Woven Fabric Structures:

TT2307

Introduction

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Making of Fabric
• The two most common methods of making fabric are weaving and
knitting. Other methods include felting and bonding. From only a
few construction methods come many different fabrics.
 Weaving Fabrics
• Weaving is the process of interlacing yarns at right angles to each other to
create a woven fabric. It’s done on machines called looms. For
generations, weaving was done by hand.
• Weaving requires the use of two sets of yarns. The lengthwise yarns are
the warp yarns. The crosswise yarns are the filling yarns. The warp yarns
are threaded onto the loom. They must be strong and durable to withstand
the strain of the weaving process.
• The warp threads are those that run longitudinally along the length of the
fabric
• The weft threads are those that run transversely across the fabric.
• For the sake of convenience the warp threads are termed as ends and the
weft as picks or fillings.

• The filling yarns pass over and under the warp yarns. When they reach the
edge, they turn back and weave across the wrap yarns in the other
direction. The turned filling yarns along each side of the woven fabric form
the selvage—the fabric edge that is very strong and will not ravel.
Types of Weaves

•Through the weaving process, passing

the filling yarns over and under different
numbers of warp yarns can create
various types of woven fabric. There are
three basic types of weaves:
1. Plain Weave
2. Twill Weave
3. Satin Weave
Plain Weave
• Passing a filling yarn over one
wrap and then under one wrap
yarn makes the plain weave.
The netting of a tennis racket is
an example of the plain weave.
• Plain weave fabrics are strong,
durable, and easy to sew. They
wrinkle more and absorb less
moisture than fabrics of other
weaves.
Twill Weave
• The twill weave forms when a
yarn in one direction floats over
two or more yarns in the other
direction. Each float begins one
yarn over from the last one.
The floats can be either filling or
wraps yarns. Twill weaves
fabrics have a distinct diagonal
line or wale.
• Twill weaves are very durable
wrinkle-resistant, and hide soil.
They are less stiff than plain
weave fabrics that have the
same number of yarns.
 Satin Weave
• The satin weave forms by floating a
yarn from one direction over four
or more yarns from the other
direction and then under one yarn.
Each float begins two yarns over
from where the last float began. It
is used to make fabrics with a
smooth surface.
• Satin weaves fabrics have great
luster. The luster is due to the
exposed floats reflecting light.
Satin weaves feel smooth and are
drapable. However, satin weaves
are not very durable. The floats
tend to catch other surfaces,
causing them to snag or break.
Primary Motions of Weaving
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 CLASSIFICATION OF WOVEN STRUCTURES

Woven structures are classified into the following categories:

• Simple structures
• Compound structures
Simple structures
• In simple structures, there is only one series of warp and weft threads.
• These threads interlace with one another perpendicular to each other.
• All the neighboring warp and weft threads are parallel to one another
• Play an equally important role in determining the properties of the fabric.

Compound structures
• In these structures, there may be more than one series threads,
• one set forms the body or ground and the other forms the figuring or
ornamentation.
• Unlike the simple structures, the neighboring threads need not be parallel to
one another.
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 Simple Structure Compound Structure

Warp Overlap Weft Overlap 12

 METHOD OF WEAVE REPRESENTATION

A weave - interlacing pattern of the warp and weft. Two types

are possible:
• Warp overlap in which warp is above weft
• Weft overlap in which weft is above warp

warp overlap - the warp is lifted above the inserted weft,

weft overlap - the warp thread is lowered and then the weft
thread is inserted above the warp thread

There are two practical methods of weave representation:

• Linear
• Canvas

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linear method
• Each warp thread is represented by a vertical
line and each weft thread by a horizontal line.
• The point of intersection of lines corresponding
to a warp overlap is continue the warp yarn and
the point of intersection corresponding to weft
overlap keep continue weft yarn..
Though this is a simple method, it is seldom used
because the designer has to draw plenty of
horizontal and vertical lines, which is time
consuming.

Canvas method
• a squared paper is used
• on which each vertical space represents a warp thread
• each horizontal space represents a weft thread
• Each square therefore indicates an intersection of warp
and weft thread.
• To show the warp overlap, a square is filled in or ‘X’
mark.
• The blank square - the weft thread is placed over the
warp (weft overlap)
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 WEAVE REPEAT (REPEAT SIZE)
• A quantitative expression of any given weave.
• Indicates the minimum number of warp & weft threads
• It comprises of warp and weft repeat.
• The size of the repeat may be even or uneven depending upon the
nature of the weave.
• In elementary weaves such as plain, twill, satin etc. the repeat size is
normally even.
• In weaves such as ‘honey comb’ and ‘huck-a-back’ the repeat size
may be even or uneven.
• For any weave, the repeat size is the sum of the warp and weft floats.
Thus in case of a 2/1 twill the repeat size is 3X3.

• It is a common practice to denote one repeat of a weave on design

paper.

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2/1 twill Weave 1/1 Plain Weave
Repeat - 3X3 Repeat – 2X2
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The design, draft and peg plan are illustrated with the aid of an
example shown below
Basic elements of a Woven Design (2/2 twill weave)

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 BASIC ELEMENT OF WOVEN DESIGN:

• Basic elements in a woven design

1. Design
2. Draft or drawing plan
3. Peg or lifting plan

The design
• Interlacing of warp and weft threads in the repeat of the design.
This is the smallest unit of the weave.
• It is made up of a number of squares, which constitute the repeat
size of a design.
• Vertical direction – Warp/Picks
• Horizontal direction – Weft/Ends.
• A blank in a square indicates that a warp goes below corresponding
weft (Weft over lap) and ‘X’ mark in the square indicates that the
warp floats above the weft (Warp overlap) .

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Draft or drawing plan
• The manner of drawing the ends through the heald eyes
• also denotes the number of heald shaft required for a given weave
repeat.
• The choice of the type of drafting plan depends upon the type of
fabric woven.

The peg or lifting plan

• Provides useful information to the weaver.
• Order of lifting of heald shafts.
• In a peg plan the vertical spaces indicate the heald shafts and the
horizontal spaces indicate the picks.
• The peg plan depends upon the drafting plan.
• In a straight draft, the peg plan will be the same as the design. Hence no peg
plan is necessary in the case of a straight draft.

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