Twills are simple and fancy; both terms refer to the schemes of intersecting. In the former the same number of warp threads are placed successively above or below each weft thread, and the ribs are of uniform width, as in figs. 3, 4. In the latter more warp threads may be above one pick than another, the ribs may vary in width and small ornament may be introduced between the ribs, as in figs. 5, 6 and 7. Twills may be broken up into zigzags, lozenges, squares and other geometrical designs, all of which may be produced by reversings in the diagonal lines, or by reversing the weave of an un equal twill. Fig. 8 is a zigzag, namely, a twill reversed in one direction. Fig. 9 is a diamond, or a twill reversed in two direc tions, and fig. Io is a diaper, which gives a warp face in one place and a weft face in another.
Satins and sateens form another important section of Group I. In a satin the bulk of the warp, and in a sateen the bulk of the weft, is on the face of a fabric. If perfect in construction both present a smooth, patternless appearance, which is due in part to the scheme of intersections, in part to using fine material for the surface threads and placing it close enough together to render the points of intersection invisible; the threads of the other set being coarser and fewer in number. Satins differ from twills in having each warp thread lifted, or de pressed, separately, but not successively. From five to upwards of 3o threads of warp and weft are required to complete the various schemes of intersecting. If the intervals between the intersections are equal the weave is said to be perfect, as in fig. II, but if the intervals are irregular it is said to be imperfect, as in fig. 12. In Damasks a satin is com bined with a sateen weave, and since any desired size and shape of either weave may be produced, great facilities are offered for ornamentation. But in combination neither the satin nor the sa teen can be perfect in construction, for one requires a preponder ance of warp, the other a preponderance of weft; it follows that every point of intersection is distinctly visible on both surfaces.
Brocades are fabrics in which both sets of threads may be floated irregularly upon the surface to produce ornamental effects, and they may be taken as typical of all one warp and one weft fabrics that are figured by irregularly floated materials, whether the threads are uniformly or ir regularly distributed, and whether one weave or several weaves be employed.
Group 2.—This group includes all backed and reversible fabrics, as well as those ornamented with extra material and compounded. Cloths intended for men's wear are often backed, the object of which is to give weight and bulk to a thin texture without interfering with the face effects. Either warp or weft may be used as backing; in the former there are two series of warp to one series of weft threads, while in the latter there are two series of weft to one series of warp threads. The face material is superposed upon that of the back, but the ratio of face threads may be one or two to one of back. In order to avoid disturbing the face weave, only those threads are used to bind the backing that are hidden by the face, as in fig. 13, which gives the design and a trans verse section of a backed fabric. A is face weft, B back weft, and the circles are warp threads; of the latter C, D are be neath both B and A. This diagram will serve equally as a longitudinal section of a warp-backed fabric, if A represents a thread of face warp, B a thread of back warp and the circles are weft threads. Weft backing is capable of giving a more spongy feel to a fabric than warp, because softer materials may be used, but in these fabrics the length output of the loom is reduced by reason of the wefts be ing superposed. Warp-backed fabrics,
whether uniformly coloured or striped, do not materially reduce the output of a loom, for every weft thread adds to the cloth length. Reversible fabrics may have either two series of differently coloured wefts or warps to one of the other series, in which event they may be similarly figured on both sides by causing the threads of the double series to change places, as in the design and transverse sec tion, fig. 14; or, by allowing one series to remain constantly above the other, as in backed cloths, both sides may be similar or dissimilar in colour and pattern. Fabrics figured with extra material may have two series of warp or weft threads to one series of the other set, and they may yield re versible or one-sided cloths. The figuring may be done entirely by the extra ma terial placed above or below a ground texture, as in fig. 15, or ordinary and extra materials may be used conjointly for figuring. In fig. i5 the waved lines and circles rep resent a section of the plain cloth ground which shows a thread of extra material. Compound cloths must have at least two textures, both as distinct in character as if woven in separate looms. They have many advantages over backed cloths, thus : the same design and colour ing may be produced on both sides ; where bulk and weight are required a fine surface texture may be formed over a ground of inferior material, and soft weft be passed between the upper and lower textures ; the fabric is more perfect and admits of either simple or elaborate patterns being wrought upon the surface, with simple ones beneath, as in piques and matelasses. One texture may be constantly above the other and connected at the selvages only, as in hose pipes and pillow slips; or at intervals a thread may pass from one texture into the other, in which event both are united, as in many styles of bed covers and vestings. As many as from three to twelve textures may be woven simultaneously and united, as in woven beltings. It differently coloured, the tex tures may change places at pleasure, as in Kidderminster carpets. There may be from one to three threads of face warp to one of back, and the wefting may or may not correspond with the warping. Fig. i6 shows the face and back weaves, the design, and a transverse section of a compound cloth with two threads of face warp and weft to one of back, and both are stitched together. The circles in the upper and lower lines represent face and back warps respectively, and A, B, C are weft threads placed in the upper and lower textures. In the design, filled squares show face warp lifted above face picks, crosses show back warp lifted over back picks, dots indicate face warp lifted over back picks, and the oblique marks show the binding of the two fabrics by back warp lifted over a face pick. Loom-made tapes tries and figured repps form another sec tion of Group 2. As compared with true tapestries, the loom-made articles have more limited colour schemes, and their fig ured effects may be obtained from warp as well as weft, whether interlaced to form a plain face or left floating more or less loosely. Every weft thread, in passing from selvage to selvage, is taken to the surface where required, the other portions being bound at the back. Some specimens are reversible, others are one-sided, but, however numerous the warps and wefts, only one texture is produced. When an extra warp of fine material is used to bind the wefts firmly together a plain or twill weave shows on both sides. If a single warp is employed, two or more wefts form the figure, and the warp seldom floats upon the surface.