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Introduction
Weaving
by hand is an ancient craft which was a necessity before the Industrial
Revolution. It is now and enjoyable tactile craft which is also regarded
as an art form. Any thread can be woven on a variety of different types of
loom to create richly textured fabrics.
Origins
People have woven thread into fabric in every culture, in
every country of the world, for many centuries. The Egyptians used their
native flax to produce sophisticated hand spun linen mummy cloth. Silken
Persian rugs, wall hangings from India and the many examples of woven
textiles to be seen in museums all over the world reveal the industry of
the weaver.
Until the Industrial Revolution everything was woven by hand.
Fleece was dyed with natural plant dyes, spun into thread and the threads
woven into fabric for bed covers, clothing, floor coverings and decorative
objects.
Mechanization meant that the hand worker was gradually
replaced by the factory worker and hand weaving, in common with
professional skills, continued only in remote and isolated areas. In
Britain, for example, the tradition of hand weaving almost died out except
in the remote islands and rural areas of Scotland.
 Basic techniques
Weaving involves interlacing two sets of threads, usually at
right angles, to form a fabric or cloth. The vertical threads (those that
run down the length of the fabric) are known as warp threads. The weft
threads are interlaced across the width of the fabric. Warp threads are
sometimes known as ends; each weft as it is woven is called a pick. A pick
is often carried on a shuttle.
During weaving, the warp threads need to be held taught. The
device for holding them under tension is called a loom. It can take many
forms, ranging from a simple piece of cardboard to a 16 – shaft floor
loom.
Tapestry Weaving
This is the method of weaving pictures and abstract images.
Traditionally a cartoon was made of the design and laid beneath the warp
during weaving. Sometimes it was even painted on the warp threads. The
weaving has the usual two sets of threads but the warp threads are totally
covered by the weft, forming a firm, weft faced fabric. The picture is
created by changing the colour and texture of the weft yarns as they are
woven across the warp.
Courses
If you offer weaving courses / evening classes /
demonstrations - please contact us to advertise your details
here.
There are lots of books available to learn the skills from
home.
To
learn proper weaving techniques the best starting point is to contact
polytechnics / colleges to see if they have any organized courses.
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