Simple glossary of textile terms used on this site
- Batik
- (Indonesian). Wax-resist method of dyeing fabric.
- Hol
- (Khmer). See ikat.
- Ikat
- (= tie in Indonesian). Weft (or warp ) threads are tie-died in a pattern before weaving. Example 1, example 2, example 3.
- Pidan
- Cambodian temple hanging often depicting scenes from the Buddha's lives. Woven using the hol or ikat technique .
- Plain weave
- The weft goes over one warp thread then under the next, all along the width. This is reversed on the next row. Also known as tabby weave.
- Raw silk
- The common - but misleading - term for silk noil, short fibres from the inner part of the cocoon.
- Songket
- (Indonesian/Malay). Fabric with patterns woven in metallic thread using supplementary wefts . Worn by posh people such as sultans.
- Supplementary weft
- Additional weft threads are woven into the fabric to create a raised effect, sometimes resembling embroidery. Example 1 , example 2 , example 3 .
- Twill
- The weft goes over and under warp threads in a repeated pattern (eg. 1 then 2), resulting in a subtle diagonal texture. Additionally, if the warp and weft differ in colour, each side of the fabric will have a different dominant colour.
- Warp
- The threads that run along the length of the fabric.
- Weft
- The threads that run across the width of the fabric
