FABRIC DECORATION APPARATUS AND METHOD

摘要

Decorated fabrics comprise a decorative pattern in the form of at least one fibrous strand consolidated into the fabric in a predetermined area by needle punching. Apparatus for producing fabrics decorated in this way comprises a reciprocating array of needles (14), means for advancing a fabric in a controlled manner (32) and one or more guides or feeders (20) for supplying the decorative strand or strands (22) to the fabric in the working zone (26) where the needles operate. The array of needles is preferably of restricted width comparable to that of the strands being applied and the apparatus is most conveniently provided as a modification of a conventional sewing machine. The strands and perhaps also the basic fabric preferably comprises wool fibres and the decorated fabric may be milled to further consolidate the decoration. The invention enables fibrous decoration to be applied at a late stage in fabric production or even to finished garments.