Ice
See Frost.
Indigo
Indigo is a blue vat dyestuff, that was originally taken from the “Indigofera tinctoria” plant by fermenting the leaves of the shrub. In 1897, fourteen years after Adolf von Bayer identified the chemical structure of indigo, the chemical became synthetically manufactured.
Indigo’s inherent features are good colourfastness to water and light, a continually fading and its inability to penetrate fibres completely. This allows the blue color in jeans made from indigo to always look irregular and individual.
Initial Modulus
A thread property that refers to the initial resistance to stretching when stress or tension is applied to the sewing thread. The higher the initial modulus, the better the loop formation characteristics the thread will have minimizing skipped stitches and thread breakages.
Interlining
An insulation, padding, or stiffening fabric, either sewn to the wrong side of the fabric or the inner side of the outer shell fabric. The interlining is used primarily to provide warmth in coats, jackets, and outerwear.
Interfacing
A padding or stiffening fabric added to assure shape retention, interfacing is placed between the outer fabric and the lining fabric.
Interlock Knit
To produce an interlock knit, long and short needles are arranged alternately in both the dial and cylinder; the needles in the dial and cylinder are also positioned in direct alignment. When the long and short needles knit in alternate feeds in both needle housings, a fabric with a type of cross 1x1 rib effect is produced.
International Gray Scale
A scale distributed through AATCC which is used as a comparison standard to rate degrees of fading from 5 (negligible or no change) to 1 (severe change).
Intimate Blend Yarn
Different fibres are blended together to make a yarn composed of two fibres. The purpose is to mix the properties and characteristics of individual fibres into one new mixed fibre.
Iridescent Buttons
Buttons with a lustrous, rainbow-like hue.
Iridescent Silk
A dramatic silk fabric that changes colour as it is moved in the light. The weaving of different colours for both the weft (horizontal) and warp (vertical) creates the effect.
ISO-9000, ISO-9002
An internationally recognized system that specifies the operating parameters that a good quality control system will employ.