Abstract:

Drape is one of the important factors influencing the aesthetics and functionality of fabrics. In this paper, the instrument used for measuring fabric drape was slightly modified from the Cusick Drapemeter(DM). Instead of tracing / digitally capturing the shadow of the drape profile, the xyz coordinate values at various locations were measured using the specially designed scale in the DM and analysed using surfer software. It generates the contour lines, vector lines, 3D profile, volume, area and other information like a variogram etc. The area was used to calculate the drape coefficient of fabrics, which was compared with the area generated by the image processing method. Studies with polyester cotton fabrics show that with different seam types and patterns (combinations of stitch direction and stitch type) the image processing method is insensitive in showing the difference due to the seam factor.