Weave or not to weave
One of the oldest and most popular methods of textile production is weaving. Surprisingly there are a lot of end use products made from this technique, of which fabrics are a big one. Other textiles are also made using a method of weaving such as baskets and rugs. There are so many different types of weaves that produce a fascinating range of textures, looks and finishes.
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image credit Dirk DeWilde
Wondering how to spot a woven fabric? In simple terms it means that the yarns are interlaced or crossed over the vertical warp to the horizontal weft to form a two dimensional woven fabric. The variables used include the yarn thickness, different fibers, and weaving patterns which all impact on the characteristics of the final woven textile.
These days most fabrics are done mechanically but the process dates back to the beginning of fabric manufacturing when yarns were hand spun and hand woven to produce woven fabrics for garments and household goods. There are different types of machines and methods used but to make it as simple as I can there are two types of machine methods: shuttle and shuttleless looms. Advances in technology have meant production via these mechanical machines is efficient, allowing fabrics using different types of fibres to be made resulting in various weave patterns.
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The different combinations of weaves have different patterns, strengths and appearances. Crossing over different types of weave patterns and reading the patterns is an art within itself.
Hand woven textiles on the other hand take a long time to produce and items such as rugs and textiles have traditionally been done in regions such as Guatemala, San Blas Islands, Mexico, India, Oaxaca, Turkey, Pakistan and Africa to name a few. The amount of hours it takes to produce one of these pieces really is quite staggering, making them a real work of art and skill.
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Hand weaving is a skill which has been passed down for generations and will hopefully continue to future generations, with greater income returns for the work they do.
Traditionally these skills are passed down to the children at a young age, as they often don’t go to school so the chances of moving to another industry or interest is limited for them. Often this is the case due to the low income they receive for this work as a primary income, and does not allow them to explore other avenues for income. With the time it takes not being represented in the income they receive for the rug or textiles produced.
Generally it is a community that will all be involved in the process and often a number of families that all play a different role in the process of the manufacturing of the weave. As one family may do the warp wrapping, another the yarn weaving, another the loom work, another the dying of the yarns and so forth.
This is an artform that depicts traditional styles, patterns and colours of the regions they are made in, represented by the colours that are available with natural dyes or the patterns and combinations that they have used and produced for years. Additionally governed by the yarns locally available, tending towards natural fibers like wool, flax and jute.
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Weave techniques have been used for generations for a multitude of end products. Despite the textile industry being one of the largest to move to mechanical machine production, the art of hand woven products continues. Hand woven rugs and textiles are still produced throughout the world and should be appreciated for the skill and culture to continue.