Assessment of Seam Properties of Ahimsa Silk Union Fabrics

Abstract

Sustainable fashion is not merely a short term trend but it could last many seasons and for generations to survive on the earth. Silk fiber is the most beautiful natural fiber known as the “Queen of Textiles”. Ahimsa silk is a non-violent, eco-friendly and sustainable process of the production. Hand spun and hand woven cotton fabric is another model of sustainable fabrics. Therefore, union fabrics in different ratio viz. 33:67, 50:50 and 67:33 were prepared from cotton with Ahimsa (Eri) silk and Conventional (Muga and Tussar) silk yarns. Objective of the study was to assess sewability parameters of union fabrics. These fabrics were tested for their seam puckering, seam stiffness and seam thickness parameters. The results indicate that union fabrics produced by Ahimsa silk with cotton were compatible to the union fabrics produced by Conventional silk with cotton yarns in their sewability parameters, so these should be preferred for construction of various fashion garments and textile products.

Full text

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)
ISSN: 2277-3878 (Online), Volume-8 Issue-4, November 2019
3059
Published By:
Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
& Sciences Publication
Retrieval Number: D7917118419/2019©BEIESP
DOI:10.35940/ijrte.D7917.118419
Journal Website: www.ijrte.org
Assessment of Seam Properties of Ahimsa Silk
Union Fabrics
Neelam Sharma, Minakshi Jain, Radha Kashyap
Abstract: Sustainable fashion is not merely a short term trend but
it could last many seasons and for generations to survive on the
earth. Silk fiber is the most beautiful natural fiber known as the
“Queen of Textiles”. Ahimsa silk is a non-violent, eco-friendly
and sustainable process of the production. Hand spun and hand
woven cotton fabric is another model of sustainable fabrics.
Therefore, union fabrics in different ratio viz. 33:67, 50:50 and
67:33 were prepared from cotton with Ahimsa (Eri) silk and
Conventional (Muga and Tussar) silk yarns. Objective of the
study was to assess sewability parameters of union fabrics. These
fabrics were tested for their seam puckering, seam stiffness and
seam thickness parameters. The results indicate that union
fabrics produced by Ahimsa silk with cotton were compatible to
the union fabrics produced by Conventional silk with cotton
yarns in their sewability parameters, so these should be preferred
for construction of various fashion garments and textile
products.
Keywords: Ahimsa silk, conventional silk, cotton, sewability
parameters and union fabrics.
I. INTRODUCTION
Today’s world is progressively more environment conscious
and natural clothing lifestyles are trending. The preference
towards eco friendly textile alternatives and the appearance
of innovative fabric is vivid. Today’s growing concerns are
health and environmental awareness which is reflecting on
renewed interest in plant and animal fibers. The hunt is on
for ecologically responsive fabrics.
Silk is a natural fiber made of protein filaments. It is known
as “Queen of textiles” due to its luxurious, elegant luster and
comfort. The traditional process of silk production involves
killing of thousands of pupae by boiling cocoons. Majority of
the consumers who enjoy glory of the lustrous silk are not
aware of boiling cocoons to unwind the silk from the cocoons.
The production of Ahimsa silk allows the adult moths to
emerge alive from the cocoons and then the open ended or
pierced cocoons are spun into silk yarn. Due to their creation
in the wild or from these are called Ahimsa silk yarns.
Manuscript published on November 30, 2019.
* Correspondence Author
Neelam Sharma, Research Scholar, Department of Fashion
and Textiles, IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, India. Email:
neelamsharna6@gmail.com
Dr. Minakshi Jain, Associate Professor, Govt. Girls College,
Chomu, Jaipur, India. Email: minakshijain6874@gmail.com
Dr. Radha Kashyap, Professor, Department Fashion and
Textiles, IIS (Deemed to be University), Jaipur, India. Email:
radha.kashyap@iisuniv.ac.in
© The Authors. Published by Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and
Sciences Publication (BEIESP). This is an open access article under the
CC-BY-NC-ND license http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
Hand spun cotton fabric can be said to be “eco-friendly” and
hence increases its extent in the fashion world. Cotton fabric
today represents an exquisite, heritage product, which is
‘ethnic’ as well as ‘ethical’. Hand spun cotton is totally
handcrafted and containing natural fibers, this natural flavor
offers ample scope for fashion statement for the creative
expression of fashion designers.
Sewability can be defined as a process by which two-
dimensional a fabric is converted into three dimensional
garments by assembling different pattern pieces together.
This transformation mainly accomplishes with sewing
process. The quality of any apparel is primarily depends on
fabric quality and fabric sewability. The ease of formation
of shell structure and the ability of material to be seamed
effectively without any damage in fabric is defined as
sewability. Sewability also provides suitable end-use
performance. This study provides the information of
sewability parameters of union fabrics made of Ahimsa (Eri)
silk, Conventional (Muga and Tussar) silk with hand spun
cotton. Testing is the most important aspect for monitoring
and evaluation of textile quality. The study provides a deep
insight into various sewability parameters of Ahimsa silk
fabric itself and its compatibility with regular silk fabric.
II. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY
A. The objectives of the present study are:
 To prepare union fabric of Ahimsa silk (Eri) and
conventional silk (Muga and Tussar) yarns with
hand spun cotton yarn in different ratios.
 To assess sewability parameters of the prepared
Ahimsa and Conventional silk union fabrics.
III. MATERIAL AND METHOD
The study was undertaken to evaluate union fabrics of
Ahimsa (Eri) silk; Conventional (Muga, Tussar) silk with
hand spun cotton yarns. The yarns were woven in ratio
33:67, 50:50 and 67:33 in warp and weft way with plain
weave for fabric construction with 48 reed count. The union
fabrics were constructed on fly shuttle hand operated loom
at Weavers Service Center, Jaipur. Nine different plain
woven union fabric samples were produced for the purpose
of study. After weaving of the Ahimsa silk union fabrics, the
fabric samples were tested to determine their sewability
parameters. The sewability parameters of Ahimsa (Eri) silk
and Conventional silk (Muga and Tussar) union fabric were
assessed. Cotton with Ahimsa (Eri) silk and Conventional
(Muga and Tussar) silk union fabrics were tested for their
properties before seam production. In order to analyze the
sewability parameters, fabrics were sewn. Sewability
parameters assessed were:

