Basic Woven Fabric Designs

Plain Weaves

Plain weave is the most commonly used and simplest weave design. One warp yarn weaves over one weft yarn and under the next one, and the adjacent warp yarn weaves in the opposite manner, under one weft yarn and over the next one. For the graphic rendering of a plain weave design, each vertical column has a filled-in block followed by an empty block.

The plain weave can be represented by the notation 1/1, meaning that each warp yarn goes over one individual weft yarn and then under the next successive weft yarn. Adding the numbers 1 plus 1, we can say that the plain weave design repeats on 2 warp yarns and 2 weft yarns.

The plain weave has more interlacing (or crossover points) than the other basic weaves. Plain weave fabrics, therefore, tend to be stiffer, with less drape. However, the fabric is very stable, resulting in few issues with skew, seam slippage, picking, or snagging. Some common plain weave fabrics are chambray, broadcloth, canvas, and sheeting.

The plain weave is one of the oldest, simplest, and most widely used weaves. It repeats on two ends and two picks. Two harnesses are needed to produce the plain weave.

Plain Weave

Plain Weave Variations

Basket Weave

The basket weave is a derivative of the plain weave, with groups of yarns weaving over and under one another. In the most common basket, each group consists of two yarns, and the pattern is classified as a 2 x 2 basket weave design. This has a repeat of four ends and four picks. Two ends weave over two picks as one.

Fabric woven in this design has more texture and better drape, but is not as stable as the simple plain weave fabric.

Oxford Weave (2 x 1 Basket Weave)

The Oxford weave design is sometimes referred to as a 2 x 1 basket weave. Two warp ends weave as one, over and under single picks. A derivative of the plain weave, the Oxford weave is a common construction for shirting.

Most Oxford fabrics have about twice as many ends per inch as picks per inch and a finer warp yarn with a heavier filling yarn.

The basic Oxford weave usually uses thicker weft yarns and finer warp yarns, often with the filling yarn left natural and the warp yarn dyed. Pinpoint Oxford fabric uses yarns of the same size for the warp and weft, and the yarns tend to be much finer, producing a finer woven structure than the basic Oxford weave fabric. Pairs of warp yarns weave together, typically drawn through the same heddle, weaving over and under individual weft yarns.

Twill Weaves

Appearance of Twill Weaves

Twill weaves are characterized by a diagonal pattern, or twill line, in the fabric. If the diagonal line rises to the left, the fabric is classified as a left-hand twill; if it rises to the right, the fabric is classified as a right-hand twill.

Left-Hand Twill

Right-Hand Twill

2 x 1 Twill Weave

The 2 x 1 twill weave repeats on 3 warp yarns and 3 weft yarns, and requires at least 3 harnesses to weave. The number of harnesses needed to weave a given design must be a multiple of the minimum number of harnesses required. Examples are 4, 6, 8, or 10 harnesses for plain weave and 6, 9, 12, or 15 harnesses for a 2/1 twill. More harnesses means more weaving expense. However, weaving costs for producing left-hand and right-hand twill fabrics should not differ.

2 x 1 Twill. The 2/1 is the counter. The top number designates how many picks each warp end will float over, and the bottom number designates how many picks each warp end will float under. Each end weaves over two picks and under one pick.

2 x 2 Twill

A balanced twill has the same number of warp yarns and filling yarns showing on the face of the fabric. A 2 x 2 twill will be balanced, as each warp yarn goes over two weft yarns and then under two weft yarns. Adding 2 plus 2 to get 4 means the weave repeat is on 4 warp yarns and 4 weft yarns. Therefore, this weave design requires at least 4 harnesses or some multiple of 4 to accommodate more warp ends.

Simple twills can be manipulated into more complex designs by changing the way the warp yarns are drawn through the harnesses and heddles. A change to a drawing plan can convert a 2 x 2 twill to a herringbone or chevron design.

2 x 2 Right-Hand Twill, with a straight drawing plan. Yarns are drawn through the harnesses in sequential order (1 through 4, followed by 1 through 4).

