How Well Did You Know Your Twills? 

Marcy Petrini

September, 2020

Did you take the take the twill test in the August blog? If so, here are the answers. How well did you do? If not, you are still in time to take it, and then check your answers.

Here are the best answers.

 

Twill Test with Answers, Explained  

>

1. The minimum number of shafts needed for a twill is:
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4

Answer: c. A 2/1 or 1/2 twill is an unbalanced twill on 3 shafts, one side is warp-dominant, the other weft-dominant; the twill is also called jean’s twill and it is, in fact, the fabric used to make blue jeans. You can also weave twills on 4 shafts, of course, but 3 is all you need; 2 shafts make plain weave and 1shaft? I am not sure what that is!

 

2. Floats in a twill fabric are:
   1. Weft floats
   2. Warp floats
   3. Both warp and weft floats
   4. Depends on the twill

Answer c. By definition a twill has floats, and a weft float means also a warp float; where the floats are depends on the twill, but both are present.

3. A standard tie-up is:
   1. 1&2; 2&3; 3&4; 4&1; 1&3; 2&4
   2. 4&1; 3&4; 2&3;1&2; 2&4; 1&3
   3. 1&3; 1&2; 2&3; 3&4; 4&1; 2&4
   4. All of the above

Answer: d. A standard tie-up on 4 shafts is the 6 combinations of all the shafts taken 2 at the time; but how we arrange those combinations on our treadles changes and should be maximized to weave as efficiently and comfortably as possible. Thus all the tie-ups listed here are possible. 

4. In an unbalanced twill:
   1. The fabric is warp-dominant
   2. The fabric is weft-dominant
   3. The fabric depends on the specific twill
   4. The fabric is warp-dominant on one side, weft-dominant on the other 

Answer d: When a fabric is unbalanced, it means the two sides are different, regardless of twill, one side is warp-dominant and the other weft-dominant; for example, a 1/3 twill. There are fabrics that are either warp-dominant on both sides of the fabric or weft-dominant on both sides of the fabric, but they are not unbalanced since both sides are the same.

5. Which cannot be woven on 4 shafts:
   1. Satin
   2. False-satin
   3. Broken twill
   4. Extended pointed twill

Answer: a. A satin requires a minimum of 5 shafts. False satin, broken twill and extended pointed twill can all be woven on 4 shafts. Usually a false satin is a 3/1 broken twill which resembles a satin.

6. Which are possible weaving combinations?
   1. Straight twill threading, pointed twill treadling
   2. Pointed twill threading, straight twill treadling
   3. Undulating threading, broken twill treadling
   4. All of the above

Answer: d. The wonderful thing about twills is that, in general, any threading can be woven with any treadling. All of those are all possible combinations.

7. A fancy twill is:
   1. An unbalanced twill
   2. An irregular twill
   3. A treadling method
   4. A twill with plain weave

Answer: b. A fancy twill is another name for an irregular twill, which is one that cannot be described by a ratio of warp and weft floats; regular twills can be described by ratios, for example, 2/2, 3/1, 1/2, on 4, 4 and 3 shafts respectively, meaning that the entire cloth is made up of floats with its specific ratio; an irregular twill can have a mixture of float lengths, and could include plain weave and could be unbalanced. A twill is a weave, whether it is regular or irregular, meaning that it has a threading and a treadling associated with it; a treadling method is a series of weaving steps without its own threading, but it can be applied to any number of threadings.

8. Waffle weave is
   1. A treadling method
   2. Pointed twill
   3. Bird’s eye twill
   4. Popcorn weave

Answer: a. Waffle weave is not a weave, it’s a treadling method. It’s a series of treadling steps applied usually to a pointed twill, since it doesn’t have a threading of its own. Both pointed twill and bird’s eye twill are twills and popcorn weave is not a weave, but another treadling method.

9. If the treadling step is 1&3, which is the “on opposite” treadling step?
   1. 1&2
   2. 2&4
   3. 2&3
   4. 3&4

Answer: b. “On opposite” treadling on 4 shafts is using those not in the original step. Thus, the shafts not used in the 1&3 treadling are 2&4. The other combinations listed all contain either shaft 1 or 3, thus they cannot be opposite.

10. Floating selvages:
    1. Should be used on the side where the weft doesn’t catch
    2. Should be used on both sides of the fabric
    3. Are not needed for twills
    4. Are needed for irregular twills

Answer: b. If a twill – or any structure for that matter – needs a floating selvage, both sides of the fabric should have them, even if it is only one side where the weft doesn’t catch the outer warp thread. Otherwise, the two edges will be different and even if the selvages will be hidden, for example in a garment or pillow, the take-up could be different so it’s best to use floating selvages on both sides. Some twills don’t require floating selvages and some irregular twill need them, but not all.

