Twill has been a weaver's choice for thousands of years. It is basic and versatile,simple yet challenging. It has been used in fabric, baskets, grass matts andrugs. So much to learn!
For our waterfall of twills, we experimented with color, fiber and sett using anytwill threading we desired. We created narrow bands to display in the exhibit,after which we will cut up into samples for a sample book containing all thepatterns and information for each participant. The entire guild benefits fromthe electronic file (PDF) of the same information added to our growingelectronic library.
We are a new guild (this is only our 3rd year) and we learned a lot about eachother as we met about the project and learned about twill, helping each otherto choose patterns, fiber and to warp looms, making new friends along the way.We used 4-harness patterns and 20-harness patterns.
This books provides all that information, including fiber, sett, drawdowns,photos of the finished fabrics and comments from each weaver.Enjoy it — we certainly did!
Weaving Indiana
Weaving Indiana began just 3 years ago from a small group of experienced weavers with 2goals in mind — encourage and promote weaving to beginning weavers and to meet onweekends to include members who work full-time.
The result has been a group of very energetic and motivated weavers, sharing and learningand growing in numbers each month!
We mentor beginners.We are teachers, artists, scientists, lawyers and business professionals. We are weavers whohave been weaving for over 40 years and we are beginners with simply a passion to learn.
In the beginning, our more experienced weavers shared their knowledge by exploring thebasic weave structures in detail, with examples and projects to promote understanding andcreativity. Now, our inexperienced weavers are exploring weave structures and thenpresenting their new knowledge to the rest of the group.
We focus on technology.We send our monthly newsletter out through the Internet as a PDF. No postage or papercosts and no limit to the number of pages. Every issue contains color photos of ourmeetings and woven samples.
We maintain a web site to benefit all the weavers in the state, as well as across thecountry. A listing of current fiber events and shows greet the visitor atwww.indianaweavers.org. Our web site contains information about most of the weavingguilds in Indiana. Dozens of gently used looms have found new homes because of the freeclassified ads selling personal looms, equipment and yarns. Also found are links to Indianaweaving shops and suppliers.
Many of our members use weaving software to create patterns or control their new dobbylooms. We use the Internet to learn about weaving from everywhere in the world and togain inspiration and communicate with each other.
We have great fun as we learn and share together, keeping the craft of weaving alive.We are Weaving Indiana!
Weaving Indiana used the 2005 Midwest Weavers Conference Guild Exhibit as a goalfor this project on Twill. With so many new weavers, it was an opportunity tointroduce them to the fun and experience of theconference even if they could not attend.
Nineteen guild members wove twill bands. Manymembers helped plan the display and create a "dressrehearsal" of the booth setup. The weavers whoattended the conference (front the left: Kris Seel,Tina Hilton, Linda Adamson, Mary Ann Carpenter,Mindy McCain, and Carrie May) set up the display justafter they arrived at Lakeland College in Wisconsin.
It was well worth the effort. Our guild exhibit won the People'sChoice Award, as well as a hard-fought Honorable Mention (27points out of 30) against 11 other wonderful guild exhibits.
TTwwiillll WWaatteerrss RRuunn DDeeeepp
5
Weavers and their TwillsLinda Adamson Fish at Sea
Wooly Fish at Sea
Sue Parker Bassett Windy Day at Corner Pond
Eleanor Best Curvedcorr
Mary Burks Plain/Twill Bands
Alice Burr Renegade Ripple
Mary Ann Carpenter Little Ripples
Linda Decker Water Dawn
Mary Alice Donceel Caribbean Coast ICaribbean Coast IITwill Basket
Janet Higbie Janet Twill
Tina Hilton Blue Ripples
Nina Kennedy Castles and Moats!Azure
Gail Kincaid Tumbling Mountain River
Harry Kuhn Ripples in Moonlight
Carrie May Water RipplesCreek Bottom CurrentsDaylight Reflections
Next to plain (tabby) weave, twill is the most common of weave structures. Warp and weft floats createthe fabric, requiring more than 2 harnesses. Blue jean fabric (denim) is a 2/1 twill, with warp andweft floating over 2 threads and under one, and needs only 3 harnesses to produce. More common arethe 2/2 and 3/1 twills, requiring 4 harnesses and creating fabrics that are the same on front and back(2/2) or exact opposites (3/1 weft faced or 1/3 warp faced).
