Stana Kovačević, Josip Hađina, Replica of Folk Cloth on a Contemporary Alena Mudrovčić Loom

Department of Design and Management Abstract Faculty of Textile Technology, The principle of making a with an ethnic motif according to a costume design University of Zagreb, from Posavina, Croatia, is described. The specificities and complexities of making these Zagreb, Croatia fabrics on looms are described. One way of replicating the patterns of old fabrics e-mail: [email protected] as well as the manufacturing problems and technological process are presented. The results led to the conclusion that the possibilities of fabric patterning on looms are numerous, and the replication of some motifs on looms is possible in a shorter time than on hand looms. However, industrial production is still recognisable, and it is impossible to get a character- istic tinge provided by hand weaving. In this sense, the aim of this paper is to investigate and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the industrial production of patterns with ethnic motifs for manufacturing national costumes, which could prove satisfactory when replacing original patterns.

Key words: national costume, folk cloth, original ethnic motifs, ethnic motif industrial pro- duction, pattern replication.

n Introduction to the present living conditions. Some simple but distinctive ethnic motifs per- According to many preserved textile taining to particular Croatian regions can items and records, Croatia is known for easily be identified. These ethnographic its extremely rich and varied weaving regions in Croatia can be roughly divided techniques, patterns and national cos- into the Pannonian, Dinaric and Adriatic. tumes. The beauty of certain garments The difference between costumes in each that were once in everyday use is stun- region can be identified by the diversity ning and incredible. The diversity in of clothing accessories, the amount of materials, shapes, designs, colours and components, the cut, ways of covering embellishments of folk costumes makes the head, designs on aprons or by the the Croatian culture truly unique in the material itself. Women’s costumes dif- world [1]. fer from men’s in plenty of ways. For example women’s costumes are richer in Interestingly the oldest sample of - motifs, and the manufacturing process is len fabric in was found in Bos- often finer and more complex. The spe- nia and Herzegovina, near Livno (Pus- cific way of fabric manufacturing and the topolje, an area traditionally inhabited by colour of cloth reveal the marital status Croats) in 1983. It was a mantle (burial of a person, place of origin, the person’s shroud) used to wrap a dead body. The religion etc. [4, 5]. mantle was found in a prehistoric earthen tumulus (grave) and its estimated age is The development of society, changes in about 3500 years (1400 - 1550 years BC) climate and other conditions have led to [1 - 3]. irreversible changes in the cultivation of plants and animals that provide the basic Making fabric using various techniques, raw material. valuable skills and knowledge has been passed down within families, with a cer- In addition, the skills of manual labour in tain secrecy. Traditional (folk) costumes the manufacturing of fabric is disappear- have almost disappeared from everyday ing with the aging and dying population use, and can often be found in ethno- who have the practical knowledge. graphic museums and in rare private col- lections. Losing their original functions, The extremely complex process of fab- costumes have begun to disappear main- ric production, from understanding fibres ly due to the impact of urban centres and to the production of the final product, is industrialisation, which has slowly and very demanding. It is almost impossible irrevocably changed the way of life in to find a single person who has knowl- the city and countryside. In the late 19th edge of every step of the process, espe- century men ceased to wear traditional cially today, where handwork is rarely costumes in most regions. However, it is done. In order to preserve ethnic heritage interesting that today, on the threshold of for the next generation, it is advisable not the 21st century, there are women wear- to use the original patterns. Despite the ing old costumes modified and adapted fact that the original patterns were made

130 Kovačević S, Hađina J, Mudrovčić A. Replica of Folk Cloth on a Contemporary Loom. FIBRES & in Eastern Europe 2015; 23, 2(110): 130-136. weave, crepe, honeycomb, broken, tie- up, diamond and other weaves, 22 11 weave, etc. [10]. Different hand weaving techniques were used on hand looms.

