The course aims to give students an understanding of the processes involved in forming yarns and fabrics from fibres, including spinning, weaving and non-woven techniques, and of the main historic decorative and construction techniques. As a result students should be able to identify techniques found in historic and modern textiles, understand how they influence the deterioration of textiles and be able to document and record the techniques used.

2 lecture/seminar hours per week plus 1 hour of tutorials.

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Technical object record 60%, where students will examine one textile in depth and submit a detailed report (3000 words) of the constituent materials: yarns and their spin/ply, weave or non-woven structure, decorative elements, etc.

Poster with sample on technique 40%. Each student will create a poster explaining one textile technique, and attach a sample of the material.

This course aims to:

■ Introduce the processes involved in forming yarns and fabrics from fibres

■ Introduce the main historic decorative and construction techniques

■ Relate these to their context and meaning (origins, development, use, etc.)

■ Enable the development of appropriate methodologies to record yarn and fabric structures

By the end of this course students will be able to:

■ Identify textile structures using observation and research skills

■ Recognise the historical and geographical context of textile techniques

■ Demonstrate proficiency in one textile technique

■ Use oral, written and visual communication skills, including:

■ Using appropriate technical terminology

■ Writing documentation in a style appropriate for a textile curator or a general audience

■ Selecting and presenting information in a clear and coherent manner

■ Participating fairly and positively in class discussions

Students must submit at least 75% by weight of the components (including examinations) of the course's summative assessment.