Backstrap Weaving

(Picture taken by Annie MacHale of some warp float bands I made for a guild presentation)

The simple warp float technique is one of the easiest patterning techniques to execute on warp faced weaves. It can be applied to both small and large pieces…from hatbands to place mats…covering the entire woven surface on a bookmark or used as a small accent on  larger piece like a table runner.

For this technique, you need to be able to set up a warp to weave horizontal bars in two colors as shown below.

Instructions for setting up a warp for horizontal bars are on this page.

The following step-by-step photos show how to weave the first two sets of warp floats to form a simple triangle. Scroll to the end of this post to see instructional video clips of the process.

This warp has 16 warp revolutions (32 ends) and, therefore, 8 pairs of warps with which to form the designs.

You will start by weaving dark and light horizontal bars. In my example I use black and white.  This is the pattern chart from which we will work…

The chart shows 16 warps or 8 pairs of warps with black floats on a background of black and white horizontal stripes.

After passing your weft through a shed of all black warps, leave the shed open and select the pairs of warps that you would like to have floating. In the chart above you can see that we want to select pairs 1, 3 and 5.

Here I am selecting the first pair of black warps and passing it to my right hand. The second pair on my left fingers will be dropped. I will continue to select the third and fifth pairs and drop the rest of the black warps as well as the borders.

I have selected pairs 1,3 and 5 and saved them with my beater.

Now I will open the shed with all white warps to weave a white stripe.

What we need to do is ADD the three selected black pairs of warps to the shed with all the white warps. To do this, place your finger in the shed with all the white warps as shown and tilt the beater. This will create another shed below into which you can slide the rest of your fingers. Take out the beater and place it within this new shed.

Beat, prop the shed open and pass the weft.

Open the shed with all the black warps, beat and pass the weft.

According to the pattern chart, you need to select pairs 2 and 4 for the next part of the triangle pattern – these pairs  sit between those that were previously selected. Save them with the beater, add them to the shed of all white warps, beat and pass the weft.

Open the shed of all black warps, beat and pass the weft. Then select pair 3, add it to the shed of all white warps, beat and pass the weft. This will complete the triangle design.

The two videos at the end of this post also show the steps for weaving the triangle…

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You can weave staggered triangles with this warp set up or weave a triangle and reverse the design to make a diamond.

Different arrangements of simple triangles can create new designs.

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After weaving triangles, this is a good second pattern. The numbers of the pairs to be selected are marked on the pattern chart at right.

This design is woven into the cotton saddlebags of the Santa Elena Peninsula in coastal Ecuador. The twin bird design with the tree can be seen at left.

Below it is a rose motif which is woven into the saddlebags of Manabi province also in coastal Ecuador.

Each blue block on the chart represents a pair of warps although you can weave any of these designs floating single warps rather than pairs.

Using pairs, however, tends to make the designs stand out more.

At left you can see the difference in the  design woven by floating single warps below and by floating double warps above.  These have been woven using the same pattern chart.

Other pattern charts can be seen here.

Play with this technique and invent your own designs.