Colour in woven design

189. Varieties of Spotted Fabrics.—Woollen, worsted, cotton, and linen fabrics are all more or less ornamented on the spotted principles of designing and colouring. In all cases, it is sought to distribute or arrange, on a tinted groundwork, a series of minute spots, which may be composed of either the same or of distinct shades from those used in the construction of the general surface of the fabric. When this species of pattern is developed in woollens and worsteds, the spotting consists of mere specks of colouring, resulting from the employment of a special scheme of interlacing the warp and weft yarns. Cotton and linen styles require bolder and clearer spots than woollens, and, as a rule, are fuller of effects. There are various points to be considered in the construction of these patterns, relating to the method of development, the plan of grouping, and the dimensions of the spots.

Respecting the method of development, this is subjective to the facilities at command. Thus, if the spotting can only be worked out in those yarns that constitute the ground of the texture, then it is more a matter of inventing a suitable scheme of weave-design than of any specific process of colouring. But should a special series of warp threads be used for the spotting, then it becomes necessary to utilize both a particular type of weave and order of colours. Generally considered, spotted patterns are of four varieties, as follows:⁠—

I. Spots developed by the ordinary warp and weft of the fabric.

II. Spots obtained by using an extra series of warp yarns.

III. Spots obtained by using an extra series of weft yarns.

IV. Spots obtained by using both an extra series of warp and weft yarns.

The first is the simplest class of spots. It is due to special schemes of floating the warp, weft, or both these sets of yarns, at regular intervals in constructing the fabric; that is to say, if the construction of the texture were of the mat order, here and there the mat effect would be substituted by groups of warp and weft flushes, lending to the surface of the fabric a spotted aspect. This type of spotted weaving is largely practised in designing for various descriptions of fancy woollens, worsteds, and cottons. In the second, third, and fourth classes of these patterns extra groups of shades, entirely independent of those forming the ground of the texture, are employed. They allow of the production of more intricate effects than those developable by the first system, but are more difficult to manipulate in both weave and colour combinations. Ornamental styles coloured in the warp for vestings, dresses, robes, and mantlings, also in the weft, and in both warp and weft, are but developments of these forms of weaving and shade-arrangements. Subsequent analyses of these textiles will demonstrate the affinity of the principles of their construction with those of the spotted designs now under consideration.

190. Spots due to Specific Systems of Weaving.—As these are purely a product of the plan of building the fabric, they may be designated Weave-Spots. Thus the design given in Fig. 168 would yield a spotted effect, however simple the system of colouring might be. The pattern resulting, Fig. 169, is an example. The shades in this texture are slate and white—the latter being the warp—and the effects consist of small white spots on a twilled surface. Of course in silk and worsted dress fabrics the spots are of various forms, and are arranged on geometrical bases; but in woollens small effects, as in the illustration, are the most appropriate. Still, the principles of this type of designing, whatever the form of the spot and the scheme of distribution, are the same, relating primarily to a diversification of the plan of weaving. In Fig. 168 the twill is interrupted at certain periods, to allow of the formation of a spot composed of floats of warp yarn of some three threads in width and five picks in length. In Section A such spots lean to the right, and in Section B to the left, or in both parts of the style they run with the twill. It should be observed that, when modifying a common weave to develop spotted results, care must be exercised not to injure the general build of the fabric, for this is a factor that must always remain intact. As to the size of the spot, it varies according to the fineness of the fabric and the nature of the pattern to which it is applied.

191. Swansdown Twill Spotted.—The spots in this instance are due to the weft yarn. They may consist of small diamonds, minute figures, and other forms, and be arranged in diagonals, twills, or on such a system as to constitute an irregular effect. For example, in Fig. 170 they run in oblique lines, and in Fig. 171 they compose a vertical diagonal. As a rule, the colouring of these styles is of a simple order, merely comprising the employment of neatly-contrasting shades. If any additional shade-effects, besides those yielded by the spots of weft yarn, are required, fancy yarns are introduced into the warp to a limited extent. Take an illustration in colouring Fig. 170, in which the yarns are combined to form a striped pattern for cotton dresses:⁠—

This arrangement gives a pattern consisting of a bold band of medium blue, succeeded by fine lines of slate and white ornamented with spots of bright brown on a warp-twill ground. Now consider Fig. 171 in relation to worsted dress goods. Taking the warp to be a light fawn shade and the weft brown, again a texture results with a twilled surface, but in this instance the ground parts are fawn spotted with brown. It will be apparent from these illustrations that in designs of this class but a small variety of colouring is needed, and that the fancy shades are usually worked into the warp, while the weft, in order to afford uniform emphasis to the spotting, is of one shade throughout the texture.

