THE MAKING OF CLOTH

and of Cyprus and Sicily in the West were frequently interwoven withgold and silver threads.

The Making OF Cloth. —As a fabric is formed by the inter-weaving of warp and weft threads, the durability, substance, texture,and pattern must necessarily depend upon the materials used and themode of interweaving.

A plain fabric is formed by the interweaving, in regular sequence,of warp and weft threads of equal weight or thickness, as in plaincalico ; or by a thicker weft, which gives a ribbed appearanceacross the fabric, as in poplin; or by thicker or double warp threadsforming cords down the length of the fabric; or by alternatethick and thin warp and weft, as in repp.

When additional weight, thickness, or closeness of material isdesired, double cloth is made, which consists of two separate cloths,each having its own warp and weft, but interwoven to form onecomplete fabric.

Patterns may be formed either by the warp or the weft, or byboth together. They may consist of simple geometrical repeats,with white linen warp and weft uniformly floated, now termeddiaper ; or be formed by differences of weaving rather than bycontrasts of colour ( damask weaving); or consist of short lengthsof colour, which are put in by small additional shuttles, andallowed to float under the surface where not required ( brocadeweaving).

Pile fabrics, such as velvets, are produced by the weaving ofsilken warp threads under a ground weft and over a wire-weft rod,which is afterwards withdrawn, leaving a looped fabric, termedterry. If the loops are cut, the velvet is known as a “ terry ” velvet.

Velveteen is produced by “ floating ” loosely, over the warpthreads, weft threads of cotton, which are then cut to form a pile.A Brussels carpet is produced by looping coloured woollen warpthreads over wire rods in the same manner as “ terry ” velvet.

If the loops are cut to form a velvet surface, it is termed aWilton carpet.

A Brussels carpet is woven 27 inches wide with, nominally,260 loops or pile, in the width, but frequently with 256. Thedesign thus covers 256 spaces on the point paper for each “ pick ” orhorizontal line, while the length of the repeat varies to suit thepattern; £ of a yard is a common length, but larger patterns maybe 1 \ yard long.

The figuring warp threads are arranged on separate spools inframes at the back of the loom, and according to the number offrames used it is styled 3, 4, or 5 framed carpet.

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