Plain Weave Warp Facing 11 Strand Band

Rigid heddle backstrap weaving boasts a rich history that spans centuries. This ancient technique has been practiced simultaneously across various continents, each culture contributing its own unique methods and designs. With the pattern included in your kit, you’ll quickly create a simple yet functional band, perfect for adding elegant trim to clothing, crafting accessories, or making ties and handles.

Before you know it, you'll be prepared to explore more intricate patterns and the endless possibilities within the vibrant world of fiber arts weaving.

Materials

  • Warp and weft yarn skeins (100% mercerized cotton DK) - kit will have full skeins
  • Heddle 
  • Shuttle
  • Wire hook
  • Back Strap
  • Wide popsicle sticks x2
  • Chip clip

Set Up

The warp yarn (the yarn that runs the length of the weaving pattern) has to be set up first.  

Place clamps/pegs at a distance of about 6 feet apart.  With the posts pointing upwards. 

  1. Using C clamps or warping peg clamps sold here or upside down chair legs) make a loop at beginning end of warp yarn (whichever color you prefer to be the edge color of the band). Place this loop around the clamp post/peg. NOTE: Make a loop of left most color of Threading chart below, place on left peg.

NOTE: The colors below can be swapped.  It is recommended that you use that same color for your weft thread as the outside edge colors of your warp thread.  Otherwise the contrasting color of the weft will show up as little dots at each side of the band every time the weft thread makes a pass through the warp (each pass of weft is called a pick).

2. Each wrap around the opposite peg creates a figure 8. For every warp thread of the band there is one length of yarn between the pegs.  

NOTE: When changing color for next warp thread, pull the existing thread taut and hold finger on thread in place on peg to keep tension, then tie on new color.  See pic above.

3. Using the pattern above, wrap the figure 8 around each peg until you reach the correct number warp threads for each color in the order of the patten.

To change to the next color, cut a few inches of first color beyond the peg, tie the end of the next color to the first thread, making the knot right against the peg to preserve tension on the warp yarn. 

Do not pull so tightly that the yarn stretches (but keep it taut enough not to sag between pegs).

4. Once there are 11 strands between the pegs, cut the warp several inches beyond the peg and tie the end to the string at the beginning of the work on same peg. 

5. Take the 2 popsicle sticks and slide them vertically into the spaces between the warp threads adjacent to each of the pegs.

6. Lay each popsicle stick down horizontal to the table. Slide the popsicle sticks toward the center (where the figure 8 of warp threads meet in the middle).  This middle is called the weaver’s cross. 

7. Keeping the sticks side by side (still holding each one in each hand) slide the sticks together - sliding the weather’s cross - toward the right peg. 

8. Take a piece of scrap thread and tie around the looped warp threads at the left peg.

Alternate Warp Set up

9. Take another piece of thread and warp around both sides of sticks (so that the warp threads do not slide off of the sticks).

10. Leave the warp wrapped around the left peg. On the right peg, slide the warp loops off the peg and cut the very end of the loops so that strands are straight parallel.

11.  Make sure the strands on the sticks are laying flat in the order that they are wrapped.

12.Pull the first warp strand off the sticks towards you.  

13. Hold up the heddle in front of you, using the wire hook, push hook through hole farthest left of heddle (front to back).  

Threading the heddle

14. Using the same method (pulling threads from back to front of heddle using hook) continue with the rest of the threads.  Pulling off the sticks in order.  

15. Pull the threads with right hands holding heddle in the left, until threads are taut opposite the left peg.

Thread tension in the heddle

16. Tie first half of thread ends together into a knot and second half of threads into a knot (on the right side of the heddle).

17. Using a piece of cloth, rope, etc lift the loops off of the left peg (holding on to the heddle with knotted ends) and tie the left peg around a window latch or door hook (or any other place you can find) at a higher level than where you will be sitting. 

NOTE: I have used my left peg clamp and mounted it to higher place than where I would be sitting.

Wrapping the shuttle

18. Wrap back strap around waist and tie into bow tie or square knot.  Using one of the popsicle sticks - slide through both  knotted ends of the warp and place under the back strap so that with tension the stick holds the knots in place.

Attaching to the backstrap

19. Make sure that once comfortable that the heddle is level.  If the heddle is leaning to one side or the other the band will curve while weaving.

20. Lift the heddle and slide scrap thread through the space between the warp threads that are separated by the holes and slots in the heddle.  This space is called the shed.