192. Spots composed of [1\3] and [3\1] Twills.—The main elements of these styles are the irregular character of the spotting, the uniformity of the weft floats—these never covering more than three threads in succession—and the clearness of the patterns when shades forming a strong contrast are used for warp and weft. They form an extensive series of weave combinations, and examples are given in Figs. 172, 173, 174, 175, and 176. Whatever the weft yarn employed in the manufacture of these textiles, it constitutes, as in the preceding styles, the spotting, while the warp yarns tint the ground of the fabric. Though in these designs the spots generally appear to be irregularly arranged, still, on closer examination, it will be obvious that in the planning of each weave well-defined principles of textural composition are observed. Thus, in Fig. 172 each thread is depressed six times in each repeat of the design; in Fig. 173 sixteen times; and in Figs. 174 and 175 eight times. Here, therefore, is one element of uniformity of structure denoting the designing principles in these weaves. This uniformity of interlacing extends to the picks also, hence the designs are essentially regular in construction, and, with the exception of Fig. 172, yield patterns in which the flushes of warp and weft are equally balanced. It is needless to observe that this is an all-important characteristic in the build of spotted combinations.

Respecting the schemes of colouring practised here, they are so various that only a few of them may be indicated. First, suppose Fig. 172 were woven in a brown and white twist warp, and crossed with black, slate, or blue weft. The pattern resulting from this arrangement would consist of a brown and white twist ground spotted with minute spots of different shapes of black, slate, or blue, according to the weft yarn used. Fig. 173 produces a more regular cast of pattern than the preceding style. Here an appropriate method of colouring in the warp is two-and-two, while the weft again should be one solid shade. For example, let the warp be 2 threads of slate and 2 threads of medium blue and white twist, and the weft brown, then the pattern would consist of some diversity of tinting. It is only furnished as an illustration in shade-arrangement, and ought, in practice, to be considerably varied; a fabric would result possessing a brown, slate, and medium blue and white twist ground, spotted with small patches of twist threads and of brown.

A still more irregular plan is given in Fig. 174, by which a marked intermingled effect is acquired. The warp and weft shades used in this design should slightly contrast, but produce a soft mellow colouring. The pattern may be striped in the warp, 16 threads of medium grey, and 16 threads of light grey, and woven with blue weft.

The shade of blue used should form exactly the same depth of contrast with the light as with the medium grey.

Fig. 175 is of the striped order, for the spotted effect is here combined with a band of sixteen threads of cassimere twill. Any simple method of colouring the twilled section may be practised, because if the scheme of colouring is too elaborate it does not contrast well with the shades forming the latter part of the design. Such a scheme as the one appended is typical of what is usually applied in this class of effects:⁠—

The former, or twilled part of the style, would thus be striped with lines of colour, while the latter part of the design would be developed in brown and blue, the brown shade composing the ground, and the blue the figured or spotted appearance.

Figs. 176 and 177 are examples in the methods of colouring such weave. compounds in the weft, the weaves being grouped to form types of broken figuring. Both patterns are wefted one-and-one, but two-and-two and irregular weftings are also practised, the warp being, in each case, of one shade, but contrasting in colour with the shades used in the weft. Fig. 177 gives the effect seen in Fig. 177a, the warp of which is cotton and the weft fine woollen. Another feature of Fig. 177 is that the floats of weft are increased in order to produce an additional effect in the fabric. This principle of designing and colouring is applicable to fabrics of a figured character, and may be developed in dress, vesting, and fancy cotton textures.

