Topic outline

  • General

    • This course covers the preparation of heddles on a loom for weaving, specifically how the warp threads must be set up to create the necessary openings during the weaving process.

  • THE HEDDLES SET-UP

    • Each lame of the warp must be equipped with at least two series of heddles so as to alternately cause two openings by lowering the threads.

      The heddles are small cotton loops of about ten centimeters, linked together and fixed on small wooden bars.

      The series of heddles must correspond to the density of the warp.

      Example : for our lame of 9 portées which has 108 threads, we will need two series of 54 heddles spaced regularly over 40 cm.

      These heddles are made with a slightly thinner cotton thread or an equivalent one to the warp thread used.

      The heddles are made on a sort of very simple little loom comprising a small wooden ruler graduated according to the density of the warp, as well as a metal rod. These two removable bars are held by two brackets fixed to the uprights of the loom.

       

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      1-The graduation marked on the small wooden ruler corresponds to the number of portées of the warp’s lame. That is to say for our demonstration, 40 cm divided into 9 equal portions. With a shuttle (flûte) filled with cotton threads, a large loop is made around the two battens of the heddles loom. Then the brackets will be closed using the butterfly nuts so as to hold it together.

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      2-A few blanket stitches are made near the first graduation, around the two stretched threads which will serve as support (the blanket stitch is a loop made around the two threads, through which the shuttle - flûte - passes).

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      3-The first heddle is formed between the two bars of the loom, by passing the shuttle (flûte) through this large loop.

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      4-The tension is maintained by the left hand at the base of the heddle, while the right hand performs one or two blanket stitches and so on.

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      5-The first six heddles must occupy exactly the first space of the graduation, even if it means making, for example, only one blanket stitch between two heddles instead of two.



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      6-A colored thread is attached before the first heddle, it will serve as a marker for the portées. After the sixth heddle, it will be picked up and stuck between the two blanket stitches of the cotton thread.

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      7-It is important to maintain a constant tension after each heddle, and between each blanket stitch. For the beginner, it will be desirable to carry out a test in order to master on one hand the density, that is to say knowing how to include the six heddles between two graduations in a regular way, and on the other hand knowing how to maintain a homogeneous tension between the two bars of the loom.

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      8-The heddle is now finished with a few blanket stitches. It may be useful to make a few extra heddles at the beginning or end of the job, in case the lame has more threads than expected. A heddle bar is inserted into the loops (small wooden ruler measuring 0.7 x 3 x 50cm split at both ends).

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      9-The brackets are opened and the threads which served as support are removed from the loom.


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      10-The graduated ruler is removed. The series of heddles is fixed on the heddle bar by engaging the threads which served as support in the slits at the ends. These threads are securely attached and stretched over the heddle bar. Then the metal rod is removed.