Textiles: fibres and fabrics

Clothes, bags, seat belts and tents are all textiles. Fibres are spun into yarns, and yarns are made into fabrics.

Practise this lesson free (7 questions)

Natural fibres

Natural fibres come from plants and animals:
FibreSourceProperties
CottonCotton plant (seed pods)Absorbent, soft, comfortable; creases easily
LinenFlax plant (stems)Strong, cool to wear; creases very easily
WoolSheep's fleeceWarm, absorbent, can shrink if washed hot
SilkSilkworm cocoonsSmooth, lustrous (shiny), strong for its weight

Synthetic fibres

Synthetic fibres are made from polymers, mostly from crude oil:
Polyester: strong, crease-resistant, quick-drying.
Nylon (polyamide): strong, hard-wearing, stretchy; used for tights and ropes.
Elastane (often sold as Lycra): very stretchy and returns to shape; used in sportswear.
Fibres can be blended to combine properties: polycotton (polyester and cotton) is comfortable like cotton but creases less.

Making fabrics

Woven fabrics: two sets of yarns interlace at right angles. The warp runs along the length; the weft runs across. Woven fabrics are strong and do not stretch much.
Knitted fabrics: yarn is formed into interlocking loops. They stretch, so they are good for T-shirts and jumpers.
Non-woven fabrics: fibres are bonded or matted together, such as felt. They do not fray, but are not very strong.
Worked example

Suggest a suitable fabric for a football shirt and explain your choice.

  1. A football shirt needs to stretch, stay comfortable and dry quickly.
  2. A knitted fabric stretches with the body.
  3. Polyester dries quickly; adding elastane adds more stretch.

Answer: A knitted polyester (or polyester and elastane) fabric: it stretches, is light and dries quickly.

Key idea

Natural fibres come from plants (cotton, linen) and animals (wool, silk). Synthetic fibres come from oil-based polymers (polyester, nylon, elastane). Fabrics are woven (warp and weft), knitted (loops, stretchy) or non-woven (felt).

Common mistakes
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Extra practice

2 more questions

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  1. Which fibre comes from the flax plant?

    1. Linen
    2. Wool
    3. Silk
    4. Polyester
    Show the answer

    Answer: Linen

    Linen is a plant fibre.

  2. Which natural fibre comes from a plant?

    1. Wool
    2. Silk
    3. Cotton
    4. Cashmere
    Show the answer

    Answer: Cotton

    Cotton grows on plants.

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Sources and references

Last updated 2 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will fix it.

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