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B. CLOTHING

We wear clothes to cover our body and protect it from the changing

weather. In olden days, people used leaves, fur, and animal skins to cover

their bodies to protect themselves. This was before people learnt to stitch

and make clothes.

People gradually began to grow cotton, silk, jute,

and wool. They also learnt how to spin fibres into

threads and weave the threads into cloth. They

later learnt to cut cloth and stitch dresses by hand.

What are textiles? Hand stitching of cloth

Textile or fabric means cloth. A textile or cloth is

a soft material. It is made out of natural or man-

made fibres. It is woven or knitted. Fabrics are

cut and stitched together to make clothes.

We use textiles to make clothing, saris, lungis,

towels and bed sheets. We also make bags, baskets

and carpets with textiles. Textile industry

Weaving

The process of making

cloth or fabric from

thread or fibre is known

as weaving. It is a very
old method of making

cloth. Weaving is done

on machines called Handloom Power-loom

looms that can be worked by hand or on electricity. The looms that can be

worked on hand are called handlooms and those that run on electricity are

called powerlooms.

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