "wrinkle-resistant" and "easy care" on their labels are made in a similar manner. Chemical substances, often resins, are applied to the fabrics in different ways. These resin particles penetrate fibers more or less uniformly or are permanently cross-linked with fiber molecules. Cross-linked fibers act much like a spring in a screen door - they return to their original shape when the strain is released. Just as a spring makes it harder to open the screen door, it is harder to wrinkle fabrics that are cross-linked or have resin finishes.

Note: The resin is depicted as the blue bolt with the green nut ends. The green nut end fixes into the fiber in the fiber's green receptor and so makes it harder for the fiber to alter its shape.

Resin finishes make the fibers less absorbent and therefore such fabrics will dry more quickly. They are warmer to wear, and may be less comfortable in warm humid weather.

Many cotton fabrics lose their strength when reacting to these chemical treatments and have a lower tear strength. Such cottons are often blended with polyesters or nylons for more strength. Others have an unpleasant odor, especially when moist.

One type of resin will react with chlorine in a chlorine bleach. This resin is called "chlorine retentive". Sometimes the fabric will turn yellow after washing and being pressed with a warm iron. Eventually the concentrated chlorine will disintegrate the fabric. The tag on most fabrics bearing this finish has the words - "Do not bleach". However it is wise not to use a chlorine type of bleach on any fabric that claims to have an easy care finish unless the label states that it may be bleached.

All such fabrics should be washed in cool or luke-warm water unless otherwise stated. Hot water may remove the resins, and then the fabric will no longer have its easy-care properties.

Some oily stains are difficult to remove from these finishes, especially if allowed to become set. "Come Clean" and "Soil Off" are examples of special finishes to release oily soil easily. It is advisable to remove all stains as soon as possible and never to press stained clothes of any kind.



Despite problems created by the finishes, women naturally prefer these fabrics as they are easy to care for and retain their appearance well. But remember, easy care does not mean no care. Follow directions on the label.

Soil-Retardant
Soli-retardant finishes are used on cellulosic fabrics that cannot be laundered easily. The first attempt was made on rayon carpeting. Upholstery fabrics of cotton and rayon soil readily and need this kind of finish. Mixes containing colloidal silica or alumina have given good results. The semi-microscopic particles fill surface pores, which are the main gathering places for soil. Other finishes reduce the positive charges on the fibers, so they will no longer attract negative charged soil.



Soil-Release Finishes Soil-release finishes became important when consumers became more critical of oil-staining of durable-press garments. Soil-release finishes are said to be effective usually with one "warm water" wash. For stubborn stains, one or two washes in hot water may be necessary. One technique called "alpha radiation" is due to the technology by Derring-Milliken. The process of how soil is released is probably due to a suitable chemical or monomer being grafted onto the polyester component to form a protective coating thus preventing deep penetration of the stain.

A tonsil-retentive finish is a chemical additive that deposits a hydrophilic chemical charge that resists staining and repositioning of soil.


References:
[1] N. Hollen and J. Saddler, Textiles, 3rd Edition, MacMillan Company, London (1968).

[2] E.P.G. Gohl and L.D. Vilensky, Textile Science, Longman Cheshire, Melbourne (1989)

[3] E. J. Gawne, Fabrics For Clothing, Chas. A. Bennett Co., Inc., Peoria, Illinois (1973).