Huck backed with plain weave

Experiment

Sustainable

Traditional

This fabric combines huck and plain weave in a double cloth structure, so that one side is a checkerboard of huck lace and the other a checkerboard of plain weave. Woven in a wool/silk blend, there is a striking contrast between the glossy lace floats and the matte plain weave.

Material

Fiber

Craft

Textiles

General Technique

Constructing

Specific Technique

Weaving

Properties & Qualities

Application

Accessories Clothing Furnishing

Qualities

2D Colourful Flexible Shiny Textured / tactile

Colour

Green Pink

Sample Information

Date of Creation

October 29th, 2022

Dimensions

210 mm x 150 mm x 3 mm

Weight

10 g

Culture & Context

Double-weave, in its most general sense, is a process of weaving two layers of cloth simultaneously. The interchange of these layers allows the weaver to create complex structures and patterns. Double-woven fabric dating back to the first millennium BCE has been found in Peru and in China. From these centres, knowledge of the structure spread around the world and has given rise to many different traditions of its use. In the UK it is perhaps best known in the form of Welsh ‘tapestry’ blankets, the double-layer structure being an excellent insulator.The double huck structure used in this sample is also suitable for blankets. Woven with a finer yarn, as shown here, it makes a fabric with excellent drape, suitable for use in garments and accessories.

Process & Production

For a handweaver the double-weaving process can be achieved through loom-control (that is, by assigning warp ends to shafts and manipulating the shafts) or by hand, or using a combination of the two approaches. This sample is woven on an 8-shaft loom, with each layer requiring four shafts.

Recipe Details

The warp is made from two colours, teal and magenta, of 18/2 wool/silk threaded as shown in the accompanying draft and sleyed 3|4|3 in a 10 dpi reed for an overall sett of 33 epi. The same two colours are used in the weft and the web is beaten to square.The draft is given in a liftplan format, but can also be woven on a floor loom using eight treadles (one for each distinct shaft combination). There is no real benefit to using a skeleton tie-up for this structure as the lifts are too diverse.After weaving the fabric is washed, lightly fulled, and pressed to finish.

Credits

Craft Maker

Cally Booker

Library Contributor

Cally Booker

Photographer

Stuart Booker