193. Weave-Spotting produced by both Floats of Warp and Weft.—A more elaborate and interesting species of patterns results from this plan of spotting than from that of producing the spots by the warp or weft separately. All the shades entering into the texture now assist in the development of the spotted effects—an element of the designs which increases the diversity of colouring and pattern formation feasible. Three very distinct specimens of this scheme of spotting are Figs. 178, 179, and 180. Considering Fig. 178 first, it has a plain ground, the spots being arranged on an eight-shaft sateen base. Such a design may be coloured on two methods—the warp and weft may be of distinct or of the same shades. Supposing, therefore, that in the first place the warp is of one colour only, such as brown mixture and crossed with blue mixture, then the mingled effects due to the plain ground would be enhanced by the specks of these colours resulting from the spots in the weave marked in full squares. By adopting, in the second instance, the thread-and-thread system of colouring in both warp and weft, a still more diversified style would ensue. In such a case the ground of the fabric consists of vertical lines with slightly indistinct spots at regular intervals. For fabrics in which clear effects are requisite this latter system of colouring is the most appropriate, but in goods where mingled colouring is required the former scheme of colouring is preferable. Fig. 179 shows how this principle of spotting is applied to designs of a more figured character. Section A may be used separately, forming a series of broken twills composed of spots of warp and weft floats alternately. The extended design gives a more varied style of pattern, but the principle is the same. Several schemes of colouring might be practised. First, the Simple orders of shades, such as one-and-one, and two-and-two, woven as warp in the same or different colours, or crossed in the weft: that is to say, one-and-one warping woven with two-and-two wefting, and vice versâ. Another method is to colour in stripe arrangement in the warp, and to use one shade of weft: the weft spots then form a distinct feature of the pattern. Fig. 180 is a compound of cassimere twill and of a spotted weave. Part A is a spotted twill, the spotting comprising both warp and weft flushes, thus securing a proper balance of colouring when fancy yarns are used. The design is capable of modification, both in weave and colouring. For example, if it were worked out on twenty-four threads and twenty-four picks, with the same size of spots, these would be grouped on a sateen base. Provided a stripe were required, the eight threads of twill, bracketed B, might be added. A check, in which the same weave forms the principal factor, is obtainable by surrounding Section A, which should be doubled in size, with a band of eight threads and picks of common twill.

A standard method of colouring is:⁠—

The small spots developed in the design in ⊠’s by this scheme of colouring consist in the woven sample of dark grey warp, while the spots developed in ◼’s consist of medium grey weft; but as the groundwork of the pattern is a compound of small dark and medium grey checks alternating, the spots would not be pronounced. Another useful method of colouring is as follows:⁠—

In this instance, the spots marked in the design in ⊠’s would, in the texture, be brown mixture, and those in ◼’s blue. This arrangement of spotted pattern is also coloured on such principles as to form mixture, check, and other styles.

194. Irregular Spotted Stripes and Checks.—These styles constitute a further important type of weave-spotting. Designs constructed on this base are compounds of three weaves. Generally the ground weave is common twill, but it may be also mat or any other crossing which combines well with the twills employed in forming the spotted lines. If the weaves are of the four-shaft class they are generally those combined in Fig. 181. This pattern (see Fig. 182) is a spotted check. The fine warp and weft lines running transversely and longitudinally in the fabrics are of similar dimensions. Thus the effects formed by threads A exactly correspond to those formed by picks A′. In both instances there is one small weft and warp line, and one large weft and warp line. It is a rule for each spotting thread and pick in these designs to be of the same interlacings.

If Fig. 181 is woven in a white warp and dark weft the cassimere twill sections would be a mixture of brown and white twills, while the surface of the texture would be dotted with lines of the respective shades, so grouped as to form indefinite rectangular figuring. Should the picks A′ be changed to common twill, the spotting would only be lengthways of the fabric, illustrating the principle on which the spots are made to produce striped patterns.

