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original source: https://www.weaverhouseco.com/resources/a-glossary-of-weaving-
terms (2020-07-04)
WEAVING
Advancing the warp: Releasing the pawl on the ratchet on the warp beam and winding
some of the woven cloth onto the cloth beam. Balanced Weave: A fabric with the same
number of wefts per inch as warps per inch. Bubbling: Allowing some looseness in the
weft to provide the extra length needed for the weft to be beaten in without causing
draw-in. Changing the shed: Lifting the foot and placing it on a different treadle to
cause a different shed to be formed. Draw-in: The narrowing of the weaving at the
selvages due to the natural shrinking of the web. Excessive draw-in is caused from the
weft being too tight. Fell: The edge of the weaving where the last weft has been beaten
in. Finishing: The final treatments of the woven piece such as washing, fulling or
pressing. Heading: The first weaving of waste thread which will be discarded. In rug
weaving, tapestry and some placemats, it is the first few wefts which strengthen the
edge. One shuttle weave: A weave which is woven with one shuttle, allowing the
weaver to develop a rhythm of movement as the shuttle does not have to be set down
between shots. Opposites: A treadling sequence where one weft shot is followed by
treadling the opposite shed. The opposite of 2 3 is 1 4. Pattern Weave: A weave which
requires two shuttles, two wefts, and often different colors or threads. The pattern is
usually threaded or treadled differently from plain weave. PPI: Picks per inch, or the
number of wefts per inch. Selvage: The woven edge of a fabric. Selvage Loops: The
extensions of the weft beyond the selvage from the weft tension being too loose. Shed:
The opening created on a loom where the weft passes. Shot (pick): A single pass of
weft through the shed. Tabby: Plain weave and ground weave for a pattern weave.
WARPING
Back to Front: A phrase used to describe the traditional warping method after the
recent popularity with a method called front to back warping. Bout: One wound group of
warp threads, tied together, which contains up to 6" of warp width. Beaming: Winding
the warp, which is spaced out to its weaving width, onto the warp beam. Choke: Very
tight, but temporary ties spaced every two yards along the warp bout to keep the
threads secure. Cross (lease): The crossing of warp threads made by winding between
dowels at the end of a bout, to keep them in order for beaming and threading the warp.
Ends: Individual warp threads. Filling: An industry term for weft. Guide String: A non-
stretchy cord measured to be the same length as the warp and placed on the warping
reel or frame to be a guide for winding the warp bouts. Sectional Warping: A method
for winding a warp used for long warps for production weaving. Warp is wound onto
spools or cones, one for each end in a section of one or two inches. These warps are
wound into the first section through a tension box. The warp is cut and then the next
section is wound. Sett (also epi / ‘ends per inch’): The number of warp threads per
inch. Sleying: Passing the warp ends through the dents in the reed. Threading
(drawing in): Drawing the warp threads through the eyes of the heddles. Thrums:
Unwoven warp left when the last woven piece is cut from the loom. It is called loom
waste when planning warps. Tie-up: The tying or connecting of cords to parts of the
loom to hang the shafts, lamms and/or treadles. Warp: Threads running the length of
the loom across which threads are woven. Weft (filling): Threads which are woven
crosswise to the warp to form the web. Advancing the warp: Releasing the pawl on the
ratchet on the warp beam and winding some of the woven cloth onto the cloth beam.
Balanced Weave: A fabric with the same number of wefts per inch as warps per inch.
Bubbling: Allowing some looseness in the weft to provide the extra length needed for
the weft to be beaten in without causing draw-in. Changing the shed: Lifting the foot
and placing it on a different treadle to cause a different shed to be formed. Draw-in: The
narrowing of the weaving at the selvages due to the natural shrinking of the web.
Excessive draw-in is caused from the weft being too tight. Fell: The edge of the
weaving where the last weft has been beaten in. Finishing: The final treatments of the
woven piece such as washing, fulling or pressing. Heading: The first weaving of waste
thread which will be discarded. In rug weaving, tapestry and some placemats, it is the
first few wefts which strengthen the edge. One shuttle weave: A weave which is woven
with one shuttle, allowing the weaver to develop a rhythm of movement as the shuttle
does not have to be set down between shots. Opposites: A treadling sequence where
one weft shot is followed by treadling the opposite shed. The opposite of 2 3 is 1 4.
Pattern Weave: A weave which requires two shuttles, two wefts, and often different
colors or threads. The pattern is usually threaded or treadled differently from plain
weave. PPI: Picks per inch, or the number of wefts per inch. Selvage: The woven edge
of a fabric. Selvage Loops: The extensions of the weft beyond the selvage from the
weft tension being too loose. Shed: The opening created on a loom where the weft
passes. Shot (pick): A single pass of weft through the shed. Tabby: Plain weave and
ground weave for a pattern weave.
DRAFTING
Block: A group of 2 or more threads which form a unit in a weave. Cloth Diagram: A
diagram of the woven cloth. Draft: A diagram representing the threading, tie-up and
treadling for a weave. Drawdown: The part of the draft which shows the cloth diagram
above or below the threading. Profile Draft: A short draft where one square represents
two or more threads, usually one unit or one block. Take-up: The amount that the warp
shortens in length due to the undulation caused by the weaving. Threading Draft:
Instructions for threading heddles on a loom. Tie-up: Instructions for tying up treadles
on a loom, indicating which shafts rise and which sink. Treadling Draft: Instructions for
treadling a weave structure. Tromp as Writ (as drawn in): Treadle the weave the same
way the threading is written.