August 6, 2020
A Brief History of Weave
Woven Cloth is a very simple form of Textiles. It consists of a Warp of vertical threads, which are usually supported on some form of Loom. A Weft thread is then passed horizontally over and under the Warp threads to build up a fabric. The Weft thread can be passed through the Warp in different patterns, the three most common types of weaving patterns being Plain Weave, Twill, and Satin. Weaving can produce some of the finest luxury fabrics using super fine threads on the warp and weft for a high thread count. This is calculated by the sum of the threads per inch on the warp and weft. So the higher the number the finer the fabric!
Weaving is perhaps one of the oldest forms of textile known to humankind. There is evidence to suggest that it was already being used as far back as the Paleolithic era which was about 27,000 years ago! Imprints in clay and burnt textile remnants were found at an archaeological site called the Dolní Věstonice site in the Czech Republic. These findings indicate that these early humans were able to produce plaited basketry, nets, and twined and plain woven cloth. From here, the craft has been passed down over generations and generations, spreading to all the far corners of the world.
We have designed a simple frame loom for you to create some hand woven fabrics of your own. You can reuse it multiple times making lots of different little fabrics, or you can turn your loom into your own mini work of art, leaving your weave on and decorating your frame to hang on the wall. We’ve put together a couple of quick step by step videos for you to follow. You will learn the basics and take your first steps into the wonderful world of hand weaving!
1. Plain Weave using Paper Yarn
You will need:
- Wooden Rectangle Loom
- Rico Creative Paper Yarn – Light Green and Lilac
- Sharp Scissors
2. Plain Weave using Jersey Yarn & Wool
You will need:
- Wooden Rectangle Loom
- Jersey Yarn – Salmon
- Wool Yarn – Pistachio
- Sharp scissors
- Darning needle
- Fine-tooth comb/Fork
