Twill TowelsHAND WEAVING

Weaving Project – Twill Towels

This project uses unmercerized 8/2 cotton and will make 3 tea towels (16″ x 25″) and a 16″
square cloth. The design produces a twill sampler. Each colour block is threaded to a variation
of twill drafts, separated by a contrasting border.

Twill Towels
Twill Towels

Warp
Warp Yarn: 8/2 cotton – 3360 ypp

colors:

  • Dark Blue – 8 ends
  • Light Blue – 80 ends
  • Dark Blue – 4 ends
  • Medium Green – 82 ends
  • Dark Blue – 4 ends
  • Medium Blue – 80 ends
  • Dark Blue – 4 ends
  • Dark Green – 80 ends
  • Dark Blue – 8 ends

Total Warp Ends – 348
Warp Length: 4 yards
Total Warp: 4 yds x 348 ends = 1392 yards
Sett: 18 epi
Width in Reed: 19.25″
Finished Width: 16″
Woven Length (per towel) 29″ + 2″ tabby border

If woven in a 50/50 balanced weave, the Weft usually requires a similar quantity of yarn
(slightly less, as there is no loom waste) When I wove these towels, I used different color
combinations for each towel.

  • Light Blue, Medium Green, Medium Blue, Medium Green( 8/2 Unmercerized Cotton)
  • Light Yellow, Dark Blue, Medium Yellow (22/2 Cottolin – Borgs Bomullin)
  • Medium Blue, Dark Blue (8/2 Unmercerized Cotton)
  • Light Blue, Medium Blue (8/2 Cotton)

Weaving Draft

Twill Towel Weaving Draft
Twill Towel Weaving Draft

The draft shows 4 different treadlings. Many other treadling combinations are possible. Try
these out, as well as experimenting with your own, to create your own unique towels for your
kitchen.
Each towel was woven to a length of 29″ with a 2 inch border of tabby treadling to allow
for the hem allowance.

Finishing
After cutting the warp from the loom, I sewed the cut ends with a zigzag stitch, to prevent
fraying while the project was washed. I then put the warp into the washing machine and washed
and dried it through a normal wash cycle. After drying, I steam iron the complete warp length.
Because handwoven fabrics have a tendency to fray, I zigzag all edges before I do cutting.
After sewing 2 rows of zigzag stitch in the centre of the 2″ woven tabby (between 2 towels) I
then cut between the 2 rows of stitching. The hem is then turned under and sewn with a
straight seam. And again, turned under and sewn with another straight seam to finish the hem
edge.

More About Hand Weaving
Weaving
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Hand Weaving Books
Weaving on a Little Loom (Everything you need to know to get started with weaving, includes 5 simple projects

The Key to Weaving: A Textbook of Hand Weaving for the Beginning Weaver
The Weaver’s Companion (The Companion Series)
Learning to Weave
The Big Book of Weaving: Handweaving in the Swedish Tradition: Techniques, Patterns, Designs and Materials
The Handweaver’s Pattern Directory
A Weaver’s Book of 8-Shaft Patterns: From the Friends of Handwoven
Krokbragd: How to Design & Weave
Doubleweave: On Four to Eight Shafts
Double Weave: Theory and Practice<
Magic of Doubleweave: The Best of Weaver’s (Best of Weaver’s series)
Weaving In the Arts: Widening the Learning Circle
DIY Woven Art: Inspiration and Instruction for Handmade Wall Hangings, Rugs, Pillows and More!
>On the Loom: A Modern Weaver’s Guide

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