Assessment of Seam Properties of Ahimsa Silk Union Fabrics
3060
Published By:
Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
& Sciences Publication
Retrieval Number: D7917118419/2019©BEIESP
DOI:10.35940/ijrte.D7917.118419
Journal Website: www.ijrte.org
A. Selection of sewing specifications:
Table I: Standard test methods of the sewability
parameters measured
ASTM 1683–04 method assert that fabric weight of Ahimsa
silk and Conventional silk union fabrics were below 270
(g/m2) then stitch density was (12+1/2 stitches per inch) and
needle size was 14 in singer system as a standard for seam
preparation for the seam strength test.
Table II: Specifications for Seam Construction
Stitch type
Lock stitch 301
Seam type
SSa-1
Needle size in singer system
14
Stitch density/inch
(12+ ½ stitches per inch)
Stitch length/mm
3
Sewing thread size
Polyester- core spun (Tex 40)
Tested samples were sewn by using sewing machine with
YSC-8260 and 4000stitch/minute.
B. Preparation of specimens:
Table III: Specification of Lock Stitch Machine
Features
Machine Name
High speed lock stitch machine
Country of Origin
China
Company Name
Typical
Machine Speed
4000
Stitch Class
300
Number of thread
2 (1needle thread, 1 bobbin
thread)
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
The present study has been undertaken to assess and
compare the sewability parameters of the prepared Ahimsa
and Conventional silk union fabrics. The present study was
conducted to develop union fabrics using different ratio of
cotton and silk yarns and to assess sewability parameters of
Cotton with Ahimsa (Eri) silk and Conventional (Muga and
Tussar) silk union fabrics.
Table IV: Samples of Ahimsa and Conventional Silk
Union Fabrics
Samples/Ble
nd Ratio
33:67
50:50
67:33
Cotton : Eri
Cotton :
Muga
Cotton :
Tussar
The union fabrics prepared by Ahimsa and Conventional
silk yarns with Cotton hand spun yarns in three different
ratios viz. 33:67, 50:50, and 67:33, for the purpose of study,
have been shown in above table.
A. Assessment of Sewability Parameters of Ahimsa and
Conventional Silk Union Fabrics.
Table V: Seam Puckering of Prepared Union Fabrics
Seam puckering (%)
Union fabrics/Blend ratio
33:67
50:50
67:33
Cotton : Eri
4.98
4.85
0.42
Cotton : Muga
6.42
5.43
0.91
Cotton : Tussar
10.45
6.85
6.04
The results shown that Cotton : Eri 67:33 gives the
minimum seam puckering (0.42%) and Cotton : Tussar
33:67 shows maximum value of seam puckering (10.45%).
Seam puckering of Cotton : Eri is minimum as compared to
Cotton : Muga and Cotton : Tussar union fabrics because of
weight of fabric. High weight of the fabric turns in to less
seam puckering.
Table VI: Seam Stiffness of the prepared Union Fabrics
Seam stiffness (cm)
Union fabrics/Blend
ratio
33:67
50:50
67:33
Cotton : Eri
21.58
23.56
25.22
Cotton : Muga
29.60
29.60
21.44
Cotton : Tussar
26.87
29.84
27.64
Sewability parameters
Standard test Methods
Seam puckering
ASTM 1683 -04
Seam stiffness
DIN EN ISO
Seam thickness
DIN EN ISO