Start Weaving

21. Pull the scrap thread towards yourself, keeping scrap thread taut, making sure the warp threads are spread evenly and touching each other.

22. Pushing the heddle down (this moves the heddle holes to below the slot warp threads) slide the scrap thread end in the opposite direction as you did the first time.

23. Pulling scrap thread on both sides of the warp, and using finger to press scrap thread towards the first thread, pull it towards you. 

24. Pinch the band flat around the scrap thread as you pull the thread through the shed to tighten the edge.  

 

25. Trim off scrap thread ends.

26. Now you are ready to weave! Grab the shuttle and holding about 3 inches of tail from the weft, Lift the heddle and pass the shuttle through the shed (same direction you did your first pass of the scrap thread). This is your first pick (a single pass of a weft thread through the warp).

27. Pull the first pass of weft thread towards yourself, then let the threads hang loose.  

28. Push the heddle down and pass shuttle through shed in opposite direction.  ALSO take the tail of the weft, and pass it through the shed in opposite direction the the shuttle. Grab both sides of the weft thread (the tail in one hand and holding the loop with the ring finger in the other hand). Push weft toward yourself with finger while holding weft threads on both sides of the band.

29. Pinch the band like you did previously, keeping the warp fibers flat and pinching the weft thread in place, pull the threads through the shed (releasing ring finger hold on loop) until the loop on the side tightens against the side of the warp.  

30. Now the last pass through the shed had you pushing the heddle down, this time lift the heddle, pass the shuttle into the shed, and using the tapered edge of the shuttle, tamp down the weft thread towards you.

31. Continue sending shuttle through shed.  Use ring finger again to hold onto loop, pull weft thread taut, and towards yourself.  Release ring finger loop, pinch the band where weft is, pull weft through until loop is snug against side of band.  Push heddle down and slide shuttle through and tamp down weft. 

NOTE: As you work, the tension on the warp threads needs to be consistent.  Otherwise, there will be alternating widths of the band. 

NOTE: When tamping down the previous pick (weft thread pass through) it’s not always necessary to tamp down hard.  The fiber may only need a light tamping to line up the weft against the previous pick.  

32. When you get to the end of your band, there is a neat way to finish the weft so that it disappears and keeps the band from unraveling.  Cut 4 pieces of scrap thread about 6 inches long each. 

33. Pass the weft through, take a piece of scrap thread, fold it in half, place it in same shed as shuttle, with loop on same side as shuttle.

34. Lift or lower heddle, tamp down weft with shuttle.

35. Pass shuttle through, take another scrap thread folded in half and tuck right next to that weft thread with loop on shuttle side.

36. Do step 35 and 36 again using all 4 pieces of scrap thread.

37. Raise or lower heddle, take weft thread and pass through shed, then pass weft thread though loop on side of band.  

38. Grab tails of that loop and pull all the way through band, pulling weft thread through.  

39. Pass weft thread though next loop closest to you, pull its tails and weft through the band.  Keep doing this until all the scrap loops are used up.

40. Cut end warp loop, and do as you please with them (braid them, tie into a knot, etc).

Backstrap weaving history

Backstrap weaving has occurred simultaneously on opposite sides of the globe since ancient times.  Prevalent in both Germanic and Scandinavian cultures and as far away as South American Peruvian cultures.  The heddles used were different - South American heddles were strings and in European cultures a rigid heddle could be found.  

In the German “Codex Manesse” from the early 1300s there is depicted rigid heddle loom weaving (in this case card weaving).  

Img Source https://manuscriptminiatures.com/4832/20287.

Susan J. Foulkes published “Roman Rigid Heddles: A survey” in 2019 cataloging European backstrap weaving with extant accounts of rigid heddles as early as the first century CE. These heddles were constructed of bone, bronze, and antler over centuries from different areas. 

Laurel Sanders narrates a video series from the Vesterheim museum about backstrap band weaving in the Sami culture of Finland.

Rosa Will Abboud published an article in 1975, “South American Backstrap Loom: Its Potential, Limitation and Application for Contemporary Handweaving Application for Contemporary Handweaving” extensively researching South American backstrap weaving.

Her sources show that the earliest extant documentation of backstrap weaving in South America, specifically Peru, was during the 1500’s with the Spanish conquest.  Referenced is an illustration of a woman backstrap weaving by explorer Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala.  Backstrap weaving was certainly done for centuries before his arrival; however, cultural verbal history is the only source of this knowledge for this area of the world.

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