double weave and quadruple cloth

With doubleweave one weaves two cloths one above the other, normally on four shafts.These cloths can be joined at the selvedges as you weave to create either a tube or a double folded cloth (joined at one selvedge only). With eight shafts one can weave four cloths and this opens up many possibilities.

Whereas a cloth in 8/2 cotton might have 25 warp threads per inch width (10 threads per cm), weaving four cloths one on top of the other means there are now 100 threads per inch (40 threads per cm) - which makes dressing the loom a little more cramped to say the least!

these first explorations are just to try the different techniques and structures so I've been easy on myself colour coding the warps for each of the four cloths and starting with a 5.5" (12.5cm) wide warp a couple of meters long.

The first section is weaving a tube within a tube - effectively a bag with a lining. Next I brought the lining to the outside and the outside to the inside. Still a single bag but with a "waffled" wall. 

With two layers to the walls of the bag, I tried a bit of leno lace. Hand manipulation of the outer cloth warp threads to create an open structure which allows you to see the cloth below peaking through.

Next I wove four separate layers (4 rather than 2 shuttles required) to form a pair of open ended tubes around the top of the bag to accept a pair of drawstrings.

Finally, a pair of tubes side by side that when turned inside out into the bag already woven will create double lining divided into two sections.
 

 

Off the loom and finished

curtains 2

A Bateman weave called "Bateman Blend" inspired by the fabric on the cover of the book "Weaving Bateman blend" by Margaret Franklin. To design the latter I had only a picture of the fabric to work from plus a little knowledge of Bateman blend threadings, which was an interesting exercise.

Next I decided to see if it was possible to weave either of the fabrics as a double cloth on my loom. This is a method by which two layers of fabric are woven at the same time, joined on one side so that the resulting fabric is double the width. The answer was yes! However after working out the new drafts, I realised I would need more treadles (pedals) than I had available. 

After more work to see if I could create a skeleton tie-up - one where more than one treadle is depressed at the same time to limit the total number of treadles (not an easy task to do on a countermarch loom!), I concluded that it wasn't possible to reduce the number of treadles to 14.

So 'double cloth' is out and I'll need a sewn join down the middle of each curtain, so I've opted for the Bateman blend design. I'll change the draft to allow for a pattern match at the seam...and I'll have to weave a colossal 12m of fabric! It's a complicated warp to wind with many colour changes and 2 different weights of cotton....Something my weaves inevitably have! I think sectional warping is going to be something to explore next - a method by which the warp can be wound straight onto a modified loom back beam in sections, rather than having to chain 700 threads each 12m long in the correct order and then attempt to wind them onto beam without tangles!

 

Tempo treadle

Threading the heddles is made much easier with "Tempo treadle" a little gadget from Lofty Fibres which helps with both threading and preventing errors when weaving by showing you the correct treadling (which pedal to press next and which colour shuttle to throw) and giving a warning alarm if you've made a mistake.

Sectional warping

My warps tend to have many complicated colour changes and this often makes winding the warp on a board difficult or impossible. Having read quite a bit about sectional warping I decided to invest in a sectional beam for the spring II, a tension box and as I already have lots of old spools I built a spool rack from timber scraps and some threaded rod (bizarrely cheaper than non threaded). It allows for winding from up to 52 of my spools, as well as directly from shop bought bobbins and cones. 

My sectional warping set-up for the spring II. I think it is generally quicker, certainly better for achieving an even tension and for longer warps. It suits my complex coloured warps, but does impose a certain control over your warp design, and fabric width as you must completely fill each section you use.

New loom spring II

My new loom has finally arrived! A Louet Spring II with 12 shafts

 

honeycomb cushion

Some honeycomb weave on the loom, hopefully the thick beige weft will distort once off the loom and washed to become much more wavy, with successive lines almost touching...we'll see.

Honeycomb weave after washing. The thick wool weft moves into the long warp floats  forming the wavy shapes. It's quite a structured fabric, it'll be a cushion for my loom bench.

 

loom makeover

I'm getting a new loom so the old one needed a make over if I'm to have any chance of selling it. It must go as I need the room for the new one. It looks rather smart now it all cleaned and restained.

Sampling

 Trying some different tie-ups, treadling and wefts on the latest warp. 

Possible keeper

Same weave across this image, but in the upper half the alternating dark blue weft has been replaced with an aqua blue weft which is slightly thicker, completely changing one's perception of the pattern.

Another fabric on the same warp with an advancing treadling. An interesting pattern but the structure of the weave is not practical. A textile but not a fabric!

 

scarf

Taking the pattern from cushion 3 and some spare warp, I've embarked on a scarf. As the remnants of the old warp was still on the loom I tied the new warp to the old and wound it onto the back beam which saved threading the heddles. I re-sleyed the reed slightly denser - this time 24 epi (ends per inch) rather than 20 epi. So the fabric is a little bit stiffer.

 

cushions

Using the Christmas holidays to get the latest weaving project underway. I m finding the wool warp a bit "sticky" and the weave is complex. I'm interrupting the rhythm of the alternating fine-thread tabby shots (regular under/over weave between the Bateman boulevard weave) by occasionally introducing a wool (pattern) weft to complete the tabby, which reverses the direction of the tabby treadling....hard to explain unless you weave! End result is quite a few minor mistakes in the first two pattern repeats in the photo above.

So having finished the first cushion cover, I decided to change the tie up on one of the treadles (change which threads are raised and lowered on one of the pedals) and then change the treadling (pedalling) sequence and add a new thread (red) into the mix. Voila, variation no. 2

With a much more intuitive treadling sequence, this weave is flying along. 

In case you're wondering, what look to be spacing faults, particularly in the "warp" (the threads running from front to back) are caused by the reed (a comb like device that keeps the warp threads in order as they pass through the beater). I only have one reed so when the density of the warp threads doesn't match your reed, you have to improvise. In this case sometimes two threads and sometimes three threads go between each tooth in the reed. This tends to alter the even spacing of the warps whilst they are under tension and weaving is taken place. Once off the loom and the fabric is washed the threads will find an even spacing. 

Transition between variations one and two

 

The fabric for the four cushion covers is now off the loom, washed and pressed. The one above is my favourite and in fact it was the back of the last piece I wove and something of a surprise. As I have a narrow piece of identical warp, I think Ill repeat it to make a scarf for my neighbour Alain, who gave me the old loom from his attic for free!

Below are samples of the four weaves, all from an identical warp threaded on 5 shafts in "Bateman boulevard".

Three out of four handwoven cushions complete.

sampling moiré

A last minute change of mind and I've created a "moiré weave" on 8 shafts (below). This type of weave is effectively two twills which create interference patterns, it's usually done on 16 or more shafts but I think my version will work and create wave like ripples of colour across the fabric. A fine 16/2 warp and a much thicker wool weft which will give the fabric some texture and hopefully fluff out the ripples into more distinct blocks of colour....we will see!
 

The original draught and below some playing with the tie-up and weft

placemats

Napkins on the loom. Another fine pattern but with just one colour weft if flies along. I only have one reed (the comb in the beater which keeps the warp threads apart) which is a bit coarse for such a fine fabric (8 dents to an inch, the fabric is 24 ends per inch) so it distorts the true pattern during weaving. The warp (and pattern) will find its correct place once it's washed.

 

End of napkin one, start of napkin two with hem allowance. A couple of errors in the section on the photo - very difficult to spot as work progresses with this pattern, especially with temple (a device which holds the weave at the correct width) covering the last completed section of the work.