A straight twill is threaded from the first harness through to the last harness, 1-2-3-4.A point twill is threaded from the first harness through to the last harness andback again, 1-2-3-4-3-2-1. On a loom with more than 4 harnesses, it can but neednot include all harnesses.
Other twill threadings can be created by combining harnesses as desired, as longas the sequences follow the twill progression circle for at least three steps.
The biggest challenge in weaving twill is creating a good selvedge (floating warps are usually needed)and maintaining an even beat.
A lot has been written about twill over the years...
If anybody were to ask, "Which of all the weaves is the most useful?" the answer wouldunhesitatingly be "Twill."
- Mary Meigs Atwater, The Shuttle-Craft Book of American Handweaving
Origin of word –twill – similar in sound to the French word for cloth, toile, which ispronounced twahl, it appeared in Middle English as twyll or twile. It’s roots, however, are thought tolie with the Anglo-Saxon word for two or twice, perhaps meaning two lines or wales or cords.
- Jean Scorgie, Weaver's Craft
Of all the weave structures, twill is the most versatile. It can produce more designs, blendcolors and fibers in more ways, and produce more types of fabrics- from gossamer scarves to sturdyrugs- than any other interlacement!
- Madelyn van der Hoogt, Twill Thrills
Twill takes many forms.... Diagonals are its trademark. The stairstep pattern it takes gentlyprogresses sideways, one step at a time, while never completely breaking off from the previous steps.Each step always has at least one thread in common with the previous step.
- Helen Bress, The Weaving Book
Next to the plain texture, tweeling is the most extensive in its applications to every branch ofcloth manufacture; it not only serves as a ground on which other decorations are woven, but it forms ,purely on its own principles, some of the most beautiful patterns which can be produced in the art ofweaving.
- John Murphy, 1827, as quoted by Marguerite Porter Davison in A Handweaver's Pattern Book
1
3
24
Twill Progression
TTwwiillll WWaatteerrss RRuunn DDeeeepp
TThhrreeaaddiinnggss
7
3 Harness Tieups
4 Harness
2/2 twill tie-up
3/1 twill tie-up
1/3 twill tie-up
12
1
323
2
4
tabby
1
434
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
32
4
1
12
1
32 233
2
4
11
4344
1 1
32 2
443
2/1 and 1/2 twill tie-up(3 harness twill cannot produce a plain weave/tabby)1
SOURCE Weaves - A Design Handbook by Eleanor Best, page 125
EQUIPMENTLoom Louet Octado dobby
Shuttle Schacht and Glimakra boat shuttles
WARPyarn fiber Euroflax Linen
yarn size and color 14/2 in aquasett 20 epi
width in reed 10”
WEFTyarn fiber Euroflax linen and cottolin
yarn size and color 14/2 , fish colors are cottolin
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9.75" x 75.75"
After washing 9" x 72"Washing method hand washed, laid flat to dry, ironed before fully dry.
Shrinkage 8% in width and 5% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSI like the look of linen and feel that it would make nice tablerunners. The floats are a bit long, but I felt the pattern would not show up as well with a finer epi.Since linen can fray, I had to be gentle dressing the loom. Ispritzed the tie-on knots with water to set them before starting to weave.
SOURCE Weaves - A Design Handbook by Eleanor Best, page 125
EQUIPMENTLoom Louet Octado dobby
Shuttle Schacht and Glimakra boat shuttles
WARPyarn fiber Harrisville Shetland wool
yarn size and color 2-ply in grey-greensett 12 epi
width in reed 10”
WEFTyarn fiber Harrisville Shetland wool
yarn size and color 2-ply in dark green with accent fish colors
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9" x 76"
After washing 7.5" x 72"Washing method hand wash and dry
Shrinkage 16% in width, 5% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSThis is the same pattern as Fish at Sea in linen to demonstrate the large floats at fewer epi. Since it was wool, it shrank a lot but fluffed up and melded together and made a nice scarf. Quite a surprise!
