Master of Science / Department of Apparel, Textiles, and Interior Design / Sherry J. Haar / The overarching goals of the project were to acknowledge both traditional and modern aspects of Turkish culture, inform designers and researchers of natural dye and screen printing methods, and advance the developing practices of sustainable design. Mixed methodologies of scientific and practice-based research guided the project. A collection of 25 prints inspired by the Anatolian region of Turkey were screen-printed with thickened natural dyes onto sustainable fibered fabrics. The research of traditional Turkish art and culture led to the inspirational concepts and brought the textile prints to fruition. Understanding the dyeing practices, regional traditions, and political rule of this nation informed the design process and directly influenced the composition and imagery of the designs. The final outcomes were exhibited at the Kansas State University student union art gallery. Research was conducted on the use of natural plant-based dyes madder, weld, and woad for screen-printing by determining the most effective thickener and thickening method. Thickening agents gum tragacanth and gum arabic were tested for fabric hand and the printed natural dyes were tested for colorfastness to light. Gum tragacanth at a ratio of .9875 g agent to 10 ml water emerged as the most smooth and pliable when evaluating fabric hand. Colorfastness to light was as expected for madder and woad with excellent to good fastness. Weld had an unexpectedly low rating indicating further study is needed. The developing practices of sustainable design were advanced as I used sustainable materials (natural dyes, natural gums, naturally fibered fabrics) and methods (hand screenprinting) throughout the project. The information from this project may be valuable to artisans to further develop their natural dye and screen-printing techniques; to researchers to provide a foundation for testing additional thickened dyes; and to industry professionals to modify their practices.

Textile materials and textile design are a part of countless products in our surroundings,as well as diverse design fields and industries, each of which has very different materialtraditions and working methods. The aim of this thesis is to add to our understandingof the relationship between textiles and products in the design process, and to explorehow textiles enter and influence product design processes and how products functionin textile design processes. A further aim is to examine the effect of new textiletechnology, such as smart textiles and 3D printed textiles, on this dynamic. This thesis is the result of an interplay between theoretical work, experimentalpractice-based projects, and observation of design practice, and it presents two typesof results: Firstly, descriptions of how the relationship can manifest itself in the designprocess, which give a broad picture of the relationship between textile and productand in so doing add to our understanding of textiles as design materials and highlightsome of the additional complexities and possibilities for the design process that comewith new forms of textiles. Secondly, this thesis presents ways of describing thedynamics between textiles and products in the design process, with the intention ofopening up for reflection on how we design, and can design, with textiles. Here, themain outcome is a theoretical framework which examines the relationship from botha product design and a textile design perspective, and includes methods and questionsthat can be used to explore and define how textiles and products meet in the designprocess.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), especially those caused by different antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and multidrug resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa are of growing concern in healthcare facilities. Since 1995, overall incidence rates of MRSA in Canadian hospitals have increased 19-fold, leading to unnecessary suffering by patients and increasing costs to hospitals. There have been many reports that link pathogen-carrying hospital textiles and cases of infections. The development of effective, durable and rechargeable antibacterial healthcare textiles is expected to impede the transmission of infectious microorganisms, and act as an additional prevention measure to infection control. N-chloramines have been proven to be one of the most suitable antimicrobial agents to be immobilized onto healthcare textiles to impart them with potent and rechargeable antimicrobial functions. However, the majority of the hospital used medical textiles are synthetic fibers which are chemically inert and hard to be chemically modified with N-chloramine functions. This study focuses on developing an industry scalable process to durably immobilize N-chloramine onto poly (ethylene terephthalate) (PET), a common synthetic fiber used in healthcare textiles. Many techniques have been reported till now to activate the chemically inert PET surface with reactive functional groups. Among all the techniques, aminolysis and plasma treatments have attracted great attention due to their easy process to introduce functional group onto PET and can be set up for large production. However, aminolysis suffers from polymer degradation and plasma treatments suffer from less deposition which hinders these two processes to produce commercial antibacterial textiles. In this study, a new combined process was introduced by combining aminolysis and plasma treatments in a specific way that not only minimize the problems associated with these two processes but also can create more N-chloramine precursor functional groups onto the surface of PET. The covalently bonded N-chloramine precursor groups can be easily converted to N-chloramine by dilute sodium hypochlorite solution. The presence of nitrogen on the PET substrates after the modification was confirmed by CHNS/O elemental analyzer and ATR/FTIR analysis showing a successful incorporation of N-chloramine precursor. The morphology of the treated fibers was kept relatively similar with a slight decrease in their diameter. Moreover, the tensile strength of the treated fabric was also acceptably maintained. The N-chloramine modified PET presented highly effective antimicrobial properties, even after 50 home launderings the rechargeable treated fabric demonstrated 100% reduction of both MRSA and P. aeruginosa within a contact time of 5 min. / May 2016

