Textile Glossary: Compound Weaves The
Compound weaves are fabric structures with an extra set of warp yarns or weft yarns, or both. Their purpose is to enhance performance, or add richness to structures and decorations.
(See also our article Basic Weaves)
Velvet
Velvet is a fabric with raised yarns called pile yarns. Its name is derived from the French word “velu”, meaning hairy. Velvet is said to have originated in the Kashmir region and was known as “swan’s down”. Several methods are used to make velvet.
Warp Pile Velvets
Here, the fabric consists of a ground and an extra set of warp yarns (the pile yarns).
- Double velvet
Two single layers of fabric are woven simultaneously at a constant distance from each other. Pile warps pass perpendicularly from one to the other. A blade then passes between the two layers, cutting the pile. This is the most common manufacturing method.
Weft Pile Velvets
The fabric is made up of a ground cloth and an additional weft that forms loose floats on the top, aligned in the direction of the warp. After weaving, the floats are slit in the warp direction, then brushed, forming a corduroy. The longer the floats, the wider the ribs and the higher the pile. Ex: needlecord (1000 ribs per meter or 21 wales per inch), or medium-width corduroys (300 ribs per meter), etc.
Terry Cloth
Terry cloth is made using two sets of warp yarns with differing tensions. The ground fabric is formed with the tightly-tensioned yarns, while the loops are formed with loosely-tensioned yarns. The reed is beaten down only every three or four picks, pulling the loosely-tensioned warp into loops on both sides of the fabric. When these loops are shorn, they create a velvety surface, referred to as “velour terry”
Lorsque ces boucles sont rasées, elles forment une surface veloutée : on parle alors d’éponge velours.
Velours au sabre
This technique involves cutting the warp floats of a duchess satin according to a defined motif. Once cut, these floats stand upright in tufts which are then evened out by brushing. Invented in France in the 1830s, this technique is the fruit of exceptional know-how. The work involved is slow and extremely meticulous, and can be done only by hand.
Note: wool velvet is the result of a finishing technique.
Doubles
Double cloth fabrics (not to be confused with double-faces) comprise two (or more) layers of fabric woven together, one on top of the other, with the top and bottom yarns interchanging in a defined rhythm. This type of construction can be found in many different products:
In the infant or baby universe in light, soft, absorbent versions. Examples: tubics, double gauze.
In martial arts kimonos, in thick, reinforced versions that are difficult to grip. Example: rice grain (sashiko), diamond (hishisashi).
In reversible garments, with perfectly identical finishes inside and out. Example: splittable doubles.
In elaborately fanciful fashions, to create moiré transparencies, cloqué surfaces, positive/negative effects, pocket jacquards and much more, with constantly renewed creativity.
Note: not all double-face fabrics are made from compound weaves. Laminated fabrics will be covered in the section devoted to finishings.
Piqué
A piqué is a double weave with thick, loosely twisted filler yarns called stuffer yarns. The word piqué is itself a reference to the bouti quilting technique practiced in Provence since at least the 13th century, and which fully flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries with the arrival of Indian cotton fabrics.
The piqué weave imitates this padded artisanal technique, which is more akin to embroidery than weaving.
By extension, we use the word piqué for all fabrics with a neat, firm and precise textured surface.
- Weft piqué
This is a double fabric that includes an additional set of weft yarns (stuffer yarns) which float and are held between the two layers of the fabric. Thanks to the Jacquard mechanism, all kinds of patterns are possible (flowers, crosshatching, etc.). Example: Marcella piqué.
Weft piqué is the closest to bouti Provençal quilting.
- Warp piqué
This is a weave with two sets of warp yarns, one of which consists of coarse yarns (stuffer yarns). These yarns are incorporated into the weave and create a raised pattern in the form of vertical cords. Example: Cavalier piqué.
- Imitation piqués
By manipulating the weave patterns, the yarn count, or the tension of the yarns, it is possible to achieve clean, precise reliefs using simple weaves. These are therefore classified as piqués. Examples: honeycomb, Bedford piqué.
Note: piqué knit is a special stitch that will be discussed in the chapter on knits.
Complex jacquards
Complex jacquards make it possible to create fabrics combining an infinite variety of textures, reliefs, colors and patterns. Ex: pocket jacquard, jacquard velour, brocade…
The more extra yarns there are, the thicker and heavier the final fabric. This is true for multicolored jacquards, which have as many weft yarns as there are colors. These weft yarns run from one edge of the fabric width to the other, even if they appear only sporadically on the fabric face. Thus, the more colors in a jacquard, the more weft yarns there are in the structure, and the thicker the fabric. Ex: lampas.
However, there are techniques to achieve lighter complex jacquards:
- Lancé (cut-throwns)
This technique involves cutting the extra weft yarns at the edges of the designs that float on the fabric’s back. This technique is particularly used when the designs are widely spaced or when the ground fabric is transparent.
- Figured or Broché
In a figured jacquard, the additional wefts are carried by small, independent shuttles that only travel the distance necessary for the motif (rather than from one edge of the fabric to the other). There are as many shuttles as the design requires for each inserted weft. This rare and delicate technique is used to produce richly decorated and colorful yet lightweight jacquards, with a clean finish and no loss of material. Ex : jamdani.