Figure 1. Weave with one patterning weft; 1 - main weft, 2 - patterning weft 1). Threads for creating a pattern on the fab- ric are mostly multicoloured and coarser than the main ones. The pattern can cover the whole width of fabric constructed of main threads, forming the main part of the fabric, with one pat- terning weft thread (extra floating weft thread) or several patterning weft threads a b creating a pattern (Figures 1 - 4). Figure 4. Weft patterned fabric; a - main These motifs can be replicated by using weft, b - patterning weft. automatic weaving looms. If patterning is performed with a patterning warp, the the fabric width, i.e. only where a pattern loom should be equipped with two or is created on the fabric’s face. a b more warp beams, but if patterning is a b performed with a patterning weft, then It is possible to produce weaving motifs the loom should be prepared to make with brocaded weft threads on automatic Figure 2. Weave with two patterning wefts; weft patterned fabric [10, 11]. weaving looms, but only in the part of 1, 2 - patterning wefts that change the effect on the fabric’s face (I, II). the fabric where the brocaded weft does It is also possible to create patterns on not interlace with the warp, staying loose fabrics using a brocaded weft which on the fabric’s reverse side, i.e. it floats appears only in certain sections across (Figure 3). Occasionally after the weav-

bb aa

Figure 3. Warp patterned fabric; a - main warp, b - patterning warp. on a hand loom, their complexity and of- ten extreme properties (a large number of multicolored wefts, large weave units, high warp and weft density, different weft fineness and raw materials, different techniques of weaving in one pattern etc) frequently require very complex looms with additional devices to achieve the above-mentioned properties of fabrics [6 - 9]. n Weaves for making motifs The waves applied in the main fabric are often simple: plain weave, twill weave or their derivatives with smaller weave units. MM1,1,M M22, P P1 ...

Weft often create a motif in differ- ent weaves such as a plain weave, Figure 5. Taqueté fabric; M – main warp, P – patterning warp.

FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110) 131 1 2 3 Main sahfts

1 2 Binding shafts 3

Wefts patterned - effect I Blue complementary weft

Wefts patterned - effect II Red complementary weft

Wefts patterned - effect III Grey complementary weft

Wefts patterned - effect IV Green complementary weft

M1 P1 ..., M2

Figure 6. Samite fabric.

ing process is finished, loose threads need threads interlace in a plain weave at the tives with several warp and/or weft pro- to be cut off in places where the floating end of the pattern. vide greater possibilities for combining is increased. That way the tightening of effects for more expressive and beautiful threads and consequent distortion of the Main threads can sometimes create a mo- motifs and a relief appearance of fabric. appearance of the motif is avoided. How- tif (pattern, effect), but if multicoloured Some of the fabrics that fall into this cat- ever, cutting weft threads on the fabric’s threads are used that are finer and denser, egory are Taqueté, Samite & reverse side may cause a negative effect, the warp preparation will be more com- (Figures 5 - 7) [12 - 16]. i.e. threads may be pulled out and dam- plex and slower. However, these motifs age the motif at the edges. This can be will be extraordinarily beautiful, with Taqueté and Samite are types of wo- prevented in a way that the patterning sharp contours and details. Creating mo- ven structure that belong to a category

132 FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110) be made by main, pattern or brocading weft threads that float on the face and are 1 Figure harness 2 bound by the binding warp. Each main Puley cords 3 and secondary structure can be plain, 4 satin or twill weave. However, in Bei- derwand cloth (Germany, 18th century), 1 a subset of Lampas, the pattern areas are 2 Main 3 considered to be where the main struc- shafts 4 ture appears on the face of the fabric. The 5 main and secondary structures do not ex- change positions. 1 Binding 2 shafts 3 n Experimental part The experimental part describes fabric with motifs which are similar to patterns taken from an original folk costume (Fig- ure 8). The density of the original sam- ple is 16 ends/cm and 14 picks/cm, the warp and main weft were made of , while the patterning weft threads were made of . The loom used for weav- ing the fabric had a limited number of shafts [16] and weft patterning was also limited. Therefore it was not possible to replicate the whole pattern, but only one part of it. Based on the original fabric the corresponding density and warp and weft were chosen. The warp was Drawboy a 36 tex × 2 cotton yarn, and the main Left Right ... Weaver weft was a raw cotton yarn of fineness M 1 - M5 P1 28 tex × 2, while the patterning weft end 1 green foundation weft 3end red pattern weft threads were acrylic, dyed in 4 colours 2end grey pattern weft 4end blue pattern weft (red, green, black and yellow) of of fine-

