Directional Variations in Fabric Properties and Seam Quality

Examines the effects of directional variations in woven fabric properties on the behaviour of fabrics as they are plied and sewn together to form a seam. This is an important practical consideration, since garment manufacturing frequently involves the sewing of two fabric plies of completely different and constantly changing bias angles — none of which is along the grain line. Examines the variations in the properties of five woven materials, all lightweight and commonly used in women's summer apparel. The Kawabata Evaluation System (KES) was used to measure the mechanical and surface properties of strips, cut at different angles, from the test materials. To investigate the effect of orientation on seam quality, two plies cut from the same fabric but at different angles were sewn together under selected conditions. The resulting seams were characterized for seam quality using AATCC standards.