International Journal of Recent Technology and Engineering (IJRTE)
ISSN: 2277-3878 (Online), Volume-8 Issue-4, November 2019
3061
Published By:
Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
& Sciences Publication
Retrieval Number: D7917118419/2019©BEIESP
DOI:10.35940/ijrte.D7917.118419
Journal Website: www.ijrte.org
The above table shows that Cotton : Tussar 50:50 has the
highest seam stiffness (29.84cm). The lowest seam stiffness
value is (21.44cm) seen in Cotton : Muga 67:33. It can be
observed that Cotton : Tussar and Cotton : Muga indicate
higher seam stiffness because of weight of fabrics. Cotton :
Eri has higher weight as compare to other union fabrics that
the reason the seam stiffness of the fabrics is low.
Table VII: Seam Thickness of the Prepared Union
Fabrics
Seam thickness (mm)
Union fabrics/Blend
ratio
33:67
50:50
67:33
Cotton : Eri
1.07
1.03
1.04
Cotton : Muga
0.94
0.93
0.98
Cotton : Tussar
0.89
0.92
0.89
The above table depicted that seam thickness of all the
prepared union fabrics. Union fabric Cotton : Eri 33:67
found the maximum seam thickness (1.07mm) followed by
the lowest seam thickness value of 0.89mm seen by Cotton :
Muga 67:33 and Cotton : Tussar 33:67 union fabric.
V. CONCLUSION & FUTURE WORK
Nowadays an eco-friendliness of textile products becomes a
key concentration not only in development of the textile
industry but also for product end-users who are aware of
environment conservation and human protection regarding
the use of textile products. On the basis of results, it can be
observed that developed union fabrics in three different ratio
33:67, 50:50 and 67:33 indicate results regarding sewability
parameters. Cotton : Muga and Cotton : Eri union fabrics
found the highest seam thickness as compared to other union
fabrics. Cotton : Eri union fabrics also showed minimum
seam pucker. Cotton : Eri union fabrics showed good
sewability parameters as compared to Cotton : Muga and
Cotton : Tussar union fabrics. Hence, it can be concluded
the Cotton : Eri union fabrics is better with respect to
sewability parameters. Therefore, these Ahimsa silk fabrics
can be replace the Conventional type of silk fabric for the
sake of eco-friendliness and sustainability. These provide a
very good nonviolent alternative for the elegance and
richness of violent silk material for ethically conscious
consumers. Cotton : Eri union fabrics best suited for making
diversified products such as tops, dress, kurti, shirt, cushion
cover, jackets and stole. Therefore developed union fabrics
will create a variety in fabrics types and cater to the present
fashion world.
The information on sewability parameters of Ahimsa (Eri)
silk, Conventional (Muga and Tussar) silk with hand spun
cotton union fabrics will help in enhancing the quality of the
fabrics. Since Ahimsa silk union fabric is an eco friendly it
can be explored further. This study can be helpful to fabric
manufactures, weavers and fashion designers for product
development.
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AUTHORS PROFILE
Neelam Sharma, Research Scholar, Department
of Fashion & Textiles, IIS (deemed to be
University), Jaipur. She did Masters in Fashion &
Textile Technology from The IIS (deemed to be
University) and Three Years Diploma in
Costume Design and Dress Making. There are
more than 2 National and International research
papers to her credit. She has done research
project on “Understanding Fitting Problems as
related to Indian Readymade Kurties”. She has attended national level
workshop/seminar and conferences. She has a teaching experience of more
than two years. She has awarded best poster presentation in Global Trends
and Future prospects in multidisciplinary research.
Associated Prof. Dr. Minakshi Jain,
Department of Clothing & Textiles, Govt. Girls
College, Chomu, Morija Road Chomu (Jaipur)
has a teaching experience of more than last
twenty years. She did her Masters in Home
Science (Clothing and Textiles) from Banasthali
Vidyapith Jaipur and was awarded Ph.D. from
Banasthali Vidyapith Jaipur. She has supervised
the research work in the areas of Apparel &
Textiles for award of PhD. There are more than 12 National and
International research papers to her credit and more than 25 papers
presented in National and International Conferences. She has authored two
books. She has done numerous research projects.
Prof. RadhaKashyap, Head, Department of
Fashion & Textiles, IIS (deemed to be
University), Jaipur has a teaching experience
of more than last twenty two years. She did
her Masters in Clothing and Textiles from
Punjab University and was awarded Ph.D.
from University of Rajasthan.

Assessment of Seam Properties of Ahimsa Silk Union Fabrics
3062
Published By:
Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering
& Sciences Publication
Retrieval Number: D7917118419/2019©BEIESP
DOI:10.35940/ijrte.D7917.118419
Journal Website: www.ijrte.org
Her interest are in Traditional Textiles, Sustainability, Consumer Behavior
and Product Development. She has supervised the research work in the
areas of Apparel & Textiles for award of PhD. There are more than 50
National and International research papers to her credit. She has authored a
book and contributed several chapters in books. She has done numerous
research projects with University Grant Commission and Rajasthan
Government: Science & Technology. She is a member of Board of studies
and Committee of Courses of number of Courses. She has coordinated
number of national level seminar and conferences. She is a member of
Home Science Association of India, Textile Association of India, Indian
Science Congress, and Chartered Member of Rotary Club Jaipur
Marugandha.