11. For a balanced fabric, the sett for a twill should be:
    1. About the same as for plain weave
    2. Slightly more open than a plain weave
    3. Slightly denser than for plain weave
    4. Depends on the twill

Answer c: The sett for any balanced twill is generally about 20% closer than the plain weave sett. A sett the same as plain weave or slightly more open would result in a fabric that is more weft-faced and thus not balanced. That may be desirable, but the question is about a balanced fabric.

12. For a weft faced twill, which of the following are true:
    1. The weft covers the warp
    2. The color interactions provide the pattern
    3. A number of different twills can be used
    4. All of the above

Answer: d. A weft-faced twill can be produced by a number of twills by opening the sett and letting the weft cover the warp completely on both sides of the fabric, which is generally sturdy, as in a rug. The motifs of the design are from the color interactions using at least two, but often more colors.

13. If the number of threads needed for a project (width times sett) doesn’t match the twill repeat:
    1. Arriving at the match depends on the twill
    2. The number of repeats have to be increased
    3. The number of repeats have to be decreased
    4. Balancing threads have to be added

Answer: a. Arriving at the exact match of number of threads in the project to twill repeats depends on the twill; the repeats may have to be increased (if the loom width allows), may have to be decreased and balancing threads may have to be added in either case.

14. Which weft would show a bird’s eye twill best on a variegated warp of blue, green and purple?
    1. Blue
    2. Green
    3. Depends on the weft shade
    4. Variegated blue, green and purple

Answer: c. If we want to see the twill, we need some contrast, so it depends on the shade of the weft; either blue or green may work, depending on shade. Variegated wefts on a variegated warp tend to obscure the pattern.

15. To weave a 1/3 and 3/1 straight twill on the same side of the fabric with 6 treadles, which combination will work?
    1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1&3, 2&4
    2. 1&2, 2&3, 3&4, 4&1, 1&3, 2&4
    3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1&2&3, 2&3&4
    4. None of the above

Answer: a. To weave the 1/3 twill, the 4 shafts need to be activated one at a time, so the treadles need to be tied to 1, 2, 3, and 4; to weave a 3/1 twill, 3 shafts have to be activated together: 1&2&3; 2&3&4; 3&4&1; 4&1&2; each of these combinations uses the odd vs. even pair, 1&3 and 2&4, plus another, which we already tied for the 1/3 twill; two feet are needed for the 3/1 twill portion of the fabric.

 

I hope you did well and that you learned something. Did you know that you can weave twill blocks on 4 shafts? It’s in the Pictionary. Here is the scarf.

 

 

Happy weaving and stay safe and healthy!

          Please email comments and questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

Treadling: A Tale of Two Meanings

Marcy Petrini

Jujy, 2020

 The word “treadling” is used in one of two ways, which, unfortunately can cause a lot of confusion. These are the definitions:

1. Given a threading, treadling is the sequence of shafts activated (either raised or lowered depending on the loom) which produces the desired pattern or motif.
2. Treadling is the order in which treadles, tied to a specific tie-up, are used.

These two sound the same, but they aren’t. The treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts is independent of loom, meaning that if I give you that sequence, you can weave that pattern. Even if we switch raising and lowering shafts, the same fabric is produced, with the top and bottom on the loom reversed.

The second without its tie-up is ambiguous. And the treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles is meaningless for someone who weaves with a direct tie-up, for example a table loom, or with a dobby.

So, be cautions of your use. Several years back, a beginning student relocated, bought a table loom, and joined a guild in her new location. After having woven a few plain weave items, she decided to try a pattern. She asked a guild member what would be the next best thing. “A straight twill, said the guild mate, you thread it as in plain weave, 1, 2, 3, 4, and you also treadle it 1, 2, 3, 4.” And showed her a fabric like this:

 

 

  

My former student went home and wove this:

 

 

   

She used the drawdown below. She understood the treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts to be 1, 2, 3, 4.

 

 

  

Given that she had no other information, that’s a reasonable thing to conclude. What the guild mate meant, however, was treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles, shown below, which is generally for a floor loom.

