Bachelor of Design & Fashion Textile, Textile Manufacturing Technique, Weaving Fundamnetal

1. Weaving- What is it
Weaving is a method of fabric production in which two distinct sets of yarns or threads are
interlaced at right angles to form a fabric or cloth. The other methods are knitting, lace making,
felting, and braiding or plaiting. The longitudinal threads are called the warp and the lateral
threads are the weft or filling. (Weft or woof is an old English word meaning "that which is
woven".The method in which these threads are inter woven affects the characteristics of the
cloth.
Cloth is usually woven on a loom, a device that holds the warp threads in place while filling
threads are woven through them. A fabric band which meets this definition of cloth (warp
threads with a weft thread winding between) can also be made using other methods, including
tablet weaving, back-strap, or other techniques without looms.[3]
The way the warp and filling threads interlace with each other is called the weave. The majority
of woven products are created with one of three basic weaves: plain weave, satin weave, or
twill.[4] Woven cloth can be plain (in one colour or a simple pattern), or can be woven in
decorative or artistic designs.
Weaving is a major process of making fabric or cloth . In it, two distinct sets of
yarns called the warp and the filling or weft are interlaced with each other to
form a fabric. Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibers. The
lengthwise yarns which run from the back to the front of the loom are called the
warp. The crosswise yarns are the filling or weft. A loom is a device for
holding the warp threads in place while the filling threads are woven through
them. Yarns made from natural fibers like cotton, silk, and wool and synthetic fibers such as
nylon and Orlon are commonly used for weaving textile. But other fibers can also be used for
weaving. Yarn intended for the warp goes through operations such as spooling, warping and
slashing to prepare them to withstand the strain of the weaving process.
Weaving operations
Four major operations are involved in weaving- Shedding, Picking, Beating up (Battening) and
Taking up and letting off.
Shedding
Each alternate warp yarn is raised to insert the filling yarn into the warp to form a shed.
Picking
As the warp is raised, the filling yarn is inserted through the shed by a carrier device. Different
types of looms are used for carrying the filling yarn through the shed- Shuttle loom, shuttle less
looms, circular looms etc.

2. Beating up (Battening)
With each picking operation, the reed pushes or beats each filling yarn against
the portion of the fabric that has already been formed. Reed is a comb like
structure attached to the looms. It gives the fabric a firm, compact construction.
Taking up and letting off
With each shedding,Picking, Battening operation, the new fabric must be
wound on the cloth beam which is called 'taking up'. At the same time, the warp yarns must be
released from the warp beam which is called l 'letting off'.
As the shuttle moves back and forth across the width of the shed, a self edge is
woven which is called selvage or selvedge. The selvage prevents the fabric
from muddling. It is usually more compact and strong than the rest of the
fabric. There are different kinds of selvages depending upon the expected use
of the fabric- Plain Selvages, Tape Selvages, Split Selvages, Fused Selvages,
Leno Selvages and Tucked Selvages.
References:
1. Fiber to Fabric by Bernard P. Corbman .
2. Textile Fiber By Matthews, J. Merritt (Joseph Merritt
3.