Wool weaving showing the interlacement of warp and weft threads. Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Reading a Weaving Draft
A weaving draft is a four-part diagram that encodes a complete weave structure in compact notation. The four sections are:
- Threading (top-left grid): shows which shaft each warp end is threaded through, read right to left.
- Tie-up (top-right grid): shows which shafts each treadle lifts when depressed.
- Treadling (bottom-right column): shows the sequence in which treadles are pressed, read top to bottom.
- Drawdown (bottom-left grid): the resulting cloth structure, showing each weft over/under sequence.
On a rigid heddle loom, only threading and treadling are relevant, since there is a single shaft equivalent (the heddle). On a multi-shaft floor loom, all four sections of the draft are used. Standard draft notation uses filled squares to indicate shaft engagement (threading), treadle-to-shaft connection (tie-up), and treadle activation (treadling).
Tabby (Plain Weave)
Tabby is the simplest possible interlacement: each weft thread passes over one warp thread, then under the next, in alternating sequence. Every row (pick) reverses the pattern, creating a 1/1 interlacement in which no thread travels over more than one other thread at any point.
Properties of Tabby Cloth
Because warp and weft interlock at every intersection, tabby produces the most stable structure of any weave. It does not slide or distort laterally under stress. This stability comes at the cost of flexibility: tabby cloth is firmer and less drapey than twill of the same fiber and sett.
Tabby is the default structure for plain-weave yardage, dish towels, tea towels, and scarves where durability and dimensional stability are prioritised over drape. Linen and cotton are frequently woven in tabby for household textiles because the firmer hand of those fibers benefits from the structural support of 1/1 interlacement.
Warp and Weft Balance
A balanced tabby has the same number of warp ends and weft picks per unit of measurement, and each set of threads contributes equally to the cloth face. In a warp-faced tabby, the warp sett is so high that weft threads are hidden entirely, producing a cloth whose surface shows only vertical colour bands — common in narrow bands and inkle weaving. In a weft-faced tabby, the sett is lower than the yarn diameter allows, and weft is beaten tightly to cover the warp entirely — the standard structure in tapestry work.
Tabby on Different Looms
Tabby can be woven on any loom with two distinct shed positions: a frame loom with a shed stick and a pick-up stick, a rigid heddle (its default operation), or a floor loom with any number of shafts using treadle pairs. On a floor loom, tabby typically uses the same two treadles throughout, and the remaining treadles are reserved for pattern sequences such as overshot or summer-and-winter tie-up.
Twill
Twill is defined by weft floats (weft threads that travel over two or more adjacent warp threads before going under). The float shifts by one position in each successive pick, creating a diagonal line across the cloth face. The simplest twill is 2/2: weft goes over two warp threads, under two, and each row shifts one thread to the right or left.
Twill Notation
Twill structures are described by their float ratio. In a 2/2 twill, the weft floats over 2 and under 2. In a 3/1 twill, the weft floats over 3 and under 1, creating a warp-dominant face. In a 1/3 twill, the weft floats predominate. The direction of the diagonal (Z-twill going left to right, S-twill going right to left) is also noted and affects how two-colour twills interact visually.
Properties of Twill Cloth
Twill is more flexible and drapey than tabby at the same sett because the longer floats allow threads to move more freely relative to each other. This makes twill the preferred structure for woollen cloth in garment contexts: trousers, jackets, blankets, and shawls all benefit from twill's ability to hang and drape over body contours.
The diagonal line in twill also makes the structure more visually dynamic. Herringbone (a point twill that reverses direction periodically), plaid (colour-pattern intersecting warp and weft sequences), and diamond twill (a reflected point twill producing diamond motifs) are all variations that can be woven on four shafts without additional equipment.
Twill in Canadian Textile Tradition
The ceinture fléchée, a finger-woven sash originating in the Assumption region of Quebec and later associated with Métis cultural identity, uses a related interlacement technique: arrowhead patterning created by manipulating grouped warp ends without a loom. The resulting diagonal patterns in the sash share visual characteristics with warp-faced twill but are produced by a different method. L'Assomption sashes are documented in the collection of the McCord Stewart Museum in Montreal.
Canada Mills Weave Shed, Cornwall, Ontario, illuminated by Thomas Edison's incandescent lamps in 1883. Industrial looms in mills like this produced twill and plain-weave cloth for domestic use. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons / Cornwall Community Museum.
Tapestry
Tapestry is a weft-faced weave in which the warp is entirely covered by densely beaten weft. Unlike tabby and twill, which are typically woven with continuous weft threads from selvedge to selvedge, tapestry uses discontinuous weft: different coloured yarns are woven in separate areas and turn back at colour boundaries without crossing the full width of the warp.
Warp Setup for Tapestry
A tapestry warp is set at a lower density than a balanced tabby warp in the same yarn: typically four to eight warp ends per inch with a smooth, strong warp yarn (cotton, linen, or a strong singles wool) that will be entirely hidden under the weft. The low sett allows the weft to pack tightly over the warp. The warp must be set evenly and under firm tension; unevenness in warp tension produces visible irregularities in the finished surface.
Colour Joins and Shading
Where two colour areas meet vertically, the weft yarns of each colour wrap around the same warp thread alternately, creating a shared edge called an interlock. Alternatively, each weft simply turns back at the boundary without interlocking, leaving a slit (fente) — a structural feature visible in Kilim rugs and traditional Navajo tapestry, where slits are incorporated as a design element or sewn closed after weaving.
Shading and gradation in tapestry are achieved through hatching (alternating rows of two colours in varying proportions), eccentric weft (curved weft lines that follow drawn contours rather than horizontal paths), and bubbling (weft beaten in at a curved angle to increase coverage in a specific area). These techniques require practice and direct observation of historical tapestry work to understand fully.
Canadian Tapestry Practice
Tapestry weaving in Canada is practised both in studio craft contexts and within Indigenous textile traditions. Salish-style weaving from the Pacific Northwest uses a specific warp-weighted loom with mountain-goat wool and plant-dyed yarn, producing geometric designs with a distinct colour palette. Contemporary Canadian tapestry artists have exhibited through the Canadian Tapestry Alliance and in international tapestry biennials. The Textile Museum of Canada in Toronto holds a collection that includes historical tapestry examples from both Indigenous and European-derived traditions.
Choosing a Structure
| Structure | Min. Shafts | Drape | Stability | Common Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tabby | 2 | Low | High | Towels, scarves, samples, lining fabric |
| 2/2 Twill | 4 | Medium-high | Medium | Blankets, cloth for garments, shawls |
| 3/1 Twill | 4 | High | Low-medium | Denim-weight cloth, sturdy outerwear fabric |
| Tapestry | 2 (frame) | Low (stiff) | High | Wall hangings, pictorial panels, bags |
| Herringbone twill | 4 | Medium | Medium | Woollen cloth with surface interest |
References
- Strickler, Carol, ed. A Weaver's Book of 8-Shaft Patterns. Interweave Press, 1991.
- Black, Mary E. Key to Weaving: A Textbook of Hand Weaving for the Beginning Weaver. Macmillan, 1945. (Extensively used in Canadian weaving education)
- Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto.
- Handweaving.net — draft archive including thousands of twill and tapestry entries.
- McCord Stewart Museum, Montreal: Textile Collections including ceinture fléchée.