 

 

 

 Furthermore, the guild mate assumed a “standard” tie-up, but that, too is confusing. The “standard” tie up on 4 shafts is all the possible combinations of shafts activated two at a time. There are 6 possible combinations. All of the tie-ups below would be considered “standard”, yet, for any treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts to produce a given pattern, each of these tie-ups would have different treadlings-as-the-order-of-treadles. How one ties those treadles to shafts at any given time and loom is a matter of preference and weave structure:

 

 

 

Back to my weaving student. If asked what is the treadling for the fabric my student wove, I would say:

  

1

2

3

4

Repeat

 

For the treadling of the fabric she wanted to weave I would say:

  

1 & 2

2 & 3

3 & 4

4 & 1

Repeat

 

Now my student could go to her table loom and weave it this way:

 

 

 

This drawdown is identical to the previous one with a 2/2 tie-up. My directions would be unambiguous.

 

Now let’s consider another common use. I am weaving a set of placemats, using a pointed twill; for each one, I will change the treadling without changing the tie-up, the tie-up without changing the treadling, and changing both the tie-up and treadling.

Here is my original pointed twill, tromp as writ:

 

 

 

Here are the treadlings:

 

 

as the order of treadles		as a sequence of shafts
1		1 & 2
2		2 & 3
3		3 & 4
4		4 & 1
3		3 & 4
2		2 & 3
Repeat		Repeat

  

For my next placemat, I am going to change the treadling to bird’s eye:

 

 

 Here are the treadlings:

 

 

as the order of treadles		as a sequence of shafts
1		1 & 2
2		2 & 3
3		3 & 4
4		4 & 1
1		1 & 2
4		4 & 1
3		3 & 4
2		2 & 3
Repeat		Repeat

   

 

Compare this drawdown with the previous one. The patterns are different as you would expect.

Now I am going to change the tie-up but use the same treadling as the original pointed twill: 

 

 

The drawdown is different than the tramp as writ, because, even though the treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles hasn’t changed, the treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts has:

 

Treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles

Original		New Tie-Up
1		1
2		2
3		3
4		4
3		3
2		2
Repeat		Repeat

 

Treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts

Original		New Tie-Up
1 & 2		1 & 2
2 & 3		3 & 4
3 & 4		1 & 3
4 & 1		2 & 4
3 & 4		1 & 3
2 & 3		3 & 4
Repeat		Repeat

  

So, when you use that terminology, saying that you changed the tie-up without changing the treadling, make sure that you – and your audience – understand that you are in fact changing the treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts, or the pattern wouldn’t change. And users may need the treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts because different weavers prefer different tie-ups, and some don’t use tie-ups at all.

 

If we change the tie-up and the treadling from the original pointed twill, we will change the pattern as expected:

 

 

 

The treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts now is below, even though the treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles has not changed from the bird’s eye treadling:

  

as the order of treadles		as a sequence of shafts
1		1 & 2
2		3 & 4
3		1 & 3
4		2 & 4
1		1 & 2
4		2 & 4
3		1 & 3
2		3 & 4
Repeat		Repeat

 

Here is another example where both the tie-up and the treadling were changed:

 

 

 

And we expect the drawdown to change… but it doesn’t!

 

 

That’s because the treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts hasn’t changed, it’s still:

 

as a sequence of shafts

1 & 2

2 & 3

3 & 4

4 & 1

3 & 4

2 & 3

Repeat

 

When I weave a pointed twill that has 6 steps in the treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles, I prefer my order of treadles to be straight, it makes my weaving faster than having to go back and forth with the conventional tie-up.

Next time you talk about a treadling, make sure that you are clear which use you mean - treadling-as-the-order-of-treadles or treadling-as-a-sequence-of-shafts – and if you hear someone talk about a treadling, determine which use of treadling is being discussed, and, if in doubt, ask.

 

Happy treadling!

 

 Happy Weaving!

          Please email comments and questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

How Well Do You Know Your Twills? 

Marcy Petrini

August, 2020

When my Covid-19 quarantine started, I was some three weeks into an 8-weeks twill class I was teaching at the Mississippi Craft Center. Even after the locked down ended, the studio is way too small for social distancing. Eventually, we switched to zoom, with students either taking their warps home to weave it or going to the studio solo to finish the project.

How well did it go? I would say well, because at the end, I decided to have a final test and they did well! And next, we will zoom about lacey weaves.

Here is the beginning twill test – how well do you know your twills?