There are several methods of colouring practised in this build of design. Firstly, the spotting threads and picks are alone fancy yarns, the intervening threads and picks being composed of solid colours, thus:⁠—

Secondly, the ground or common twill parts may consist of small checkings, and the spotting threads of bright shades. This scheme is worked out in fancy suitings and dress fabrics. A third arrangement comprises the use of cotton, silk, and worsted yarns, warping and wefting ten dark and two light, as in Fig. 182. This method is varied by using three or more colours for the spotting threads and picks, thus:⁠—

195. Spots developed by Single Extra Warp Threads.—Patterns of this character are applicable to woollen, worsted, and cotton and silk textures. Differing in construction from the preceding examples, the system provides for the interlacings of a special series of fancy warp yarns in developing the spotted effects. These threads yield a pattern supplementary to that resulting from the colourings forming the ground of the fabric, and from the twilled or other weaves used in the structure of the cloth. Any plan of weave or system of colouring may be adopted in producing the general foundation of the pattern; for the spotting is obtained by a distinct set of threads, and is controlled by a section of the weaving plan entirely independent of the design giving the cloth proper. As all spots got on this principle are due to the use of a regular yarn, and not to fancy twists of a knop, cloud, or spangle class, the fabric resultant is quite uniform in texture and smooth on the surface. This is a feature the weave method of spotting possesses over the yarn system. Threads of a knop type, though giving the requisite spot, yield a fabric more or less rough in appearance and handle, while the patterns, as regards the spotting, have no definite form or arrangement. On the other hand, in the weave system, the spots may be located or distributed over the face of the fabric according to the effect required. If desirable, the spotting may be arranged to form check, diamond, small figure, and other designs. Further, there is another difference between these two systems of introducing spots of bright colouring into woven pattern. When fancy twist yarns are used for spotting, the whole design, both ground and weave effects, results from the interlacing of these threads; whereas, in the weave arrangement, the spotting yarns do not constitute the groundwork of the texture, but merely add freshness to the pattern.

Fig. 183 is an illustration in this method of spotting. It will be observed that there are eight threads of twill to one thread of spotting. According to the patterns of warp which are given below, the spotting yarns are much brighter in colour than those forming the ground of the fabric. This is the general rule. The spots appear on the face of the pattern in those positions in the design where they flush over three picks in succession, but run on the back of the texture in all other instances. The spotting ends are so controlled that the small specks of bright colouring they give are arranged on the four-shaft broken swansdown base, and hence are not only regularly distributed, but are also at equal distances from each other in the woven cloth. The groundwork of the pattern is simple in colouring, and forms a species of shaded check.

Two examples in colouring this design are appended:⁠—

196. Fabrics Spotted by Single Picks of Weft.—There are various methods of producing weft spots, but they may be grouped under two heads, thus: First, effects in which certain picks of the weave are removed and substituted by special picks that will bring the spotting yarns on to the face of the texture; second, effects in which a special series of spotting picks is employed. The latter system is the one most practised, because it gives the best results and the most uniform style. Fig. 184 is an illustration of the first method. It is a weave with a corkscrew-twill ground, the fifth pick of which has been changed to the pick marked in squares, which brings the fancy silk pick on to the face. The warp is usually a solid or mixture shade, and the weft the same or a contrasting shade, with the spotting pick in bright colour.

197. Mat Weaves Spotted.—One of the most useful methods of spotting with weft is given in Fig. 185. The spotting picks, A, appear on the face of the fabric where the full squares are seen. They have been arranged on the eight-shaft sateen base, which ensures an even and regular distribution of the spots. The structure of the design is elementary. It only differs very slightly from the hopsack weave backed with weft. The solid squares ◼, are the only features which cause it to possess a different structural appearance from the same weave when backed with the [1\3] twill. These marks are, however, sufficient to produce the required spotted effect in the woven cloth, when fancy yarns are introduced into picks A of the pattern.

The following are two typical methods of colouring this class of weave. In the first system, the ground of the fabric is one solid colour, but in the second system, it is striped with twist yarns.