Figure 7. Lampas, warp-faced 5-end satin foundation weave, 3 pattern wefts bound in ½ S 4848 × 2 cmcm twill order, woven face down; M – main warps, B – binding warps. of fabrics called compound weaves, i.e. the outcome and no warp effect. It also a type of weave that has more than two uses main and binding warp, and a weft elements (wefts or warps). of a minimum of two threads that pro- 30 cmcm duce a weft pick on the face, thus the Taqueté is a weft-faced compound tab- fabric looks like a weft-dominant twill by-pattern weave woven on a threading weave. The main fabric and the pattern is system that exchanges binding ends with created as the ends of the binding warp pattern ends. The main feature of this bind the weft in passes. structure is that it produces only a weft 31 cmcm effect on the outcome and no warp effect. Lampas is a weaving technique that This type of structure uses main warp, was popular in the and the binding warp, and a complementary weft Renaissance in , France and Spain. composed of a minimum of two threads. Today this technique is mostly used only Weft threads produce a weft pick on the for producing heavy upholstery fabric 14 cm cm face of the fabric, while others are kept or cloths. Lampas combines two weave in a reverse manner. This way only weft structures to create a pattern composed of threads are visible on the face of the fab- weft floats which are bound by a binding 14 cmcm ric. The main fabric and the pattern are warp. Pattern areas are where the sec- created as the ends of the binding warp ondary weft appears on the main fabric. 99 cm bind the weft in passes. As a result the pattern is added to the main fabric, which is formed by the main 7070 ++ 70 cmcm Samite (samit, samitum) is a weft-faced warp and main weft. In this technique compound twill-pattern weave that, like the weft of the secondary structure pat- Taqueté, produces only a weft effect on terns the main structure. The pattern can Figure 8. Original pattern (apron).

FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110) 133

EffectEffect T T 620

Effect A A 108 EffectEffect TT 4 EffectEffect C E 40 EffectEffect D D 112 Effect EE 28

Effect D 112 EffectEff ec t CC 40 Effect B 46 b) Effect TT 4 b) EffectEff ec t C 40 Effect D 112 Effect E 28 EffecEffectt D 112 EffectEff ec t C 40 28402840 picks picks EffectEffect T T 4 EffEffect ec t B 46 EffectEffect T T 4 Effect A 54

EffectEffect T 168

EffectEff ec t C 40

Effect D 112 Effect E 28 Effect D D 112 Effect CC 40 EffectEffect T 4 EffectEffect B B 48 EffectEffect T 4 Effect A A 54

674 EffectEffect T

a) c)c)

Figure 9. Position of the effects on the fabric with a total of 2840 picks: a) developed pattern, b) woven pattern on the loom, c) stitched replica of a folk costume, man sawn.

ness 34 tex × 2. The warp density in the n drawing the warp into the reed After preparatory works weaving was reed was 13 ends/cm, and in the fabric (2 threads into the reed dent with performed according to the weave de- 14 ends/cm. The fabric width was 145 cm, 6.5 dents/cm sign. In one rotation of weave card and weft density was 12 main weft threads + n drawing the warp into drop wires weft arrangement card one weave unit 12 patterning weft threads/cm. The shut- n weft preparation (red, green, yellow, with a total of 2840 picks was woven. tle less Dornier loom was equipped with black and grey cotton weft) and plac- Since the weave card and the weft ar- rangement card are relatively long, addi- rigid rapiers with the possibility of weft ing on the loom frame tional frames are necessary to achieve a patterning (eight different weft threads) n punching the weave card with a total smooth rotation of the cards in the circle. and the mechanical positive dobby with of 2840 weft threads according to the capacity of 20 shafts. Maximum working effects (Figures 9 - 12) and placing on width of the machine was 210 cm and the the loom n Discussion insertion rate was 150 picks/min. n punching the card for the arrangement Replicating fabric patterns that are part of weft colours and placing the card of ethnic heritage today is very difficult The preparation of the loom was com- on the loom despite many efforts of various associa- plex: n matching the weave card with the card tions and other groups that have had or n placing of the warp beam with cotton for the arrangement of weft colours have the resources and knowledge to warp on the loom n start weaving together with matching achieve this. n drawing the warp into the shafts (re- weft density with warp density verse drawing into 15 shafts with two n fabric inspection (at least one weave Fabric that has been replicated on auto- threads in a heddle) unit) and correction of possible faults. matic loom was based on original folk

