The dictionary meaning of textiles is - Artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers. Before moving any further let us keep in mind that the important thing is the type of fiber used for making textile fabrics. Added to that, there is also the methodology that is used to create a fabric. The fiber and the manufacturing process both can affect the final properties of the fabric. Different types of fibers are used to make textiles, which are then cut and sewn to make crib sheets.

The traditional natural fibers are different types of cotton, wool and silk. The fourth, jute, cannot be used for crib sheets. Next in like are the ‘almost natural’ fibers like those made from wood pulp and other natural substances like flax, which is used to make linen textiles. And then there are synthetic fibers that are produced from hydrocarbons, chemicals, glass, metals and plastics. These are not suited for your baby as these give out dangerous formaldehyde emissions. The polyester crib sheet that you may buy for your baby is made from the same base as that of the PET bottle you get when you buy a soda.

These fibers are drawn into yarns and then woven to make a crib sheet. Here are some of the most common methods used to create a fabric for crib sheet:

• Weaving - This is the oldest method of turning yarn into cloth by using looms that weave a warp (length wise yarn) and weft (width wise) into cloth.
• Knitting – This process uses a warp only and creates a fabric just as home knitting except that it is done on sophisticated machines.
• Felting – This process is carried out on the latest machines where a pile of fiber is pinched with needles and made to ‘feel’ like a fabric. Fine cotton and wool fibers are felted to make blankets, including baby blankets and the coarser ones for foot rugs. This process is not completely suitable for making crib sheets.

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