READ THE CLOTH

Weaves & patterns.

114 sourced entries about woven structures, knitted loops, color patterns, motifs and surface techniques. This growing guide is not an exhaustive list of every textile design or regional name.

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Construction, appearance and finishing are different descriptions. A weave name does not identify the fiber; a printed motif can imitate a woven pattern. Diagrams are labeled teaching examples, not manufacturing instructions.

Color pattern

ArgyleColored diamonds combine with crossing diagonal lines to make a layered geometric repeat.
Awning stripeBroad, regular bands create a bold alternating stripe.
Bengal stripeAlternating light and colored stripes of approximately equal width.
Breton stripeHorizontal stripes associated with the French marinière and nautical knitwear.
Buffalo checkA bold, large check commonly associated with alternating red and black blocks.
Candy stripeA fine repeated stripe usually made with light and colored bands.
Chalk stripeA suiting stripe with a broader, softer-edged appearance than a typical pinstripe.
GinghamAn even check formed by overlapping equal-width light and colored bands.
Glen checkA compound check that combines smaller checks and striped areas into a larger repeat.
Gun club checkA multicolored small check closely related to houndstooth.
HoundstoothA broken check whose pointed corners come from color order interacting with twill.
Madras checkA colorful checked cotton cloth tradition associated with Chennai, formerly Madras.
Pencil stripeA narrow, clearly drawn stripe that resembles a fine pencil line.
PinstripeFine parallel lines repeat across a contrasting ground.
Regimental stripeDiagonal bands are arranged in repeated color groups, especially on neckties.
Tartan and plaidCrossing bands repeat in a defined color sequence called a sett.
TattersallA light-ground check made with alternating fine colored lines.
Ticking stripeA repeated narrow stripe associated with traditional mattress ticking.
WindowpaneWidely spaced crossing lines frame open squares or rectangles.

Knit structure

Cable knitCable knitting crosses groups of stitches to make raised ropes, braids or traveling lines.
Fair Isle knittingFair Isle is a Shetland colorwork tradition using stranded yarns and repeating knitted motifs.
French terryFrench terry pairs a jersey face with an unbrushed looped back.
Garter stitchGarter stitch makes a reversible knit with pronounced horizontal ridges.
Intarsia knittingIntarsia forms separate color areas without carrying each unused yarn across the whole reverse.
InterlockInterlock is a double knit with a smooth, similar appearance on both sides.
Jacquard knitJacquard knitting uses selected stitches and yarns to build pattern into a knit.
Piqué knitPiqué knit combines knit and tuck stitches to produce a small cellular surface.
PointellePointelle uses small deliberate openings to pattern a knitted surface.
Ponte di RomaPonte is a firm double knit with a subtle horizontal rib.
RaschelRaschel is a versatile warp-knitting family used for meshes, lace and other textured fabrics.
Rib knitRib knit alternates face and reverse stitch columns to form expandable lengthwise ribs.
Seed stitchSeed stitch alternates knit and purl stitches into a small, pebbled texture.
Single jerseySingle jersey is a plain knit with visibly different front and back surfaces.
TricotTricot is a warp-knit family often made as fine, relatively flat fabric.

Motif

ArabesqueInterlacing curved stems and stylized plant forms create an ornamental network.
BotanicalPlants, leaves, branches and other botanical forms provide the subject of a repeat.
CamouflageContrasting patches, marks or pixels disrupt a recognizable outline.
ChevronContinuous angled bands meet in repeated V-shaped points.
Ditsy floralSmall, closely repeated flowers make an all-over pattern.
FloralFlowers organize a design ranging from scattered sprigs to dense trailing repeats.
Foulard motifSmall, orderly motifs repeat in a regular spaced layout.
Greek keyA continuous angular line turns repeatedly at right angles.
HarlequinA repeating field of elongated diamonds arranged edge to edge.
Leopard motifIrregular rosette-like spots evoke a leopard’s coat.
MedallionA self-contained ornamental unit repeats as a rounded, oval or shaped centerpiece.
OgeeOpposing S-shaped curves meet to form an undulating pointed repeat.
PaisleyCurved teardrop forms with bent tips build an ornamental repeat.
Pin dotTiny repeated dots create a subtle spotted surface.
Polka dotRegularly repeated round spots contrast with a surrounding ground.
QuatrefoilFour rounded lobes surround a center to make a clover-like outline.
Toile de JouyDetailed scenic vignettes repeat across a textile ground.
TrellisA connected lattice divides the surface into repeated open cells.
Zebra motifIrregular branching stripes evoke the contrasting bands on a zebra’s coat.

