Ignite the fabric using a flame source and observe the burning behavior. Natural cotton fabric burns quickly and leaves behind a grayish-white ash. It has a characteristic scent of burning paper or leaves. Synthetic fabrics tend to melt or shrink away from the flame, leaving a hard, bead-like residue. Both a set of steps or guidelines aimed at ensuring the quality of something being manufactured, quality assurance focuses on standards while a product is under development (instead of afterward).