Glossary

Bobbin - wooden cylinder used to hold the silk yarn

Filament - single fibre of silk that is reeled off from the cocoon in a continuous length

Harness - part of the loom that holds the leashes. They are raised and lowered to create the weave pattern

Leash - thin piece of metal or string mounted on the harness of the loom. There is a small hole in the centre of the leash which the warp thread is passed through

Loom - machine used to weave

Moiré - a finish to silk fabric which adds a wavy watermark pattern

Organza - open type of fabric woven with raw silk

Organzine - filament silk that is cleaned of natural gum to produce a brilliant shine

Ottoman - type of weave producing a heavy ribbed finish

Pirn - small bobbin which sits inside the shuttle and carries the silk yarn

Plain weave - simplest form of weaving with each weft thread passing over and under the warp in a regular pattern

Raw silk - filament silk on which the natural gum remains giving the silk a dull finish

Sericin - gum secreted by the silk worm when spinning its silk cocoon

Shuttle - wooden box which carries the weft threads across the fabric

Spun Silk - a spun yarn created by spinning the non-filament parts of the cocoon

Taffeta - same as plain weave, closely woven and crisp

Twill - type of weave that produces a diagonal pattern on the finished fabric

Warp - the lengthwise threads in the fabric which are attached to the loom

Weft - the crosswise threads in the fabric which are usually carried in the shuttle