The Influence of Stitch Density on the Strength, Elongation and Efficiency of Plain Seam in a Real Wax Printed Fabric

Abstract

This paper studied the performance of seams in a real wax printed fabric. The purpose of this research was to find out the impact of three stitch densities on the strength, elongation and efficiency of plain seam in a Real Wax cotton print. Warp seams were used in the investigations. The stitch densities used ranged from 8-12 stitches per inch (SPI). A tensile testing machine (Hounsfield H5K-S) was used in the determination of the strength and elongation of fabric and seams. The thread used for the stitching was a Sunflag brand polyester thread, which is commonly used by Ghanaian seamstresses and tailors. Means, standard deviations and One- Way Analysis of Variance (at 0.05 alpha levels) were used in the analysis of the data. The outcome of the investigations indicated that differences existed between stitch densities used in the making of the plain seams on the Real Wax print chosen with regard to seam efficiency, strength and elongation. In all the parameters investigated, 12 stitches per inch had the highest values with 8 stitches per inch having the least values. It was also noted in the study that the fabric had higher strength than that of the seam stitched in 8 SPI, but for 10 and 12 SPIs the seams were stronger than the fabric. It is recommended that further research be conducted into the performance of threads on the Ghanaian market in seams and also the performance of seams in real wax prints after washing to determine how seams behave in wax prints during use.