Considering that only two shades are used, the patterns are full of textural detail. The series of effects given are useful in textile designing. The stripes possess diversity of composition, and are characterized by neatness and clearness of arrangement. Seeing that the shades used are black and white, the absence of bold and stiff outlines is an interesting feature, and one that suggests the utility of the base in the development of fancy fabrics. In the check there is much variety of work. In addition to the solid squares of black and white of two sizes, there are rectangles composed of twills of black and white blended, of several dimensions and shapes.

158. Patterns composed of Two Types and Three Shades.—Scheme I. of Class A of the Regular Compounds, in the styles composed of three colours and of two Simple types, gives somewhat mellow and subdued effects. The patterns sketched in Figs. 107 and 108 illustrate the style of design arrangement resultant when this method of colour-grouping is adopted. The stripe pattern has a mingled appearance. Parts A of both the check and the stripe are composed of minute work, which neatly contrasts with the broader and more distinctly pronounced effects comprised in Section B. The patterns have a softer aspect and tone than if only two shades had been employed, the third shade adding diversity of colouring and freshness of the style. Fig. 107 is woven with a white weft, and Fig. 108 with exactly the same order of weft as warp shades. The two Simple schemes, forming this Compound, combine satisfactorily. The three-odd-thread grouping, constituting the A sections of the fabric, yields a species of textural effect which affords prominence to the small spaces of black, grey, and white composing parts B. There is, in these samples, congruity of effects. This is one of the main elements of a well-arranged compound. It is a feature of all descriptions of designing that the styles amalgamated should suitably develop each other, and yield a well-balanced and effective scheme of ornamentation. Even in the smallest textural effects, resulting from combining various systems of shade-arrangement, this principle of design has to be taken into account. For example, the check style given in Fig. 111 would not form a satisfactory pattern if combined with the check in Fig. 108; although both styles are composed of similar arrangements of shades, and have precisely the same colour features. The character of the respective checkings is, however, very different. In Fig. 111 the patches of colours are so grouped as to yield a broad and clearly-pronounced series of effects, whereas Fig. 108 is a compound of various minute types of woven design; hence the incongruity which would ensue from their amalgamation. The elements of Figs. 107 and 108 are, on the other hand, suitable for this purpose. The stripe is a style that may be utilized in various ways. Should, for instance, bands A and B be varied in width, a range of useful patterns for dress and mantling textures may be produced. Thus, stripes averaging from two to four inches in width, in mellow shades of twist or self-coloured yarns arranged on this system, are developed largely in worsted, woollen, and cotton materials.

In the check, Fig. 108, the development of this Compound scheme of colouring is shown. It is made up of the two types lettered A and B. Several groups of shades are given below illustrative of the type of colouring appropriate for the respective textures named.

The II. and IV. Schemes of the styles in three shades of Class A (see Table of Compounds) are not illustrated. The former style is most frequently worked in six-shaft weaves, and the latter in four-and eight-shaft weaves. On account of the colours being grouped in larger quantities than in Scheme I., they give patterns of a broader and more effective character. They are used for similar classes of textiles as those to which Scheme I. is applicable, being selected when styles composed of well-emphasized types of textural work are required. Should thick yarns be used, they give an excellent form of pattern for travelling rugs, shawls, and wraps.

The III. Scheme of these styles, consisting of three shades and of two simple types, is illustrated in the three patterns in Figs. 109, 110, and 111. The patterns are twice the size of Scheme III., that is to say, they contain fifty-four instead of twenty-seven threads, as given in the Table of Compounds, for Sections A and B in producing the fabrics have both been repeated. Types A and B here combined work well together, and form a species of pattern which may be dissected. Contrast the effect obtained in Fig. 109 with the effect obtained in Fig. 110. The arrangement of shades in the warp is the same as supplied in the Table in both styles; but in the former the weft is black and in the latter white. Had a blue shade of weft yarn been employed, or any colour which would have formed an equal weight of contrast with the black, grey, and white elements of the patterns, a species of design comprising increased effects would have resulted; or, had fancy colours instead of neutral shades been combined, a more elaborate type of colouring would have been produced. But to revert to the contrast of style due to changing the weft. It illustrates the importance of employing the proper shade of weft for developing the various elements of coloured styles. Each example is applicable to the dress and mantling branches of weaving, while in certain shades producing subdued and toned effects, they are used in trousering patterns. For dress textures, Sections A and B require to be increased in width in order to give more character and breadth of effect to the colourings.

