Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Education: Art to Zoo Spinning Yarns, Telling Tales About Textiles
A great resource for introducing different types of textiles and weavings to your students. A good amount of background information is included as well as a few simple learning activities.
University of Manchester
Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: How Are Textiles Made?
Interactive exploration of textiles and cloth derived from plants, animals, and petrochemicals.
University of Manchester
Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: Pattern and Textiles
Interactive explanation of a key design principle-pattern-with a built-in design-your-own pattern application for displaying designs on clothing or furniture.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: The Paracas Textile
One of the most extraordinary masterpieces of the pre-Columbian Americas is a nearly 2,000-year-old cloth from the South Coast of Peru. View detailed pictures and read the backstory of this textile in this essay.
Other
Lecture Notes: Textile Factories Come to the u.s.
Clemson University provides a historical overview of the wave of textile factories, including Slater and Lowell, that cropped up in the northeast. Hyperlinks to additional information.
Other
Fabric for Bachelors or How to Shop for Work Clothes
Really fun series of articles about how to pick good quality clothing that will last through the years. Provides tips on selecting fibers, caring for clothes, and proper fit.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: Why Women's Clothing Sizes Don't Make Sense
Women's clothing sizes are very inconsistent. Vox explains the women's clothing industry.
University of Manchester
Children's University of Manchester: Talking Textiles: World Costume
Interactive resource for exploring what traditional forms of dress reveal about the culture and location of the people who wear them and the climate where they live.
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum: Victorian Dress at the V&a
Learn about the fashions worn by the various social classes during the Victorian era. Includes information on popular styles and textiles, along with a collection of images.
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Metropolitan Museum of Art: Eighteenth Century European Dress
Explore fashion from the 1700's with the slideshow. Includes a discussion of popular styles, textiles and silhouettes.
PBS
Art21: Ann Hamilton
Hamilton's art installations often combine soundtracks with cloth, filmed footage, organic materials, and objects. She is also interested in verbal and written language and works with photographs and performance.
Other
Kente Paper Weaving
A lesson plan that introduces young students to African textiles. This is a simple paper weaving lesson based on African Kente cloth. Includes lesson adaptations.
Curated OER
National Museum of African Art: Wrapped in Pride: Ghanaian Kente
Learn about African kente cloth, including how it is made, when to wear it, and how to wear it. Accompanying interactive lets you can design your own kente.
Curated OER
Coffin of Deceased Tanala Elder in Madagascar Is Covered With Cloth
To the people of Madagascar woven cloth is more than just something nice to wear. Come explore the topic of textiles and their importance to these African people.
Curated OER
Gifts and Blessings: The Textile Arts of Madagascar
To the people of Madagascar woven cloth is more than just something nice to wear. Come explore the topic of textiles and their importance to these African people.
Curated OER
Eternal Egypt: Rectangular Piece of Cloth
This rectangular piece of woolen cloth consists of an ornamental band outlined with a wavy line on the upper and lower edges.
Curated OER
Eternal Egypt: Piece of Textile Divided in Two
This piece of cloth is woven from linen and wool and decorated with stylized people riding animals.
Cornell University
Cornell University: Art, Design, and Visual Thinking
Use the left-hand toolbar of this site to investigate an online textbook for the language of design. It provides visual examples and explanations of line, form, color, color psychology, texture, balance, proportion and many more...
Cornell University
Cornell University: Hearth/home Economics Education
Housed at the Mann Library, this resource contains a comprehensive set of books and journals in the field of Home Economics, many available online. Each subject area in the field has a descriptive essay plus a bibliography related to...
Other
Multicultural Literature for Children: Abuela's Weave
This lesson plan is perfect in an ESL classroom. "Abuela's Weave" is the story of a young girl from Guatemala and the beautiful tapestry she creates. Includes prereading questions, vocabulary, and activities to integrate into other...
PBS
Who Made America?: Francis Cabot Lowell:consolidated Manufacturing
A brief biography of Francis Cabot Lowell which describes his role in the industrial revolution in the United States. Read about the factory system, the so-called Lowell girls, and mechanization of cloth manufacture.
Other
International Quilt Museum
The University of Nebraska - Lincoln has created a graduate program in Textile History with an emphasis on quilt studies to nurture the appreciation of quilts as an art and for their cultural significance in history. Their International...
TeachEngineering
Teach Engineering: Dress for Success
In this design activity, students investigate materials engineering as it applies to weather and clothing. The students will design and analyze different combinations of materials for effectiveness in specific weather conditions....
Other
Alien Travel Guide: History of Weaving
This site from the Alien Travel Guide contains an outline to information on the history of weaving. The outline is in link form for easy navigation and it contains wonderful basic information.