Weaving is the process of making cloth by interlacing two sets of threads at right angles: the lengthwise warp, held under tension on a loom, and the crosswise weft, passed over and under the warp threads. Varying the order of interlacing produces different structures, including plain weave, twill, satin, damask and pile fabrics such as velvet and carpet.
For most of history weaving was carried out on hand looms, either in the home or by professional weavers, and centres such as Spitalfields in London became famous for silk, while wool and linen were woven across the country. The flying shuttle, the power loom and the Jacquard mechanism, which used punched cards to control complex patterns, transformed the industry during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Arts and Crafts movement, led by William Morris, revived interest in hand weaving and natural dyes. In the antiques trade weaving is relevant to tapestries, carpets, rugs, upholstery fabrics, coverlets and household linen. Collectors and conservators study the weave structure, fibre, dyes and selvedges to help identify the age, origin and quality of historic textiles.