Fig. 111, which is composed of the same warp yarns as the two preceding examples, and woven with a similar order of weft as warp colouring, is an effective plan of arranging shades. In Fig. 109, the black lines in parts A and B are quite solid, and the white and grey effects broken, being crossed with black; in Fig. 110 the white lines are clear, and the grey and black mingle with white; but in Fig. 111 Sections A and B each contain rectangular spaces of various sizes and shapes of black, grey, and white yarns. These blend and interlace with each other. Part A of this style, being composed of the three-threes system of grouping colours, consists of a smaller series of effects than Part B, which results from the three-sixes plan of combining shades. The dimensions of each section of the pattern are varied according to the description of fabric in which it is developed.

159. Styles of Four Shades containing Two Simple Types.—Four examples are given in these styles in Table XI. They do not form patterns so rich in mingled effects as the preceding compounds. This arises from their occupying an even number of threads, and constituting, as a consequence, a more regular and set description of pattern. Schemes I., II., and IV. are not illustrated, but they produce a similar species of style to that resulting from Scheme III. in Figs. 112, 113, and 114. These types resemble each other in outline and textural detail. The only difference consists in the sizes of the effects produced. This is not the case in Schemes I. and II. of the styles in Three Shades, in which Parts A are composed of an odd and Parts B of an even number of ends. When the composition of the two types combined is thus dissimilar, the resultant compound is fuller of effects than if the two Simple Colourings both comprised an even number of threads. By, however, resorting to the use of fancy weaves, the textural appearance of the patterns referred to may be considerably diversified.

Figs. 112, 113, and 114 have been acquired in the cassimere twill by repeating A and B of Scheme III. of the styles of Four Shades in Class A. In Fig. 112 the weft yarn is black; in Fig. 113, white; and in Fig. 114, the same as the warp. By using grey and light grey wefts, other stripes may be obtained. A contrasting shade of weft also forms a useful class of effects. Both Figs. 112 and 113 are bases employed in various kinds of woollen, worsted, and cotton textures. In Fig. 114, the black weft destroys the effect of the warp shades, hence brown, blue, or olive would be more suitable. The check is regular in arrangement. It is a common base, and is employed in larger or smaller forms in the construction of dress and other fabrics.

160. Styles composed of Three Simple Types (see Table of Compounds).—As pointed out in reference to Fig. 103, which results from the adoption of Scheme I. of Class B (see page 200), when three elements of Simple Colourings are combined, a pattern is acquired rich in diversity of textural work. This is apparent in the example. Composed of black and white yarns, it is a specimen of the diversity of style obtainable with two shades in compound patterns. It follows that if the number of the shades employed is increased, designs richer in character are producible. If Figs. 115, 116, and 117, which have been woven from the arrangement of shades supplied in Scheme II. of Class B, are examined, it will be noticed that though the number of effects corresponds with that of Fig. 103, yet the addition of the grey tint has produced quite a different form of style. Figs. 115 and 116 have been woven with white and black weft respectively. They are composed of three types of work, comprising minute effects in A, somewhat larger effects in B, and still broader details in C. The patterns are partially shaded, and as bases of colouring they are excellent. The three effects each contains, may be combined in various ways, giving stripes of suitable proportions for dresses, mantlings, and trouserings, according to the class of materials employed. A few examples in colouring this base are given. Any of the three shades of which they are severally composed may be used for weft.

The I. and II. Examples are for suitings—one for dark and the other for light fabrics. These may be produced in either woollen or worsted yarns. Example III. is for dress fabrics. The two smaller types of work of which it is composed form the same size of section in the texture; but the arrangement of the three 3’s yields a section half as large again as that formed by the other elements of the style. A bold and clearly-defined pattern is thus produced by this order of colouring.

Example IV. is intended for cloakings, and is composed of shades of a medium depth and intensity.

The checks, Fig. 117, in [2/2] twill, and Fig. 117a, in the [2/2] mat, contain nine species of work, well grouped and arranged. The two types A and B are just sufficiently emphasized to contribute to the neatness of the style, while the series of effects comprised in Bracket C give a distinctness of outline. These checks are workable in the colourings supplied for the stripes.

