Twill vs plain weave?

[Derekc5555]

Just want to hear everyone's opinion about the two weave types. Likes or dislikes? Do they fold or move differently? Is it a functional difference or purely cosmetic? Any reply is appreciated! Thanks.

[Luke MacGillie]

This is a good discussion if you will. For me, tabby woven just does not cut it. In my youth, when I was poor it was what I could afford. Glad I saw the light

http://www.tartansauthority.com/tart...c-explanation/

[Derekc5555]

I've never heard of tabby weave. What's that?... I'm a newbie to tartans, weaves, and such.

[figheadair]

I've never heard of tabby weave. What's that?... I'm a newbie to tartans, weaves, and such.

Tabby is just another name for plain weave.

[room2ndfloor]

Tabby is just another name for plaid weave.

Everything I have read says tabby is a plaiN weave. Autocorrect?

One difference I can see is that twill weave will produce larger number of color shades when several main colors are woven in a tartan sett. The plain weave seems to have less depth of color.

I wish someone knowledgeable would say whether plain weave or twill wears better.

[Luke MacGillie]

This piece of tabby woven Black Watch'ish Inspired wool was done by some Amish weavers in the early 80's. Back then you could get machine done tabby weave Somewhat Black Watch, Royal Stewart and Ballie looking wool at most fabric stores. This was a big deal for me to purchase as it was almost double the cost of Joann's, and I was in High School at the time

It was part of a great kilt, but with repeated wearing, use as a blanket, hard use, living in it, its been totally mud encrusted at times and beer soaked at other times, Well it grew threadbare in spots and fulled in others, and it lost a lot of the definition between the colors.

[Jock Scot]

Tabby is just another name for plaid weave.

Well, I have learnt something today. I too was wondering about the term "tabby".

[figheadair]

Everything I have read says tabby is a plaiN weave. Autocorrect?

One difference I can see is that twill weave will produce larger number of color shades when several main colors are woven in a tartan sett. The plain weave seems to have less depth of color.

I wish someone knowledgeable would say whether plain weave or twill wears better.

Ah, finger trouble. Yes, meant to say 'plain', not 'plaid'.

Structurally a 2/2 twill is a denser and much stronger type of weave and was that favoured for clothing in many cultures; for example, Denim is a 2/2 twill. Plain weave is more open and the threads move more in relation to each other. Most tartan was woven in twill but plain weave seems to have been used in the 18th and early 19th centuries in Uist, probably elsewhere too and was possibly a technique used elsewhere at times. This finer cloth seems to have been more often used by women. Here's an early to mid-18th century specimen.



In twill weave it's not that there are more colours per se or that the shades are deeper, however there is a difference in the appearance of the half tones (where one colour crosses another) depending on which is in the warp or weft. For example, a in simple red and green check, where the red warp crosses the green weft looks different to where the green warp crosses the red weft.

[Jock Scot]

Well OK, now, I have learnt something today!

[Luke MacGillie]

Ah, finger trouble. Yes, meant to say 'plain', not 'plaid'.

Structurally a 2/2 twill is a denser and much stronger type of weave and was that favoured for clothing in many cultures; for example, Denim is a 2/2 twill. Plain weave is more open and the threads move more in relation to each other. Most tartan was woven in twill but plain weave seems to have been used in the 18th and early 19th centuries in Uist, probably elsewhere too and was possibly a technique used elsewhere at times. This finer cloth seems to have been more often used by women. Here's an early to mid-18th century specimen.



In twill weave it's not that there are more colours per se or that the shades are deeper, however there is a difference in the appearance of the half tones (where one colour crosses another) depending on which is in the warp or weft. For example, a in simple red and green check, where the red warp crosses the green weft looks different to where the green warp crosses the red weft.

Do you have any info on the size and composition of that brooch?