 

Twill Test (Choose the best answer)

>

1. The minimum number of shafts needed for a twill is:
   1. 1
   2. 2
   3. 3
   4. 4

 

2. Floats in a twill fabric are:
   1. Weft floats
   2. Warp floats
   3. Both warp and weft floats
   4. Depends on the twill

 

3. A standard tie-up is:
   1. 1&2; 2&3; 3&4; 4&1; 1&3; 2&4
   2. 4&1; 3&4; 2&3;1&2; 2&4; 1&3
   3. 1&3; 1&2; 2&3; 3&4; 4&1; 2&4
   4. All of the above

 

4. In an unbalanced twill:
   1. The fabric is warp-dominant
   2. The fabric is weft-dominant
   3. The fabric depends on the specific twill
   4. The fabric is warp-dominant on one side, weft-dominant on the other

 

5. Which cannot be woven on 4 shafts:
   1. Satin
   2. False-satin
   3. Broken twill
   4. Extended pointed twill

 

6. Which are possible weaving combinations?
   1. Straight twill threading, pointed twill treadling
   2. Pointed twill threading, straight twill treadling
   3. Undulating threading, broken twill treadling
   4. All of the above

 

7. A fancy twill is:
   1. An unbalanced twill
   2. An irregular twill
   3. A treadling method
   4. A twill with plain weave

 

8. Waffle weave is
   1. A treadling method
   2. Pointed twill
   3. Bird’s eye twill
   4. Popcorn weave

 

9. If the treadling step is 1&3, which is the “on opposite” treadling step?
   1. 1&2
   2. 2&4
   3. 2&3
   4. 3&4

 

10. Floating selvages:
    1. Should be used on the side where the weft doesn’t catch
    2. Should be used on both sides of the fabric
    3. Are not needed for twills
    4. Are needed for irregular twills

 

11. For a balanced fabric, the sett for a twill should be:
    1. About the same as for plain weave
    2. Slightly more open than a plain weave
    3. Slightly denser than for plain weave
    4. Depends on the twill

 

12. For a weft faced twill, which of the following are true:
    1. The weft covers the warp
    2. The color interactions provide the pattern
    3. A number of different twills can be used
    4. All of the above

 

13. If the number of threads needed for a project (width times sett) doesn’t match the twill repeat:
    1. Arriving at the match depends on the twill
    2. The number of repeats have to be increased
    3. The number of repeats have to be decreased
    4. Balancing threads have to be added

 

14. Which weft would show a bird’s eye twill best on a variegated warp of blue, green and purple?
    1. Blue
    2. Green
    3. Depends on the weft shade
    4. Variegated blue, green and purple

 

15. To weave a 1/3 and 3/1 straight twill on the same side of the fabric with 6 treadles, which combination will work?
    1. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1&3, 2&4
    2. 1&2, 2&3, 3&4, 4&1, 1&3, 2&4
    3. 1, 2, 3, 4, 1&2&3, 2&3&4
    4. None of the above

 

Answers coming up soon… next month, which is only a couple of weeks away!

Meanwhile here is a fun corkscrew twill scarf!

Happy weaving and stay safe and healthy!

          Please email comments and questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

 

 

Turning a Draft - II

Marcy Petrini

June, 2020

In the May blog we learned out to turn a draft by using an 8-shaft, 4 treadle draft; our turned draft had 4 shafts and 8 treadles, which we reduced to 6 by combining treadles weaving with two feet, since most 4 shaft looms have 6 treadles.

Reducing the number of shafts is just one reason to turn a draft; at the end of the May blog there was a challenge: 3 drafts to turn. The first is to simplify the treadling, the second is to change the structure from a two-shuttle weave to one. The third challenge is a draft on more than 4. All of these result in fabrics with a rotated pattern, which is another reason to turn a draft.

Here is a summary of the steps to turn a draft, which we used last month, and we will use on the 3 challenge drafts:

• Choose a draft with a complete repeat in both threading and treadling; two repeats of each will clarify what happens at the junction of repeats
• Rotate the draft; the treadling becomes the threading and the threading becomes the treadling
• Change the shaft, treadle and treadling step numbers to positions
• The treadling will be on the left side; slide it to the right side, to keep with the convention
• The tie-up is also on the left side; slide it to the right side, above the treadling
• Transpose the tie-up so that all empty positions are filled, and all filled positions are empty
• Change positions back to numbers
• Do the drawdown; it should be identical to the original but rotated.

 

⇐ Threading	Tie - up
Drawdown	T r e a d l i n g ⇓

 

  

Challenge 1: Turning the Draft to Simplify the Treadling

Below is a twill threaded pointed and treadled advancing. When I weave, I like to concentrate on my beat and selvages; thus I prefer a simpler treadling. When I thread, I have to think about only the threading, so a more complicated pattern is acceptable.