This thesis aims at developing conceptual and methodological tools in order toadapt sound within the textile design area. Occupational groups working with soundare to a large extent problem driven. Accordingly, textile designers working withsound- affecting properties of textiles concentrate on their dampening qualities. Theambition with this research project is to make suggestions how textile designers canwork practically with textile sound design, in a more nuanced way.The overall aim of the thesis is to develop a vocabulary to make textile designersable to express the sound affecting qualities of textiles in a language full of nuances.As a starting-point the thesis briefl y describes commonly used methods andprocesses used to describe the expressiveness of a design, followed by a morethoroughly analyze of the textile design process illustrated by a practical example.These studies constitute a foundation to make it possible to see in what way thesemethods and processes will be affected when sound is added as new design tool.By studies of two sound design models, the fi rst attempts to develop a vocabularyconcerning how to describe sound affecting qualities of a textile are developed.Research focusing on language issues, especially on the development of conceptualtools done at the research institute CRESSON, provides descriptive soundconcepts, “sound effects”, embracing the interaction between human and his soundenvironment. These concepts are followed by a model of how to describe just asound or “sound object” in “itself” (not in relation to anything else), developed byPierre Schaeffer. These theoretical models have been complemented with empiricalstudies in form of a survey, named LISTEN. Interviews were performed from aphenomenological perspective. A number of informants were asked to tell aboutthe sound environment and single sounds occurring at their working places. Theinterviews were interpreted from a phenomenographic perspective. A number ofdesign projects are fi nally presented as practical examples of different ways to workwith textiles and sound.The theoretical models provided by Schaeffer have been used to make the fi rstsystematic attempts to describe sound environments; sounds and textiles soundaffecting properties.Since the model presented by Schaeffer is developed to be used within musicalcomposition the concepts have to be additionally modifi ed to be a useful tool withinthe textile design area. The thesis presents just the fi rst attempts to use this model.The next step to take in the research project is to adjust the theoretical systems ofCRESSON and Schaeffer to suit the special area of textile design. The interactiveideas of a sound-affecting textile will also be a subject of further development.

No description available.

Background and problem: As one of the major emerging markets, China has alarge population, stable growth in GDP and increased consumer spending powerwhich has attracted the whole world’s retail business. Many international clothingbrands have increased investment or speeded up the pace into the China’s market (Chen et al., 2007; Cui 2000).However, because of the differences in economy, policy and culture, it sometimesresults in difficulties in meeting standards and accessing the market with effectivestrategies (Cui, 2000). Numbers of clothing brands have been found not reach theChinese standards of textile and apparel. These problems force the brandswithdraw their substandard products from shelves, pay fines, and exposed by themedia, therefore the brands suffer not only economic losses, but also the damageof their images and reputations.The identified problem corresponds to two research questions:• What are the main challenges for apparel companies to conform withChinese standards?• How have the Swedish textiles retail companies responded to thesestandards?Methodology: A qualitative research approach was taken to collect relevant data.In the first phase, literature review was used to collect information related topicsof the thesis. Because this paper was addressed on China’s market as the focus ofthe investigation, both China’s and Swedish academic databases were utilized. Inthe second phase, the author developed the work by doing an interview withKlaus Ziegler, the founder and owner of the Quality Partnership LLC in China; anin-depth international laboratory located in China identified the impact of theChina’s standards and regulations and two email interviews with the managers oftwo Swedish apparel retail companies. Moreover, few informal interviews withprofessors in the Swedish School of Textiles and experts from Business Swedenwere made to reach better understanding of thesis topic.Conclusions: Findings provide insight on Chinese highly growing standardsregarding quality and service; International exporters face a lack of understandingof these standards in China’s textile market; The research of two retail companiesindicate that the companies can conduct better conformity of Chinese standards bysetting specific requirements to control the production, paying attention tolabeling related rules, cooperating with developed export agents, professionalthird-party laboratory, and so on.

