Twill is a type of

textile Textile is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term that includes various Fiber, fiber-based materials, including fibers, yarns, Staple (textiles)#Filament fiber, filaments, Thread (yarn), threads, and different types of #Fabric, fabric. ...

weave with a pattern of parallel, diagonal ribs. It is one of three fundamental types of weave, along with

plain weave Plain weave (also called tabby weave, linen weave or taffeta weave) is the most basic of three fundamental types of textile weaving, weaves (along with satin weave and twill). It is strong and hard-wearing, and is used for fashion and furnishi ...

and

satin A satin weave is a type of Textile, fabric weave that produces a characteristically glossy, smooth or lustrous material, typically with a glossy top surface and a dull back; it is not durable, as it tends to snag. It is one of three fundamen ...

. It is made by passing the

weft In the manufacture of cloth, warp and weft are the two basic components in weaving to transform thread (yarn), thread and yarn into textile fabrics. The vertical ''warp'' yarns are held stationary in tension on a loom (frame) while the horizo ...

thread over one or more

warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

threads then under two or more warp threads and so on, with a "step", or offset, between rows to create the characteristic diagonal pattern. Due to this structure, twill generally drapes well.

Classification

Twill weaves can be classified from four points of view: # According to the stepping: #* ''Warp-way'': 3/1 warp way twill, etc. #* ''Weft-way'': 2/3 weft way twill, etc. # According to the direction of twill lines on the face of the fabric: #* ''S-twill'', or ''left-hand twill weave'': 2/1 S, etc. #* ''Z-twill'', or ''right-hand twill weave'': 3/2 Z, etc. # According to the face yarn (warp or weft): #* ''Warp face twill weave'': 4/2 S, etc. #* ''Weft face twill weave'': 1/3 Z, etc. #* ''Double face'' twill weave'': 3/3 Z, etc. # According to the nature of the produced twill line: #* ''Simple twill weave'': 1/2 S, 3/1 Z etc. #* ''Expanded twill weave'': 4/3 S, 3/2 Z, etc. #* ''Multiple twill weave'': 2/3/3/1 S, etc.

Structure

In a twill weave, each weft or filling yarn floats across the warp yarns in a progression of interlacings to the right or left, forming a pattern of distinct diagonal lines. This diagonal pattern is also known as a ''wale''. A ''float'' is the portion of a warp yarn that crosses over two or more weft yarns. A twill weave requires three or more harnesses, depending on its complexity and is the second most basic weave that can be made on a fairly simple

loom A loom is a device used to weaving, weave cloth and tapestry. The basic purpose of any loom is to hold the Warp (weaving), warp threads under tension (mechanics), tension to facilitate the interweaving of the weft threads. The precise shape of ...

. Twill weave is often designated as a fraction, such as , in which the numerator indicates the number of harnesses that are raised (and thus threads crossed: in this example, two), and the denominator indicates the number of harnesses that are lowered when a filling yarn is inserted (in this example, one). The fraction is read as "two up, one down" (the fraction for

is .). The minimum number of harnesses needed to produce a twill can be determined by totaling the numbers in the fraction; for the example described, the number of harnesses is three. Twill weave can be identified by its diagonal lines.

Characteristics

Twill fabrics technically have a front and a back side, unlike plain weave, whose two sides are the same. The front side of the twill is called the "technical face", and the back the "technical back". The technical face side of a twill weave fabric is the side with the most pronounced wale; it is usually more durable and more attractive, is most often used as the fashion side of the fabric, and is the side visible during weaving. If there are warp floats on the technical face (i.e. if the warp crosses over two or more wefts), there will be filling floats (the weft will cross over two or more warps) on the technical back. If the twill wale goes up to the right on one side, it will go up to the left on the other side. Twill fabrics have no "up" and "down" as they are woven. Sheer fabrics are rarely made with a twill weave. Since a twill surface already has interesting texture and design, printed twills (where a design is printed on the cloth) are much less common than printed plain weaves. When twills are printed, this is typically done on lightweight fabrics. Soiling and stains are less noticeable on the uneven surface of twills than on a smooth surface, such as plain weaves, and as a result twills are often used for sturdy work clothing and for durable

upholstery Upholstery is the work of providing furniture, especially seats, with padding, springs, webbing, and fabric or leather covers. The word also refers to the materials used to upholster something. ''Upholstery'' comes from the Middle English wor ...

—

denim Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more Warp (weaving), warp threads. This twill weave produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. Denim, as it is recognized today, was f ...

, for example, is a twill. In addition, twill's durability, wrinkle-resistance, and low maintenance make it ideal for a range of other items, such as jackets, pants, backpacks, and even draperies. The fewer interlacings in twills as compared to other weaves allow the

yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. '' Thread'' is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern ...

s to move more freely, and therefore they are softer and more pliable, and drape better than plain-weave textiles. Twills also recover from creasing better than plain-weave fabrics do. When there are fewer interlacings, the yarns can be packed closer together to produce high-count fabrics. With higher counts, including high-count twills, the fabric is more durable, and is air- and water-resistant. Twills can be divided into ''even-sided'', ''warp-faced'', and ''weft-faced''. Even-sided twills have the same amount of warp and weft threads visible on both sides of the fabric. Warp-faced twills have more warp threads visible on the face side, and weft-faced twills have more weft threads visible on the face side. Even-sided twills include

foulard A foulard is a lightweight fabric, either twill or plain weave, plain-woven, made of silk or a mix of silk and cotton. Foulards usually have a small printed design of various colors. By metonymy, it can also be an article of clothing, such as scar ...

or surah, herringbone,

houndstooth Houndstooth is a pattern of alternating light and dark check (fabric), checks used on fabric. It is also known as hounds tooth check, hound's tooth (and similar spellings), dogstooth, dogtooth or dog's tooth. The duotone pattern is characterized ...

serge Serge may refer to: *Serge (fabric), a type of twill fabric *Serge (llama) (born 2005), a llama in the Cirque Franco-Italien and internet meme *Serge (name), a masculine given name (includes a list of people with this name) *Serge (post), a hitchi ...

sharkskin Sharkskin, or grisaille (from French ''gris'', meaning grey) describes a specific woven or warp-knitted fabric with a distinctive sheen. Sharkskin is a twill weave fabric created using acetate, rayon, worsted wool, lycra, and other plastic fi ...

, and twill

flannel Flannel is a soft woven fabric, of varying fineness. Flannel was originally made from carded wool or worsted yarn, but is now often made from either wool, cotton, or synthetic fiber. Flannel is commonly used to make tartan clothing, blankets, ...

. Warp-faced twills include cavalry twill, chino, covert,

drill A drill is a tool used for making round holes or driving fasteners. It is fitted with a drill bit for making holes, or a screwdriver bit for securing fasteners. Historically, they were powered by hand, and later mains power, but cordless b ...

, fancy twill,

gabardine Gabardine Gabardine is a durable twill worsted wool. It is a tightly woven waterproof fabric and is used to make outerwear and various other garments, such as suit (clothing), suits, overcoats, trousers, uniforms, and windbreakers. Thomas Bur ...

, and lining twill. Image:Köperbindung Fischgrat.jpeg, A twill with ribs in both sides, called ''herringbone'' image:Woolen diamond twill.jpg, Diamond twill, with weaving edge (left), blue warp, red weft File:TwillPatternOnPegLoom.jpg, Twill pattern developing on a

peg loom A peg loom is a simple weaving loom. Handheld weaving sticks use the same principle. A peg loom is a board, usually wooden, with one or more rows of holes, and a set of wooden or nylon pegs which fit into these holes. Each peg is a dowel with a h ...

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Weaves Woven fabrics