Surface & finish

Bouclé textureBouclé texture comes from a fancy yarn with loops or curls along its length.
Brushed surfaceBrushing raises surface fibers to change a fabric's appearance and feel.
Burnout / devoréBurnout creates sheer patterns by selectively removing one fiber component from a fabric.
Embossed textureEmbossing presses a relief pattern into an existing fabric surface.
Flocked surfaceFlocking attaches short fibers to a surface to create a soft, raised design.
Moiré finishMoiré describes a rippling, watered appearance on a fabric surface.
Slub textureSlub texture uses thicker sections along a yarn to create an uneven surface.
Sueded finishSueding gives fabric a fine, suede-like surface through controlled abrasion.
Sweatshirt fleeceSweatshirt fleece has a smooth knit face and a raised, fuzzy backing.

Textile technique

BatikWax protects selected cloth areas from dye to create a patterned textile.
Bobbin laceBobbin lace creates openwork by crossing and twisting multiple threads.
CrochetCrochet forms fabric by drawing yarn through loops with a hook.
Dobby weavingA shaft-control system produces small repeating woven figures and textures.
Dotted SwissA light cloth decorated with small spaced dots, often visibly raised.
EmbroideryEmbroidery creates decoration through stitches worked on or through a supporting material.
IkatA resist-dyeing method patterns yarn before it is woven into cloth.
Jacquard weavingIndividual warp control allows elaborate woven designs with large or detailed repeats.
MacraméMacramé builds decorative textiles through arrangements of knots.
Needle laceNeedle lace builds an openwork fabric using a needle and thread.
Pleated texturePleating folds an existing fabric into a repeated three-dimensional shape.
QuiltingQuilting joins fabric layers with lines of stitching that can also form a surface design.
ShiboriJapanese shaped-resist techniques pattern cloth by controlling which areas take dye.
SmockingSmocking gathers cloth into small folds held and decorated by stitches.
Tapestry weavingDiscontinuous colored wefts build a design while covering the warp.
Tie-dyeBound or gathered cloth resists dye in selected areas to create a pattern.

Weave structure

2/1 twillA three-thread twill repeat places more warp than weft on the illustrated face.
2/2 twillA balanced four-thread twill shows equal warp and weft interlacing counts.
3/1 twillA four-thread twill puts three warp crossings on the face for every one below.
Basket weaveGroups of yarns act together to make a larger version of plain weave.
Birdseye weaveSmall repeated eye-like figures give several woven constructions their birdseye name.
Broken twillA family of twills interrupts the continuous diagonal through a change in sequence or direction.
Crepe weaveIrregularly arranged interlacings create a granular surface without an obvious directional line.
Diamond twillTwill directions reverse along both axes to outline woven diamonds.
Double clothTwo layers are woven together and may be joined or exchanged to form a design.
HerringboneAlternating bands of opposing twill direction create a broken zigzag.
Leno weavePaired warp yarns cross around one another to secure an open woven structure.
Mock lenoGrouped interlacings produce open areas that resemble leno without crossing warp pairs.
Plain weaveEach yarn alternates over and under its neighbors in the smallest woven repeat.
Rib weaveAn extended plain-weave structure emphasizes ribs in one direction.
SatinLong floats and separated binding points produce a smooth woven face.
TwillStaggered yarn floats create the diagonal lines shared by a large family of weaves.
Waffle weaveA cellular woven texture forms recessed centers bounded by raised ridges.

Woven fabric

BrocadeAdditional pattern yarns create figured decoration over a woven ground.
CanvasA firm, typically heavy plain-woven fabric emphasizes sturdy yarns and close construction.
ChambrayA colored warp and a lighter filling create a softly mixed color in a plain weave.
CorduroyRows of cut pile make corduroy’s lengthwise ribs, known as wales.
DamaskContrasting bindings create a figured woven design that reverses between the two faces.
DenimA twill fabric commonly combines colored warp yarns with pale filling yarns.
DrillA firm twill fabric is widely used where clothing needs substantial body.
GabardineA closely set twill presents fine diagonal ribs and a comparatively smooth reverse.
GauzeA lightweight open fabric family provides a sheer, airy surface.
MatelasséA sculpted woven surface creates a quilted-looking pattern.
Oxford clothA basket-weave shirting groups warp yarns together to create visible texture.
PercaleA smooth plain-woven fabric is familiar as a crisp style of sheeting.
Pinpoint OxfordA finer Oxford variation retains grouped crossings with a smoother, smaller-scale texture.
PoplinA closely woven plain-weave fabric offers a smooth shirting surface, sometimes with a fine crosswise rib.
SateenA satin-structured fabric, commonly made with cotton yarns, presents a smooth face.
SeersuckerAlternating puckered and smoother bands give this cloth its recognizable relief.
VelvetAn extra warp system forms a dense pile above the woven ground.
Woven piquéRaised woven ribs or small geometric textures give piqué a patterned surface.
Woven terryUncut loops project from a woven ground to create a toweling surface.