198. Corkscrew Weaves with Extra Spotting Picks.—The scheme of spotting given in Fig. 186 possesses one advantage over that in Fig. 184—the ground weave or crossing is kept intact. Any weave or combination of weaves may be employed for forming the texture, and the spots may be distributed on any simple principle. If a fancy effect is required, special spots can be made to form diamond, check, and small figured patterns. The spots are somewhat more distinct than in the previous design, but in this example they have only been arranged to give a very minute dot in the fabric. Should a heavier texture be wanted than it is possible to produce by this single weave, a warp back, as in Fig. 187, may be added. In a single-make fabric it may be woven in one shade of warp and ground weft, with the spotting pick in bright colour.

199. Spotted Diagonals.—Fancy diagonals, as well as other types of fancy weaves, are frequently spotted with silk yarns, particularly in the construction of vesting patterns. An example in this class of designing is furnished in Fig. 188, which consists of a twenty-four shaft diagonal composed of corkscrew and ordinary twilled effects.

Here special picks have been inserted for developing the spot. Thus the picks A, marked in ⊠’s, produce the spotting. They form a broken twill pattern, two of the spots leaning to the left and two to the right. The weave comprises three distinct effects: first, a solid, compact warp twill; second, a similar twill of weft-flush; and, third, a furrow of corkscrew twill. The warp colouring might be solid, but the weft should consist of one pick silk and of six picks of worsted.

200. Warp and Weft Spots compared.—Probably the method of developing spots by an extra series of warp threads is better adapted to woollens and cottons than to worsteds. In the last style of fabrics silk is the common material used for spotting purposes. Being fine and lustrous, it imparts richness of character to the woven fabric. For several reasons it is preferable to use extra picks in spotting worsteds. Thus the weft principle of spotting allows of considerable latitude for figured work and variety of pattern, and does not largely increase the cost of weaving, nor add materially to the complication of design construction. In spotting worsteds by the warp system with silk, an extra warp or chain beam is required, and an additional set of healds—which multiply the difficulties of the weaving process. Even when these increased facilities are requisitioned, the amount of figuring feasible is limited; whereas, by the weft method, the spot can be of any form or dimensions. On the other hand, the warp scheme is specially suitable for woollen effects of a tweed order in which colouring is the main element, and where the extra yarns form mere dots of colour on the surface of the texture. Each principle has therefore its specific place in textile designing.

201. Spotting in both Warp and Weft.—This principle of design combines the two preceding methods of spotting—making it feasible to spot the surface of the fabric both in the warp and weft. It follows that patterns fuller of effect and richer in spotting are producible by this system. There is, however, one disadvantage in the employment of this method of spotting—it adds to the intricacy of the weaving operation, for special threads and picks are necessary in the production of fabrics.

The spotted twill, Fig. 189, illustrates the plan of arrangement. The twill or ground weave is, in designs of this class, continuous, and forms, independently of the spotting threads and picks, a perfect texture. Further, the spotting is so arranged that it does not interrupt the twilled effect. It is an additional and separate element of the design. When constructing such styles, the order and size of the spots are the two main points for consideration. The methods of grouping the spots are similar in both warp and weft; thus, if there are four threads of ground weave to one thread of spotting in the warp, there will be the same proportion of ground and spotting picks in the weft. Adherence to this rule results in the manufacture of a uniform pattern. Having decided upon the scheme of grouping, say five threads of ground to one thread of spotting, as in Fig. 189, proceed by marking out the spotting threads and picks on point paper in colour, next add the ground weave, and, lastly, determine the dimensions and order of the spots. As to the ground, it may consist of any well-planned assortment of twills, mats, or fancy weaves. With regard to the size of the spots, this varies according to the class of the texture being manufactured. For tweed fabrics, small effects are the neatest, but in some types of mantlings, in which the spotting yarn is mohair or lustre worsted, large, clear, and bold spots yield the best patterns. Worsteds, linens, and cottons, with silk or mercerized cotton yarns for spotting, are, as a rule, designed with minute, precise, and smart effects. Distribution of the spots is done on numerous systems, such forms of arrangement as the diamond, simple figures, and sateens being used. In the example, Fig. 189, the spots are grouped on a broken-check base. Three methods of colouring this design require explanation.

I.—Colouring for Cottons.

[14]⁠Warp and Weft.