Chevron

The chevron weave is a product of a 2 x 2 right-hand twill variation. Instead of drawing the warp yarns through the harness in sequential order (1 through 4, followed by 1 through 4), the draw reverses and comes to a point. This translates to the point in the chevron weave.

Herringbone

The herringbone weave is a product of a 2 x 2 right-hand twill variation. Instead of drawing the warp yarns through the harnesses in sequential order (1 through 4, followed by 1 through 4), the draw offsets and creates a break. This translates to the offset twill of a herringbone instead of a pointed twill like a chevron.

3 x 1 Twill

A 3 x 1 twill weaves each warp yarn over 3 weft yarns before going under the next weft yarn. The weave floats are longer than other twills, creating fewer interlacing points in the fabric. This weave design produces fabrics with higher tear strength and is used to make heavier bottom-weight fabrics, such as denim, chino, and gabardine. The weave design repeats on 4 warp yarns and 4 weft yarns, and requires at least 4 harnesses.

3 x 1 Right-Hand Twill is the most common twill in bottom-weight fabrics.

Satin Weaves

Appearance of Satin Weaves

Satin is one of the three basic weaves, similar to a twill, but the intersection points are irregular so as not to form a twill line in the fabric.

The satin weave is known for its smooth and lustrous surface. This is due to the many long floats in the fabric design, where no interlacing points touch one another. Satin weave fabrics have excellent drape but can have problems with picking, snagging, skew, and seam slippage.

Satin Weave Variations

Sateen

The terms satin and sateen are often confused. Satin fabrics are woven with silk yarns in a satin design, and sateen fabrics are woven in a satin design with any fiber other than silk.

Satin

Sateen

Warp-Face Satin & Filling-Face Satin

In some instances, warp-face satin is referred to as a satin fabric and filling-face satin as a sateen fabric. Warp-face satin fabric has long floats in the warp direction, and filling-face satin (or sateen) fabric has long floats in the filling direction.

Warp-Face Satin (Satin)

Filling-Face Satin (Sateen)

Five-harness satin weaves. The long float in a satin weave is tacked down at seemingly random intervals which helps create the lustrous surface. The arrangement of the interlacing points is determined by a counter, a set number that dictates how far from the previous interlacing point the next one will be positioned. In a 5-harness satin, counters can be either 2 or 3, meaning that from the first interlacing, the next warp yarn interlacing is placed 2 or 3 picks above.

Satin Harnesses

Satin weaves are classified by the number of harnesses used to weave them. The simplest and most common satin weave uses 5 harnesses. The harnesses are sometimes referred to as shafts. Each end in the repeat weaves differently, therefore the number of ends per repeat will be the same as the number of harnesses required to weave the fabric.

Satin may be made using as few as five harnesses and be made using as many as sixteen.

5-Harness Satin

The 5-harness satin is the most common. In the 5-harness warp satin, warp yarn 1 sinks under pick 1 and rises over the next 4 picks. This pattern repeats vertically over the same warp yarn. The second warp yarn rises over the first two picks, sinks under pick 3, and rises over picks 4 and 5. It’s easy to see that the sinker or binder moves up two picks instead of one as with a twill. Satin counters must never touch. If they do, then the weave is some type of twill. In subsequent warp yarns (3, 4, and 5), the sinker moves up two picks. This movement of the binder pick is referred to as a counter, therefore this satin has a two counter. The pattern repeat has 5 ends and 5 picks. This 5-harness satin has a 3 counter, notice that warp yarn 2 moves up three picks for the binder. The only possible counters for a 5-harness satin are 2 and 3. Counters 1 and 4 will not work because if the counter is either a 1 or 4 then the weave will be a twill.

8-Harness Satin

With the 8-harness satin weave, a 3 or 5 counter is possible. With a 3 counter, the first warp sinks for the first pick and rises for the next 7 picks. The next warp end moves up three warp ends for the sinker. The subsequent warp ends (3, 4 5, 6, 7, and 8) follow the same pattern. If a 5 counter is used, then on the first end the first pick is a sinker followed by 7 floating picks. The next warp ends move up five picks for the sinker. The subsequent warp ends (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8) follow the same pattern of moving 5 picks before weaving the sinker into the fabric.