SOURCE Mastering Weave Structures by Sharon Alderman, page 60
EQUIPMENTLoom 8-harness Macomber
Shuttle 11" Louet boat shuttle and 11" Schacht boat shuttle
WARPyarn fiber unmercerized cotton
yarn size and color 8/2 in whitesett 24 epi
width in reed 10.125"
WEFTyarn fiber unmercerized cotton and blue silk noil
yarn size and color 8/2 in navy
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9.875" x 108"
After washing 8.25" x 95"Washing method machine wash warm gentle, machine dry delicate
Shrinkage 16% in width and 12% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSThe pattern looked better, more “waterlike” after finishing. Agreater contrast in the 2 weft colors might have added moreinterest. The silk noil did give a bit of texture.I learned about tying back heddles, to “see” pattern changes, to catch errors while weaving and to reengineer the shaft/lamm connection.
yarn size and color 12/2 cotton and novelty in blues and purplessett 16 epi
width in reed 10”
WEFTyarn fiber rayon/cotton, viscose
yarn size and color novelty variegated in blues and purples
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9.5" x 80"
After washing 9.25" x 72" longWashing method handwash with soap and hot water, line dry
Shrinkage 10% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSThis piece has a great hand and beautiful color harmonies.I like using plain weave with a 2/2 twill to create more interest for me while I'm weaving and I think it adds visual interest for the piece as well.
yarn size and color 5/2 in peacock and mineral bluesett 20 epi
width in reed 12”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in light blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 10.75" x 84.5"
After washing 10.25" x 76"Washing method hand washed in Woolite, machine dried. Steam iron.
Shrinkage 5% in width and 10% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSI called this piece "Renegade Ripples" because the ripples thatwere so enticing in the drawdown and looked so appealing on theloom were ornery and disappeared when the fabric was washed.The creping obliterated the petal-like outlines that gave theappearance of rippling. The resulting fabric has great texture, butdoes not exhibit the ripples that had attracted me to the pattern.
yarn size and color natural colors, random warpsett 30 epi
width in reed 20”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in Mineral (UKI)
DIMENSIONSOff loom 19” x 34”
After washing 17.5” x 29”Washing method machine wash hot, machine dry warm
Shrinkage 8.5% in width, 17% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSI have been using 16H point twill for a long time (weavingyardage in the beginning and now household linens). This stripis just an extension of that weaving. With a sectional beam it iseasy to do: wind on to the back beam and tie on to the alreadythreaded up warp yarns that are thru the heddles and the reed.No threading errors that way.
WEAVER COMMENTSI had originally planned to weave this as a stripe but didn't likethe weft color. The piece as woven is more representative of“watery dawn”, and is a plaid. The threading lends an illusion of curve to the plaid, which I think would be useful in suiting, as would the weight and hand of the fabric. This was my first project on my electronic dobby loom!
yarn size and color 10/2 in 5 colors, natural to turquoise to dark greysett 24 epi
width in reed 11.625”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 10/2 in Caribbean blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 11" x 108"
After washing 10.125" x 103"Washing method machine wash normal, machine dry, iron on cotton setting
Shrinkage 8% in width, 4% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSAs a new weaver, I selected the yarns and then tried manydifferent setts and treadlings before I was happy with it.I tried to capture the varying shades of the water around theislands that you see when flying over the Caribbean. I wassurprised how different the pattern looked when the weft colorcrossed over the dark and the light warp.
CCaarriibbbbeeaann CCooaasstt II bbyy MMaarryy AAlliiccee DDoonncceeeell
yarn size and color 10/2 in 5 colors, natural to turquoise to dark greysett 24 epi
width in reed 11.625”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 10/2 in Caribbean blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 11" x 108"
After washing 10.125" x 103"Washing method machine wash normal, machine dry, iron on cotton setting
Shrinkage 8% in width, 4% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSThis is the same threading as Caribbean Coast I but with adifferent treadling.To arrange the colors, I played with wrapping the yarns around asmall wooden ruler, interleaving the different colors to simulatewhat I would warp. I was surprised how different the twill patterns looked when compared to a single color warp.
SOURCE A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns, by Strickler, page 90
EQUIPMENTLoom 8-harness Schacht Mighty Wolf
Shuttle LeClerc boat shuttle
WARPyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in baby bluesett 22 epi
width in reed 9.5”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in cobalt blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9.5" x 100" long
After washing 9" x 92"Washing method machine wash gentle, warm, ironed to dry
Shrinkage 8%
WEAVER COMMENTSThis twill was easier than many for me to keep an even beat,although I had to remember to "keep it light" every time I would start weaving again. This piece was very nice to weave,and I kept my thoughts on the gentle waves I saw on the beach in the Grand Caymans.
yarn size and color 10/2 variegated blues and greenssett 24 epi
width in reed 7.25”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in light blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 6.75" x 63.5"
After washing 6.75" x 63"Washing method hand washed, dried flat, light steam iron
Shrinkage almost none
WEAVER COMMENTSI had planned to use a Tencel weft but the color was not good, so I ordered another color. In the meantime, I wovethis sample with 5/2 perle cotton weft.