It is unnecessary to illustrate Schemes III. and IV. of Class B of the Table, which give similar patterns to those described, though there is considerable dissimilarity in the types of effect making the respective patterns.

161. Irregular Compounds (see Table XI.).—Styles of this class are generally quite mingled in colouring. They consist of such methods of grouping threads as comprise various quantities of the different colours used. Thus, in Scheme I. of the Irregular Compounds there are twice as many threads of black as white in both sections A and B; in Scheme II. the black again predominates; while in Scheme IV. the several shades occur in different quantities. This is the colour feature which causes the dissimilarity between Irregular and Regular Compounds. In Part A, Scheme III., there is an excess of black, but in Part B an excess of grey. This species of pattern is therefore obtained by taking a simple base, in which one shade is in excess, and repeating it for a suitable number of threads, and then reversing the positions of the shades. The following examples of this system of compounding elementary schemes of colouring may be considered in addition to that supplied in Scheme III. of the Table:⁠—

Example I.

Example II.

In the A section of Example I. black is the principal and brown the secondary shade, but in the B section the positions of the colours are reversed. Such a method of colouring frequently yields attractive styles. This scheme in the four-shaft mat produces a twofold effect. Section A, when this colouring is worked in the mat, forms a black ground on which small lines of brown are set at right angles to each other, but Section B gives a brown ground with a similar series of black lines. The style is produced in both wool and cotton materials in the plain, twill, and mat weaves.

Example II. illustrates the method of changing the positions of the shades when three colours are employed in this class of compounds. No perfect style can be obtained on this system unless each colour occupies every possible position in the repeat of the pattern. Reference to this example will make this point evident. Here three colours—brown, slate, and blue—are combined. In Part A the brown leads, in Part B the slate leads, and in Part C the blue. Even distribution of colouring is thus secured, and the production of a pattern in which uniformity of effects is paramount is effected. The principle of the compounds illustrated by these examples affords considerable scope for ingenious arrangement of colours.

Two of the Irregular Compounds given are illustrated by sketches of woven samples, namely, Schemes I. and IV. Figs. 118 and 119 have been produced by Scheme I.,—Section A being repeated to 18, and Section B to 18 threads. As this style is only composed of two shades, the textural result is somewhat wanting in variety of effect. Still, it is a useful base. Both the stripe and check arrangements are developed in woollen and worsted yarns. The check pattern is a compound of three effects, consisting of the spaces of vertical lines of black and white, of the parts of intermingled colouring, and of the sections of minute twilled work. In such couplets of shades as brown and fawn, blue and slate, and olive and slate and white twist, neater patterns may be obtained by this base than are producible in black and white.

Scheme II. gives even more mingled styles than those resulting from Scheme I. It is a composition of a Regular and of an Irregular type; for grouping A is the simplest scheme of textile colouring, but grouping B, containing three elements of black to one element of white, is an Irregular base. This arrangement is extended and worked out in a considerable diversity of weaves. Scheme IV. is also constructed on this system. Part B, in this instance, is composed of the Regular elementary type, and Part A of the Irregular type. The class of patterns it yields is illustrated in Figs. 120 and 121. The former of these styles has been woven with black weft, and the latter with the same shades of weft as warp. Part A has been repeated to twenty-four, and Part B to twenty-four threads. More decided patterns generally result from combining Irregular and Regular types, than from combining two or more systems of each of these representative schemes of textile colouring. In the check pattern, Fig. 121, the Irregular type, constitutes broad rectangular spaces of white, grey, and black, which surround a series of small black and white checks. A diversity of shades and tints may be practised here, and the base modified and utilized in the construction of fancy fabrics of various descriptions.

Figs. 122, 123, and 124 are other examples of compounds, the arrangement of the colours being as follows:⁠—

Fig. 122.

Fig. 123.

Fig. 124.

They show how the simple grouping of colours may be effectively modified. In Fig. 122, the modification results in a compound of 3-and-3 and 4-and-2 colouring; the latter, causing the check to appear shaded on account of the 4-and-2 colouring, has one-sixth more black yarn than the 3-and-3. Fig. 123 consists of 3-and-3 colouring combined with 2, 1, 1, 2; and Fig. 124 of the same colourings differently grouped together.