Handwoven fabric. It’s the base of our textiles, the one thing we use in almost every one of our pieces. Why? Well for one, it’s high-quality, soft, handmade and oh so beautiful. And two, we really value supporting artisans and their unique crafts. Somehow, handwoven fabric can tell a story that machine-made fabric just can’t. And that's a story we love.
For those of you (like me) who aren’t quite sure what handwoven actually means, this post is for you! If you’re picturing the potholders or the woven paper lanterns and placemats you made when you were a kid, you’re on the right track! As someone new to weaving, I had to learn a whole new vocabulary in order to understand what I was reading and watching as I strove to teach myself. Through the process I’ve gained a tremendous amount of appreciation for the art of weaving on a handloom and the end result—unique and full of character: handwoven fabric.
On our desert adventure I spent an afternoon at Aha Vastra (one of our fabric suppliers). I got to see the weavers and handlooms in action and get some photos to help me share the process with you. I hope you gain as much appreciation for the art as I did.
First, some basic terminology for a handloom: warp and weft, shuttle, shed, reed, heddle, and foot peddles. Don’t worry! Let’s look at each piece and see how they come together to create fabric that is one of a kind.
The warp is the yarn threaded onto the loom straight away from where the weaver sits. The weft is the thread woven horizontally across the warp.
This is a great picture to illustrate. This is one of our handwoven rugs being made but you can easily identify the warp (small threads shown vertically in the photo) and the weft (larger pieces of fabric woven horizontally).
To keep it as simple as possible, warp = ( | ) and weft = ( — ). Vertical, horizontal.
The shuttle.
To weave the weft thread ( — ) across the warp ( | ), a special tool is used called a shuttle. The shuttle is a wooden instrument that slides easily from one side of the warp ( | ) to the other (thanks to little wooden wheels on the underside!). Inside of the shuttle sits a spool of weft thread ( — ) that releases length as it shifts across the warp. This latest woven weft ( — ) thread is then pulled tight against the woven fabric by a large wooden comb called a reed.
The heddles are what look like a fine tooth comb at the bottom of this picture.
In order for the weft ( — ) to weave over and under the warp ( | ) in alternating rounds, the warp thread ( | ) is first strung through heddles, wire or stiff cord with small hooks (or eyes) attached to a narrow beem the width of the loom. There are as many heddles as there are warp threads ( | ). Alternating threads are passed through each heddle while every other thread is left in the space between, passing through heddles attached to a different beem.
This allows for a space called the shed to be created between alternating warp threads ( | ). The shed is created as the heddle beams alternately shift up and down, allowing space for the shuttle to pass through with the weft ( — ), over and under alternating warp threads ( | ). More heddles can be added to create different weaves and on more sophisticated looms, these heddles are operated by foot peddles, rather than by hand (as with our friends at Aha Vastra).
Dhapu and her loom in full swing.
The peddles are connected to the heddles by rope and this convenience makes for faster weaving. As you can imagine, the coordination of feet (on the peddles) and hands (pulling the shuttle through, pulling the reed back and forth) is quite a skill! And this is only considering the simplest of weaves. On more complex weaves, more heddles and beams are added, the heddle rhythm is changed and some handwork is needed as well. The perfect weave is demanding in every sense.
Daakha spinning thread onto spools for the shuttle.
As you might have gathered from this brief overview, before weaving can even begin, there is an intense set up process that can take hours. Each warp thread is threaded through the heddles, secured on each end and then the shuttle with its spool (and lots of back up spools!) of weft is attached and threaded.
Empty looms ready to begin their next dance.
What is remarkable to me is the harmony of hands and feet, shuttle and peddles; motion in rhythm is a must! This rhythmic dance of weaver and loom creates a fabric that is full of softness and character. And as with all processes done by hand, there is a uniqueness to each piece of woven fabric.
This was the beginning of our tea towels on the loom. Each meter a piece of art.
We love that we get to use this art as a base to create home textiles. I hope you caught a bit of the magic of handwoven fabric with me today.
Bye for now!
Sarah
Leave a comment