The pattern was one I made with Weavemaker weaving software and the front and back are almost identical.
yarn size and color 10/2 variegated bluessett 24 epi
width in reed 7.25”
WEFTyarn fiber Tencel
yarn size and color 8/2 in azure
DIMENSIONSOff loom 7.25" x 65"
After washing 7" x 62"Washing method hand washed, dried flat, light steam iron
Shrinkage very little — 4%
WEAVER COMMENTSThis is the same threading and treadling as my other sample,Castles and Moats, except I used Tencel as the weft (instead of perle cotton). Although the design does not show up verymuch, I like the overall color and drape of this sample better.
yarn size and color handspun worsted weightsett 12 epi
width in reed 12”
WEFTyarn fiber Alpaca
yarn size and color handspun worsted weight, dyed purple
DIMENSIONSOff loom 9.5" x 72"
After washing 8.5" x 65"Washing method machine wash gentle, cold water with Orvus paste
Shrinkage 29% in width, 10% in width
WEAVER COMMENTSThe Alpaca who provided this fiber lives in Noblesville, Indiana, and is named Sugarplum. This 2/2 twill is identical on front and back.
yarn size and color 6-strand floss in light blue, medium blue and dark bluesett 20 epi in a 10 dent reed
width in reed 7.25”
WEFTyarn fiber Lily 6-strand cotton floss
yarn size and color 6-strand cotton floss in medium blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 6.5" wide
After washing 6.25" wideWashing method hand washed in cold water, ironing was needed
Shrinkage 4% total
WEAVER COMMENTSOriginally, I had it sett at 15 epi but found that the weft wasbeating in too much. I resleyed the warp to 20 epi and was better able to achieve a balanced weave.
SOURCE A Handweaver's Pattern Book by Davison, page 30
EQUIPMENTLoom Schacht Wolf Pup
Shuttle Schacht boat shuttle
WARPyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in soldier blue, royal blue and naturalsett 18 epi
width in reed 9.75”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in mineral blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 8.5" x 90.25"
After washing 8.125" x 80"Washing method machine wash and dry, hot iron
Shrinkage 5% width and 12% length
WEAVER COMMENTSThis began as an undulating twill but the floats were too long. So I rethreaded it into the swathmore twill and am much happierwith it. It reminds me of the water currents at the bottom of acreek bed.
yarn size and color 10/2 handpainted/dyed in blues, yellow, greens and redssett 30 epi
width in reed 13”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 10/2 in cobalt blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom
After washing
Washing method machine washed and dried, steam pressed on cotton settingShrinkage about 10%
WEAVER COMMENTSI hand-dyed the warp in a guild workshop. I painted 5different narrow warps and chose a progression of colors as ifgoing from sunrise to sunset on water.I chose the two block twill pattern because I like it, but atfirst thought it looked too much like blocks. After I wove it, Iliked it because of the bright and vibrant colors and the niceweight yarn and hand of the fabric.
yarn size and color 5/2 in mint, mineral and cactussett 18 epi
width in reed 10”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in royal blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom
After washing 7.75" x 91.25"Washing method machine wash gentle, hang dry, steam pressed
Shrinkage
WEAVER COMMENTSAs I wove this band, my rows looked uneven, like my tension was off, the rows were wavy. The tension was fine, it was just that there are sections in the warp being skipped over as I wovedue to the pattern. I lightened up my beat, not packing the weft, and just let the pattern happen.
SOURCE A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns (Friends of Handwoven)
EQUIPMENTLoom 8-harness Schacht Mighty Wolf
Shuttle Schacht end-feed
WARPyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in greys, greens and medium bluesett 16 epi
width in reed 9.25”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 in black
DIMENSIONSOff loom 8" x 98"
After washing 7.375" x 91.5"Washing method machine wash and dry, lightly pressed
Shrinkage 8% width, 7% length (more shrinkage in width than expected)
WEAVER COMMENTSThis is the same threading and EPI as "Running Ripples" but withfiner yarn and it creates a much nicer fabric weight.I wove the pattern with the weft-faced side up to make it easier to lift the harnesses, but I consider that warp-faced sidethe front. I also treadled it "walking style" (left, right, left, right)to make it easier.