134 FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110) a)

IInt rodu- ct io n of shaf t

Int rodu- ction of reed

a)

b) Arrangement of colorsArrangement weft Figure 12. Effects on the fabric (D and E); a) effect D and b) effect E with weft colour arrangement.

One-weft woven fabric consists of one main weft and one patterning weft (ar- rangement: one main and one patterning weft) creating the pattern only on the fab- ric face over the whole fabric width (Fig- ures 10.b and 11.a). Two-weft fabrics Figure 10. Effects on the fabric (main and effect A): a) cross-section of the main weave, with two multicolored wefts (arrange- b) effect A with weft colour arrangement, introduction of reed and shafts. ment: one main weft and one patterning weft) create the effect in Figures 11.b and 12.a. The last effect (Figure 12.b) shows a three-weft fabric where the ef- fect is created by three multicoloured patterning wefts, the main weft thread is inserted only at the end of this effect. Considering effects, it can be determined that there are a total of four multicolored patterning weft (red, green, black and yellow) that create all five effects. For the effects or motifs A and C only the red pat- a) b) terning weft was used, for B effect green and red, for D effect red and black and for Figure 11. Effects on the fabric (B and C); a) effect B with weft colour arrangement, E effect yellow, black and red patterning b) effect C with weft colour arrangement. wefts. In all effects, except for E effect, the main weft was inserted after each pat- costume worn in Posavina (region in The main fabric is made of cotton yarn in terning weft in rep weave, while the pat- Croatia). The motif that was used con- the warp and weft direction in reinforced terning wefts had their weave which cre- sists of multiple different effects which plain weave and longitudinal rep (R 1/1, ated a normal pattern on the fabric. This are distinctive and unique for that par- with weave unit: 4 ends and 2 picks, Fig- means that it is very important to match ticular Croatian region. If this replica ure 10.a). The fabric pattern consists of the weft arrangement with the weave. was produced on a hand loom, the style five effects made with patterning wefts in Before weaving the weave card and weft of weaving used would fall under Samite color in the shape of one, two- or three- arrangement card should be placed in a fabrics. weft woven fabric. manner that the weave corresponds to

FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110) 135 weft colors. To obtain the proper dimen- Replicating traditional patterns and mo- 6. Kovačević S. Hand weaving. Ed. Univer- sions of motifs and best quality replica, tifs on modern looms has made produc- sity of Zagreb, Faculty of Textile Tech- it is extremely important to match the tion of ethnic cloths much faster and nology, Zagreb, 2003. density of warp and weft. This type of cheaper in relation to handwork. It has 7. Cybulska M. Reconstruction of Archeo- weaving falls under Samite fabrics with greatly helped in production of costumes logical Textiles. Fibres & Textiles in East- ern Europe 2010; 18, 3: 100-105. one effect. for folk ensembles and consequently it 8. Cybulska M, Maik J. Archaeological tex- had great impact on preserving rare and tiles - a need of new methods of analysis n Conclusion unique samples of distinctive folk cloth. and reconstruction. Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe 2007; 15, 5-6 (7): 64-65. This paper describes the design of a wo- 9. Schlabow K. Textilfunde der Eisenzeit in ven fabric and the process of making an Editorial note Norddeutschland. Ed. Verlag: Publish- ethnic motif woven fabric. Weaving eth- 1) All Figures presented in the article are the ing House: Wachholz, Göttinger Schrif- nic patterns on the loom required very author’s own work. ten zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte, 1976. complex preparation of the loom and 10. Milašius V, Neverauskiené D, Katunskis materials, accurate decomposition, ap- J, Kazlauskiené I. The Mathematical Ba- propriate loom with the possibility of References sis of Ornamentation of Patterned Wo- weft patterning and extremely extensive 1. Kovačević S, Car G. Analysis of the Old- ven Fabrics. Fibres & Textiles in Eastern Europe 2002; 10, 4(39): 34-39. know-how in the production of complex est Wool Fabric Found in Europe. FI- 11. Lekka L, Dascalopoulos S. Motifs and fabrics. BRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2014; 22, 5(107): 49-53. Symmetry Characteristics of the Orna- 2. Bender Jørgensen L, Grömer K. Textile mentation on Traditional Greek Woven Large weave units require large card Remains from Early Bronze Age Tumu- Textiles from the Area of the Aegean. Fi- lengths for mechanical dobbies and lus grave No. 16 in Pustopolje, Project bres & Textiles in Eastern Europe 2008; Jacquard machines (this motif required CinBA, 2010-2013, Creativity and Craft 16, 3 (68): 74-78. 2840 picks) which raises a spatial prob- Production in Middle and Late Bronze 12. http://weavinglesson.blogspot. lem. Age Europe, Project Leader: Joanna So- com/2011/01/blog-post_14.html (ac- faer, University of Southampton, 2011. cessed: 3.06.2014). The preparation of cards for colour ar- 3. Car G, Meder F. Report on the conser- 13. http://catetown.wordpress.com/tag/sca/ vation work carried out on fragments rangement of 2840 wefts was long last- (accessed: 3.06.2014). of prehistoric grave mantle of earth 14. http://weavinglesson.blogspot. ing and complex process, as well as the tumulus no.16, Pustopolje Kupreško, com/2011/01/lampas.html (accessed: procedure of placement of relatively long Franjevački museum and gallery Gorica, 3.06.2014). card. Livno, Bosnia and Herzegovina, (Con- 15. http://weavehouston.org/pdfs/Study_of_ servation report), Croatian Conservation Historic_Silk_Structures.pdf (accessed: Institute, Zagreb, 2010. This work has proved that some com- 3.06.2014). 4. Ivanković I, Šimunović V. Croatian folk cos- plex patterns and motif parts of the folk 16. http://www.medievaltextiles.org/news35. tumes, multi-graph d.o.o., Zagreb, 2001. pdf (accessed: 3.06.2014). costume can be woven on the automatic 5. Ivoš J. Liturgical Vestment, from textile loom. As such those patterns are replicas collection of the Museum of Arts and and necessary substitution for original Crafts. Museum of Arts and Crafts, Za- patterns woven on hand looms. greb, Croatia, 2010. Received 02.04.2014 Reviewed 08.07.2014

XIXth CONFERENCE ON SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY OF GEOSYNTHETICS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING AND PROTECTION OF ENVIRONMENT School of design methods with the use of geosynthetics 21-23 October 2015, Ustroń, Poland

The conference is addressed to producers, designers, contractors, researchers and students interested in the geotextiles applications in the civil engineering field and the environmental protection. The conference will feature a wide range of topics related to geosynthetics including: General issues, Soil reinforcement, Roads, Landfills, Hydrotechnical engineering, Drainage, Research methods,Technical textiles.

Contact: University of Bielsko-Biala: dr inż. Joanna Grzybowska-Pietras, e mail: [email protected], tel. 33 82 79 124 mgr inż. Stanisława Przybyło, e mail: [email protected], tel. 33 82 79 110

136 FIBRES & TEXTILES in Eastern Europe 2015, Vol. 23, 2(110)