Textile & Clothing

Spinning is a twisting technique to form yarn from fibers. The fiber intended is drawn out, twisted, and wound onto a bobbin. Originally done by hand using a spindle whorl, the spinning wheel became across Asia and Europe. The spinning jenny and spinning mule, invented in the late 1700s, made mechanical spinning far more efficient than spinning by hand, and made cotton manufacturing one of the centers of the Industrial Revolution.

Weaving is technique of fabric production. It consists of intertwining of two separate yarns or threads at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. Those two threads are called warp and the weft. Fabric is usually woven on a loom which is a device that holds the warp threads in place while weft is woven through them.

Knitting and Crocheting. Knitting and crocheting are similar, yet different. Both crafts use yarn to make items, but knitting is done with two knitting needles and the stitches are loops. Crocheting, on the other hand, is done with just one crochet hook and the stitches resemble small knots.

A major work needed for most clothing involves leatherworking. From hats to belts, and holsters to holders, leather is the medium used throughout most of history. Here, we discuss how to work leather.

One of the most important cold weather pieces of clothing one can own are furs and skins. While some use them as a fashion statement, to date, no synthetic fabric we've come up with can compare to the warmth of natural fur clothing.

A shoe cobbler is a person who mends and repairs shoes. The profession has been around for most of human history. Some people assume that cobblers and shoemakers (called cordwainers in England) are the same profession, and while that may be true today, it wasn’t always so.