Hands on Crafts


Weaving is the process of making cloth. Cloth is made by crossing two sets of threads over and under each other. The two sets of threads are called warp and weft.

Most things that are cloth are woven. Almost any place you look you see things that are woven.

People have been using looms to weave cloth for centuries. Up until around 300 years ago all cloth was made with hand looms. Today people still use hand looms to make beautiful handmade fabric. Industries, such as the textile mills of North Carolina, use power looms to mass-produce clothing, bedding and other fabric items.


There are many different types of weaves. Some are plain and some are fancy, but all use the basic "under & over" technique of weaving. Here are a few illustrations of the basic types of weaves.
Plain weave is the simplest weave. Notice the weft goes over one warp and then under one warp.
Twill weave produces a strong, sturdy fabric like jeans. In a twill weave, the weft passes over several warp threads to produce a diagonal pattern.
A satin weave will produce a smooth, luxurious cloth. The weft can pass over as many as 12 warp threads so that the diagonal line cannot be seen. Satin weave can be snagged very easily.