Unit 3

Plain weave. Warp and weft woven structures

This is the basic technique used to structure a loom-woven cloth. It is based on the interlacing of a system of vertical (warp) threads with horizontal (weft) threads. The even and odd warp threads are lifted up alternately and the weft thread passed between them. The need to select one or more warp thread systems led to the invention of the heddle, which enabled the development of more complex weaving structures.