The machinery from which threads are
made has developed from hand-held spindles to spinning wheels to the spinnarets
used to make microfibers, and computers may assist in all phases of cloth production,
from pattern design and to loom operation. Todays clothmakers have all of
these tools at their disposal: they choose according to the speed of production,
cost, and the special quality that a given device contributes to the finished
product. Innovations in fabric technology may respond to utilitarian needs, aesthetic
desires, and other motivations such as consumer demands for inexpensive options.