I have a 120" wide window, including the pine moulding at the edges. So I want a couple pannels 60" wide. I only have 8 shafts on a 60" loom here so I will probably have to sew each pannel in the middle and go say 40" wide (just a number I'm throwing out there) in the loom allowing for the weave to pucker and shrink. I will sample on a narrow short piece. I plan on emphasizing the effect with padding and channel warp. The channels will be vertical. I will use padding threads of the same weight/gris because I have only one warp roller and otherwise might be tension issues. I will use 10/2 merc crochet cotton, I like the weight. I will go with 16 end wide floats on the back side ( weft floats over 16 ends) in my sampling piece. I may use a backing to protect the cotton from the sun and attach/sew in the valleys. I'm following 'Warp and Weft' pages 86-87. Also described in "Textile Design and Color: Elementary Weaves and Figured Fabrics", 2nd Ed by William Watson (1921) pages 87-99.   Found on www.archives.org    This is the first Vol of 2.

Any advice? :)

Comments

Sat, 08/10/2013 - 12:36

Artistry

No advice, ReedGuy, just stopped by to say I looked it up and that's a great weave! Is your structure plain weave? I'm interested in watching your progress!
Sat, 08/10/2013 - 13:07

ReedGuy

I will be trying plain and twill on the samples to compare. I may even vary the floats that make the undulations. Lots of 'playing around' to see what works best for me.
Sun, 08/11/2013 - 09:35

ReedGuy

According to Watson, the padding threads are slacker than the rib threads in the warp. He does recommend using a two roller loom, one for the slacker padding and the other for the tighter ribs. But really though, I was thinking to try this on the sectional which may behave in a dsireable way. Don't know, will find out. I have some heavy varigated cotton I'm going to try as padding.

Sun, 08/11/2013 - 21:19

sandra.eberhar…

Sounds interesting!  If you have drapes that are the same width as the window, when pulled shut you will have a flat sheet of fabric.  Usually, when you figure width for window treatments, you figure at least 1.5X window width to give you some fullness when closed.  If you have quite heavy and very textured fabric, you may be happy with a flat closed look, but it's something to consider.

Sun, 08/11/2013 - 23:37

laurafry

You also need to allow for seam allowance and if you want to cover the frames and a bit of the wall (usually at least three inches on each edge of the window). Cheers Laura
Mon, 08/12/2013 - 01:29

Sara von Tresckow

You also need to consider that drapes will "hang through" if not supported by sections of firmly woven fabric every few inches across. This is the reason that so many sheer drapes have densely sleyed sections every 2-4" across the width.

Mon, 08/12/2013 - 01:57

agneslionel

Hi, Sara -

Could you please say more about that? I have an ambition to make some huck lace curtains for a relatively narrow (29") window but I do not like the sound of this "hanging through." On the other hand, huck lace is relatively dense? Help?

Thanks,

Agnes

Mon, 08/12/2013 - 04:29

Sara von Tresckow

Hanging through is when the center of the fabric droops compared to the selvedges - the selvedges being more firmly woven. This leads to an uneven hem - bowing down in the center of each panel.

If your fabric is fairly firmly woven and of lightweight yarns, there isn't too much of an issue. When the yarns become heavier or weft floats come into the picture, you want a few places with warp a bit denser than the rest to keep the hem straight over many years. If you see examples of curtain fabric in Swedish weaving books there are often places with extra dense warp sett for this very reason - and if you look in a drapery department, you'll see this in any fabric that has open weave places.

Mon, 08/12/2013 - 09:50

ReedGuy

Yes, I do relize I need more width than the sizing of the window. For joining and hemming and fullness. However, I do not wont the fullness of a regular drape, the weave itself has undulations (1" wide). I want the effect of a vertical blind. Thanks for bringing this it up.

But, I was not thinking about the droop in the fabric. However, the sett will be tighter in areas, as it happens, across the woven fabric. This is nesseccary to get the relief in the undulations of the cord. The first sample will be 32 epi in the cord warp, 8 epi between padding and cord warp and 22-24 wpi. Realize in this first sample the padding is thicker yarn. I don't expect to have a winner from the first sample, this is time to experiment. ;)

Thanks all, have a good one.

Sun, 08/18/2013 - 22:17

ReedGuy

I managed to get a sample warp onto my sectional this weekend and have finished threading heddles and the reed tonight. 25" in the reed. I still have to tie-up. I won't be back at it for a week, be gone away from home. It will be interesting to see how things behave when weaving and finishing. :)

Mon, 08/19/2013 - 01:21

sandra.eberhar…

I am confused, Sara.  I have made many window treatments of all sorts, and I have never seen this happen.  If the top of the curtain or drape is supported by a rod, how does the center sag?  Generally, when cutting panels for drapes or curtains, the sevedges are removed because they are woven differntly than the fashion fabric.