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

If I turn it this draft, I will have an advancing threading and a straight treadling:

Here is the draft rotated:

 

 

 

Next, we change the numbers to positions; note that the threading is not symmetrical, as the one in the example from the May blog:

 

 

 

We have our threading by numbering our shafts:

 

 

 

 We slide the treadling to the right side and number the treadling steps:

 

 

 

Finally, we transpose the tie-up and then number the shafts attached to each treadle:

 

 

 

And here is our turned draft:

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

Below are the various combinations of starting the threading and the treadling from different positions. Some software that has the option of turning drafts uses algorithms that may return one of these options.

The advancing threading starting on the right reverses the direction of the twill on the loom:

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

Reversing of the direction of the twill also occurs if we keep the original threading but treadle starting on the left, 1, 2, 3, 4, rather than 4, 3, 2, 1, with the same tie-up.

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

If we combine these two options – starting the threading on the right and the treadling on the left, we have the original turned drawdown. I would find this option easier to weave.

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

Challenge 2: Turning the Draft to Change a Two-shuttle Weave to a One-shuttle Weave

Many two-shuttle weaves have a complimentary weft and a ground weft that a weaves a plain weave background with the warp of the same size. This usually means 6 treadles, 2 for the ground, 4 for the pattern weft; in turning such a draft, there will be a threading with more than 4 shafts. Changing from two to one shuttle is used most with multi-shaft weaving.

Monk’s Belt, however, is a supplementary weft weave on 4 shafts, with 2 blocks and 4 treadles, so it can be turned on 4 shafts.

Below is the drawdown of Monk’s Belt; the grey warp and ground weft form plain weave in one block, while the other is covered with weft floats. The purple pattern weft weaves the two blocks. Thus there is one warp and two wefts.

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

To turn the draft, we use the same method as shown in the sections above. Our end result will be two warps and one weft.

Here is the draft rotated with the numbers replaced by positions:

 

 

 

Then our threading is as rotated, the treadling slides to the right and the tie up slides to the right and is transposed; finally, positions are replaced by numbers and we can perform the drawdown, which is exactly like the original drawdown rotated:

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

And here is the fabric.

 

 

 

When I weave a supplementary weft weave, as Monk’s Belt, I set the warp for the ground tabby, but slightly more open. The same is true for a turned draft, which is, in fact, a supplementary warp weave. Barbara Walker, in her book Supplementary Warp Patterning says that the sett for a supplementary warp weave should be that of the ground warp, slightly more open to accommodate the supplementary warp.

In the sample above, the background warp and weft are 10/2 mercerized cotton. I set the warp at 18 epi which is the lower end of the tabby range. If I were using that yarn for plain weave without the supplementary warp, I would set it at 22 or 24, depending on the final use of the project.

Turning the draft this way can be used so that the supplementary warp forms stripes just in part of the cloth.

  

Challenge 3: Turning the Drafts with More Shafts

The process of turning a draft is the same, regardless of the original number of shafts.

Below is a draft of a summer and winter on 5 shafts, 3 blocks, treadled “singles” (each pattern shaft is followed by the same tabby shot), each block individually (meaning not combined). There are two repeats in the threading and two in the treadling. Since it has 8 treadles, the turned draft will require 8 shafts. In the draft below, the warp and background weft which form the tabby are in blue, the pattern weft in dark red.

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

Below is the draft rotated, with numbers replaced by positions:

 

 

 

The treadling becomes the threading which has two warps, a background in blue and a pattern in dark red. The threading becomes the treadling and is moved over to the right. The tie-up is moved over to the right and transposed. Numbers replace the positions.

And the final draft:

 

 

Click here for a draft that you can resize as needed
(a PDF will open a new window or in your list of downloaded files)

 

Here is a close up of the fabric. As in turned Monk’s Belt, the sett of the warp is that of the ground, slightly more open than the usually tabby to accommodate the supplementary warp.

 

 

This is one method of turning drafts, probably the most common. I learned it when I was a fairly beginning weaver from Berta Frey’s book, Designing and Drafting for Handweavers. The terminology “transposing the tie-up” comes from her book (I did find an error in her tie-up in that section). Since then it has been discussed in other publications as well.

Some drawdown software offers the possibility of turning drafts by using algorithms that are not always applicable to all drafts. The method that I have described here, however, works with all kinds of structures.

Below is the full piece whose sample is above, which I wove from with the turned summer and winter draft we just discussed. It was supposed to be a sample, but I loved the colors, so I kept on weaving. It is too heavy for a scarf; it’s silk and narrow, so not appropriate for a table runner. I guess it’s going to be a wall hanging!

 

 

 Happy Weaving!

          Please email comments and questions to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..