SOURCE A Weaver's Book of 8-shaft Patterns (Friends of Handwoven)
EQUIPMENTLoom 8-harness Schacht Mighty Wolf
Shuttle Schacht end-feed
WARPyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 3/2 in medium blue, light blue and whitesett 16 epi
width in reed 9.25”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 3/2 in light blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 8.25" x 84"
After washing 7.5" x 78"Washing method machine wash and dry, light iron
Shrinkage 12% in width and 7% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSI really like the effect that the change in warp color creates on the front of the fabric, like little streamlets.The beat was challenging because the adjacent sheds 3 - 4 and 7 -8 were similar and the wefts settled closer together than in the other adjacent sheds.
SOURCE The Coverlet Book by Helene Bress, page 114
EQUIPMENTLoom 16-harness J-Made
Shuttle boat shuttle
WARPyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 5/2 and 10/2 in black, green, blue and purplesett 15 epi
width in reed 12.5”
WEFTyarn fiber Bucilla Twinkle Glacé (estron, banlon and metallic)
yarn size and color light blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 11.5" wide
After washing 10" wideWashing method hand washed, lay flat to dry, light ironing
Shrinkage 13% in width
WEAVER COMMENTSWhile watching the moon rise over the ocean, full and brilliantlywhite, its reflection on the dark water glittering like diamonds, Iwondered how to transfer that image to my twill band. It had tosparkle! I searched for a diamond pattern that used all 16harnesses of my loom. A friend gave me a bag of yarn that shecouldn't use and it was just what I needed.
yarn size and color 10/2 white and blue blocks alternating acrosssett 30 epi, woven at 18 ppi
width in reed 12”
WEFTyarn fiber mercerized cotton
yarn size and color 10/2 in dark blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 11.25" x 95"
After washing 10.675" x 86"Washing method machine wash gentle, warm, lightly ironed
Shrinkage 6% in width, 9% in length
WEAVER COMMENTSI had the "blues" because of a real fear of broken threads andthreading errors. This, and the experimentation I did with the weft color, really taught me the value of having sufficient warp to experiment with. After threading, I though I would never useanything with that fine a thread again, but after feeling the drape and seeing how it looked at the end, I was converted!
WARPyarn fiber Silk City Martinique (viscose, cotton and linen)
yarn size and color hand-spaced-dyed in yellows, blues and greenssett 15 epi
width in reed 12”
WEFTyarn fiber unmercerized cotton
yarn size and color 8/2 blue
DIMENSIONSOff loom 10.5" x 103"
After washing 9.5" x 98"Washing method machine washed, dried flat, light iron
Shrinkage 14%
WEAVER COMMENTSIt was beautiful while weaving but I was disappointed after I took it off the loom. It became "striped" but was more random while weaving. I learned how to dye next time—moreelongated rather than cross-wise. I will cut it and make something so the stripes don't appear.
Mary Alice says...My interest in twills was sparked by the program on twills at the Weaving Indiana
Guild I had recently joined, and the planning of their project for the Waves of Weavingconference.
While taking my second basket weaving class, I got into a discussion with theinstructor about weaving baskets in twills. She showed me a book of all sorts ofbeautiful baskets done in twills. I finally gathered up the nerve to try a basket on myown without attending aclass. Margaret Harness,owner of Willowe’s Basketryin Greenfield, IN, helped meselect a pattern that wouldgive the appearance of abucket, thinking that it mightgo well as part of our display.
Starting with Margaret’sApple Gathering basketpattern, I modified it toincrease the number of stakesso that the pattern wouldwork out for each round in a1-2 twill.
I was pleased with myaccomplishment of doing thison my own, and now have ahand woven basket to holdrovings next to my spinningwheel.
Shadow Weave is a form of twill using alternating colors across the warp and weft,giving intricate patterns with the color-and-weave effect. This fabric was inspired by aguild meeting about this weave structure. The turtle is woven with Karded Cotton in 8/2green and 10/2 brown, sett at 24 epi.
The sewing pattern for the turtle was from Weaving a Zoo by Amy Preckshot.
Kris LOVES turtles and has been to South Carolina with her best friend to help save thesea turtles as they crawl to the sea. They had to fend off foxes and seagulls.
