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Plain-Weave Cotton Cloth on a Rigid Heddle Loom
Plain weave is the simplest cloth: each crosswise thread goes over one lengthwise thread and under the next, and back the other way on the next pass. A rigid heddle loom does the lifting: one bar of slots and holes raises or lowers every other warp thread at once.
The thread is the 2-ply cotton from the hand-spinning blueprint, used for both warp and weft.
Intermediate
About a week of evenings
Instructions
1
1
The thread
The thread
Spinning and plying the cotton thread used here.
2
2
Find the sett
Find the sett
Wrap the thread round a ruler, touching but not crowded, and count the wraps in 2.5 cm. For plain weave set the warp at about half that many threads per 2.5 cm, and choose the heddle to match.
Tools needed:
Ruler3
3
Measure the warp
Measure the warp
On the warping board wind as many threads as the width times the sett, each the cloth's length plus about 50 cm for tying on and loom waste.
Materials for this step:
Cotton Thread150 gTools needed:
Warping Board
Tape Measure4
4
Thread the heddle
Thread the heddle
Thread one warp end through each slot and each hole in turn, tie the ends to the back beam, wind on under even tension and tie on at the front.
Tools needed:
Rigid Heddle Loom5
5
Weave
Weave
Raise the heddle, pass the shuttle through, beat the weft gently with the heddle; lower the heddle, pass back, beat. Leave the weft at a slant across the shed so the edges do not pull in.
Materials for this step:
Cotton Thread120 gTools needed:
Rigid Heddle Loom
Shuttle6
6
Cut off and secure
Cut off and secure
Cut the cloth off the loom and knot or hem both ends so the weft cannot slip off.
Tools needed:
Fabric Scissors7
7
Wash to finish
Wash to finish
Wash the cloth in hot water, dry it, and measure it: the threads relax and close up. Note how much it shrank for the next warp.
Tools needed:
Tape Measure8
8
Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting
Plain weave troubleshooting.
Flow
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Materials
1- 270 gPlaceholder
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