Designing for the Pattern Shaft Drawloom

For folks interested in finding out about the basics of damask design and drawloom weaving.
By considering a project on the loom and following one weaver's design process (mine!), this video explores how pattern shafts are threaded and arranged for different effects; the math involved; software that can help; and how the lift plan is used when weaving.
For more info on weaving borders, please see the companion video, 'Designing and Weaving Damask Borders on the Drawloom.'
Filmed and edited by Amy Blair

[@DuellingRabbits]

For those who have asked - this is a 30/2 cotton warp sleyed @ 27 epc. The weft is 30/2 cotton also. Thanks for watching! ~Amy

[@samersaleh314]

Hi Amy, very informative video! I was wondering if you could make a video detailing the structure of a damask and satin weave. For example how the pattern is formed on top of the satin/twill binding? What is the purpose of the 5 shafts (not the draw shafts)? How is this different from overshot gamp? Thanks!

[@DuellingRabbits]

Thank you for your kind comment and the excellent suggestion. When I rig the drawloom for damask again (shouldn't be too long) I will definitely get to work on a demo. The shafts at the front of the loom (the ground shafts) are responsible for the ground cloth (in this case, 6-end irregular satin). When you treadle the ground shafts without lifting any of the pattern shafts, the result is simple satin cloth (warp-predominant on one side, weft-predominant on the other).The pattern shafts at the back of the loom are used to exchange the warp and weft-predominant surfaces of the ground cloth to form pattern blocks. The drawloom shed functions in unique ways to get all this to work properly! Other structures (such as Opphämta) use the pattern shafts in different ways.

[@skullzandbonez100]

Awesome, I’m looking forward to seeing your demo!

[@aqilaqil2447]

Goog