Monday, August 23, 2010

Textile Pattern Designing

Patterns are unique styles which develops a creative flair in designing. We all know that designing has variety of definitions in accordance with the varying streams. Designing is different in fashion, its different in Interiors, its different in clothing and its different in patterns. Styles change according to the prevailing trends and same is the case with textile pattern designing which has a direct relation with the fashion world.

Textile industry these days is making good use of pattern designing. They have ample to variety to offer to their customers like cushions, bed covers, curtains and pillow covers creatively developed in colorful patterns.

Textile is basically one of those sectors that have direct relation with the revenues of the country. And nowadays it's so much on rising stages that a lot many types of equipment are being introduced for providing better performance. One of the most important ones among this computerized pattern designing. Highly improved software's have be developed where variety of options are provided for efficient use of colors and forms for constructing unique creations. Embedded tools and techniques assist the designers in providing high yielding performance in the field of textile pattern designing.

With the technical advancement, the structure of the society's needs and demands has also changed. What things were earlier are not at all the same today. This statement matches well with the pattern design industry. Earlier, it was moving on the commands of the manufactures that had to bear the burden of losses too. Designs that were being created by the manufacturing companies were presented in the public. If they liked them, it became fashion else were dumped into the pot.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Friday, July 30, 2010

Shoes on the Internet

One of the most difficult decisions to make in the game of racquetball when it comes to equipment is buying racquetball shoes. Note I say racquetball shoes because many players play in regular tennis or track shoes that are not optimized to give you the specific performance you need in a small court area that requires constant direction change, good gripping support, etc.

A player's best option when it comes to making this decision is to order it online and take the chance of it not fitting in size and/or not being a comfortable fit. Ordering online is a great, time saving option and to make sure you order the right size....here are some suggestions.

Here are 6 steps in helping you make the right decision the first time.

1. Know what you are looking for in a shoe.
-Do your feet need special attention?
-Do you experience pain in the arch of your feet? You may need more arch support.
-Do your feet pronate (apply majority of your weight onto the inside sole of the foot)? This can be corrected and a proper fitting shoe can help.
-Do you need insoles for more support? Are you flatfooted? Do you have high arches? Is comfort your main concern or is it the weight of the shoe?
-What is your budget?
-How much would you pay for a good pair of racquetball shoes? (Note: top quality racquetball shoes frequently cost less than half of what top athletic brands cost and in most cases are about the same cost of a quality sneaker (seriously). The highest priced racquetball shoes are all well under $100 and many high quality shoes cost $60 or less.

2. What shoes are most high caliber players playing with? Ask them for their opinion on the shoes. What shoes are other players talking about? Is there a particular brand that most players talk about? Are you loyal to a brand and do they offer shoes?

Testimonies of personal experiences are as good as it gets.

3. Talk to a knowledgeable person about the indoor shoes you are wanting to purchase and if it is right for you. Someone who sells racquetball shoes on a regular basis would have good ideas as to what works for you.

4. Know your size. I can tell you from personal experience that having a shoe that is not the right size can cause long term pain. As you get older, your body changes including your feet.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Friday, July 23, 2010

Textile Furnishings

Read the Labels: Always read labels to know the manufacturer's care instruction so that you may properly clean the fabrics without damaging them. Usually, all precautions needed for textile care is provided through symbols indicating whether a fabric can be washed, bleached, ironed, dry-cleaned or tumble-dried. Follow the instructions for longer life of your upholstery.

Clean & Care for Home Furnishings: Regular cleaning & caring is essential for all home furnishings.

  • Vacuum blinds and curtains, including linings, once a week to avoid building up of dirt on them. Use an upholstery attachment for this. When cleaning delicate fabrics, stretch muslin over the nozzle. Get them professionally cleaned every 2-3 years.
  • Never use a vacuum cleaner to clean feather or down cushions as it will damage the fillings. Don't use soap or detergents on fixed covers as they may cause colors to bleed.
  • Except when labeled as washable, always dry clean the loose covers. Cotton or linen covers can be hand-washed but don't rub the fabric. Squeeze it gently, and rinse extremely well. Avoid drying in direct sunshine or tumble drying, instead dry flat. Iron covers lengthwise, on a very low heat, while they are still damp.
  • Keep leather upholstery away from sun, if not possible, protect with curtains and blinds. If scratched, rub it over with a wet cloth to make the scratches less visible. To wipe away spills, moisten the entire surface evenly & lightly and allow drying naturally. Don't apply direct heat.
  • Steam clean the trimmings, including tassles and fringed trimmings, on soft furnishings. Keep it gentle. Use soft artist's brushes to dust rosettes and ruched braids.
  • When dry cleaning, always clean the whole set to avoid uneven color change.
  • Turn the cushion covers regularly for evenly spread color fading. Also change their places as some of the seats are more used than others. This'll ensure even wear & tear. Stashing some cotton terrycloth towels under seat cushions can efficiently deal with unexpected spills.
  • Don't pull or cut any loose threads. Using a needle or pin, gently push the thread back through to the underside of the fabric.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Sculpture and Textile Arts

Sculpture arts

On the Northern Pacific coast lived tribes for example the Haida, Tlingit and Kwakiutl. Fishing gave many of them a high standard of living. They employed professional artists, who excelled at carving; they decorated 12m tall cedar trunks with animals and scenes from legend. These totem poles stood outside the communal homes - like a coat-of-arms, they identified the resident families. In rituals, dancers wore brightly painted and intricately carved masks, inlaid with abalone shell. Some had hinged parts; by pulling various strings, the wearer could change from one creature into an additional.