During the eighteen century there was a significant growth in patchwork materially and linguistically. It was the century when patchwork was stitched at all levels of society and has been identified as the time when patchwork moved out from the small domestic world of decorative sewing into the wider public sphere, leaving behind other needlework as it became embedded in the language and writing of the period. This research examines the social and cultural contexts relating to the making of patchwork in the long eighteenth century and in doing so contributes to the story of women and their material lives in the period. Noted for its longevity, surviving as a widespread practice across the century, patchwork was a democratic needlework that was practiced by any woman capable of stitching a variety of fabric pieces together to make a larger whole. A widespread understanding of the term and familiarity with the practice enabled it to be employed successfully in the literal and figurative language of the period. Patchwork was heralded as a fashionable activity in the early eighteenth century, but was later used to represent the ideal of the moral and capable housewife, devoted to her sewing skills and thrifty in her practice. The figurative style of the period allowed the simultaneous use of the word in differing ways so that patchwork was used both positively and negatively in literature, drama, critical review, political debate and theoretical discourse.

The increasing demand for energy in combination with a greater awareness for our environmental impact have encouraged the development of sustainable energy sources, including materials for energy storage. Latent heat thermal energy storage by the use of phase change material (PCM) have become an area of great interest. It is a reliable and efficient way to reduce energy consumption. PCMs store and release latent heat, which means that the material can absorb the excess of heat energy, save it and release it when needed. By introducing soy wax as a biobased PCM and apply it on textile, one can achieve a thermoregulation material to be used in buildings and smart textiles. By replacing the present most used PCM, paraffin, with soy wax one cannot only decrease the use of fossil fuel, but also achieve a less flammable material. The performance of soy wax PCM applied on a textile fabric have not yet been investigated but can be a step towards a more sustainable energy consumption. The soy wax may also broaden the application for PCM due to its low flammability. The aim is to develop an environmental friendly latent heat thermal energy storage material to be used within numerous application fields.

Hållbart mode ansågs länge tråkigt och komplicerat, i rak motsats till modeveckornas flärd. Numera har begreppet blivit moderiktigt och spelar en central roll i det paradigmskifte modevärlden står inför tack vare ny teknik och digitala plattformer. I en reportageserie har jag undersökt modeindustrins hållbarhet ur tre olika perspektiv; produktion, design och framtidsspaning. Vad är innebär begreppet hållbart mode? Hur ser industrin ut i dagsläget? Vad kan en på individnivå göra? Och hur ser framtidens mode ut? Genom att förankra resonemang och frågeställningar i tidigare forskning och litteratur har jag djupgående granskat ämnet för att kunna besvara frågan om en industri som bygger på konsumtion och en växelverkan av trender kan bli hållbar? Eller är hållbart mode en paradox.  Reportageserien genomfördes i New Delhi, Stockholm och Borås i form av kvalitativa intervjuer med experter och ett wallraffande. I reflektionsrapporten förankras det journalistiska arbetet i etiska diskussioner kring journalistisk metod, genre, etnocentrism och källkritik. Syftet med studien var att lyfta fram hållbarhetsproblematiken och ge en mångfacetterad och realistisk bild över modeindustrins hållbarhetsutveckling, både på materiell- och humanitär nivå.

This essay is a study of Yinka Shonibare MBE, London-born and Nigerian-raised contemporary artist, and his recent photographic practice that includes three series: Fake Death Pictures, William Morris Family Album, and Medusa. Exploration of the series reveals insight into Shonibare’s unique relationship to photography, in which he employs the hyper-realism and theatricality of the medium to interact with individuals from British history and reveal contemporary social and political injustices.