Ancient stone carvings have been found all over the continent. The prehistoric mound-builders of the Ohio River Valley made stone pipes in the form of birds, animals and humans. They were buried with their owners in large burial mounds, along with realistically modelled clay figurines. Stone pipes were made by numerous other tribes - from the South-eastern Cherokee to the Ojibwa from the Northern Plains - until the 1800s. The Eskimos (Inuits) of Alaska, Greenland and Northern Canada are famed for their soapstone carvings.

Textile arts

The coiled baskets of some Western and South-western tribes, particularly those from the Washo of Nevada and California, have finely detailed patterns. These are formed by working numerous stitches, generally of coloured grasses, more than a coiled, horizontal foundation. By the late 1200s, the Pueblo peoples had been weaving spectacular, multi-coloured fabrics; they used a wide, vertical loom of their own invention. By the 1600s, their weaving had been surpassed by their Navajo neighbours, who still make superb rugs and blankets. Numerous tribes embroidered their clothes, moccasins and bags; quills from porcupines and birds were dyed and sewn into leather, as was fur from moose and caribou. The North-eastern Micmac tribe laced quills into birchbark, via holes pierced by awls.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Natural Textile Dyeing

Dyeing of textiles with natural colours has a long unbroken history stretching back through human civilizations. Natural dyes produce soft warm colours that are especially well suited to woollen yarn, particularly if you're planning to knit a garment using traditional patterns where the slight variations in colour will enhance that home crafted look.

Natural dyes fall into three categories - vegetable (eg indigo), animal (cochineal from beetles) and mineral (ochre). Many can be obtained from your own yard or those of neighbours, gathered in the wild or bought inexpensively. Some are adjective dyes which means they need a mordant to absorb and fix the colour, substantive dyes which include lichens and walnut husks do not. The most common mordants are alum, iron, tin and tannic acid, each of which will produce a different colour which will vary depending on the fibre you're dyeing. Some mordants are toxic, so you should wear an apron and gloves when using them. Dyes, mordants and natural unbleached wool can all be obtained from good craft suppliers.

You'll only need simple equipment - most of which you probably already have in your kitchen. A large stainless steel or enamel pan, kitchen scales, measuring spoons, a smooth stick or wooden spoon for stirring and some muslin.

  • Divide your wool into skeins of manageable size (or weighed amounts if you need particular colours for a pattern) and tie them very loosely. Unless your wool has been supplied ready to dye you'll need to wash it first in mild, neutral soap.
  • The next step is to mordant your wool. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of alum and 1/2 cream of tartar in a cup of warm water, then add to 1 gallon of warm water. Soak the wool in the warm water, then add the mordant, bring it up to simmering point and simmer for about 1 hour.
  • Remove the wool from the solution and rinse well. You can then dry it in a warm dark place and keep it in the refridgerator for up to 3 weeks, or proceed to the dyeing stage immediately.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Textile Crafts

The beautiful territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) situated in the Himalayan mountains is rightly known as 'Heaven on Earth'. Srinagar is the summer capital of this state, while Jammu is its winter capital. This state has Kashmiri and Urdu as its major languages. The state can be divided into three major parts: Jammu, the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. The state of Kashmir is not only famous for its wonderful climate and natural beauty but also for its exquisite textile crafts. This article aims at studying the major textile crafts that have been prevalent in Kashmir since long, such as Kashmiri carpets, shawls, tweed, silk as well as embroidery.

The Kashmir carpet industry is famous the world over. Kashmiri carpets are loved not only by the people of India but also by people in other countries. It is believed that the art of weaving Kashmiri carpets originated in Persia. Usually either silk or wool is used in making carpets. Sometimes a combination of silk and wool is used. Mercerized cotton is also sometimes used in making carpets. Mercerized cotton is a man-made fibre with sheen similar to that of silk. It is costlier than wool, but it is cheaper as compared to silk.

The base of these carpets is either made of cotton or silk. The 'tree of life' is a design that is very commonly found on Kashmiri carpets. Though the carpets made in Kashmir are expensive on account of their uniqueness and exquisite weaving, they are considered to be an investment.

Kashmiri shawls

Like Kashmiri carpets, shawls made in Kashmir are adored both in India and internationally. The Shahtoosh and Pashmina shawls made in Kashmir are world famous.

 

source: ezinearticles.com

Textile Market Place

Often I have come across many traders and buyers who are not familiar with online trading or have less faith in the online transactions. Many different factors have contributed for this low level approach by the lay man who may not actually know much about the html or for that matter the pay pal system of paying. There is an underlying fear amongst the merchant community about losses during payment. This is inherently due to the trust factor which plays a prominent role in doing business transactions. You blame it on the late birth of the web or the popularity of one-one direct trade.

For e.g. a business man wants to sell rolls of polyester staple fiber. In this case he would most probably approach the trader with whom he had previous good business experiences. When I say good business experiences like, getting paid on time and proper delivery of goods in good shape and condition. So from the online scenario, the players involved may at times have not had a small talk also before this point of time. So there are many questions which arise while striking the first deal like the integrity of the buyer / trader, the speed processing of the deal.

In fact no body is to be blamed for lesser transactions online particularly that involving huge transfer of cash and goods. This is true in the textile community which is even today way lagging behind for online trade. There are some popular textile marketplace online of which YNFX is a good online textile marketplace ideal for secured trading and transactions for all the textile products. To get a good idea of the latest trends and happenings in the textile field you have also the option to buy premium services where you would be updated with the latest reports.

 

source: ezinearticles.com