Learning backstrap weaving

Loom Design/Loomates/Tutorial

Backstrap weaving isn't something taught in school; in most cases it's transferred step by step from mom to daughter, sometimes even grandma! In Austronesian and Austro-asiatic societies backstrap weaving is nothing to reach on a boy, you just explain it to your daughter! To become a great weaver you will start snall, like this genious girl explains us. Just a belt of maybe 10 to 15 cm of width for your start and strong threads to keep things easy! No textiles with a wide width. One heddle is enough! That's how you go on for a long time, as much you want!

We can recognise the warp beam, guess made by a 3 cm bamboo cane, a coil rod, made of a thin bamboo stick of about 1 cm (in diameter), followed by a 4 cm shed roll (bamboo cane). After that comes the heddle bar, with its black heddles, made of a sliced strip of bamboo. Next comes the fine polished batten sword with a 7? cm pointed blade. Last and least she uses two similar rods for breast beam and rolling stick, attached with a rope to her back! I guess, they are both done by wood! Oh yes, we shouldn't forget the weft stick; her's seems to be a magical one! We have to mention another important component, it's the board, she uses as a foot-brace.

1. warp beam (3 cm bamboo cane)
2. coil rod (thin bamboo, 1 cm in diameter)
3. shed roll (bamboo cane, 4 cm)
4. heddle bar (strip of bamboo)
5. batten sword (7? cm pointed blade)
6. breast beam and rolling stick (wood)
7. loin rope
8. weft stick
9. foot-brace (wooden board)
10. (loom station?)

On the other end the whole construction is connected by two ropes on the warp beam to a verandah railing or a wooden station. That's what we call a stake loom-type veranda loom; scientifically recognised as "Category [B] - Externally-braced, body-tensioned handloom with a circular warp⁄".  She uses a circular warp, that she rolled-up on her breast beam by the support of the rolling stick!

Preparation of the warp and the weaving process is what her mom's showed her. The wooden components will be done by her father or maybe older brother! We may recognise, that dad used plain materials in natural manner for most components, but for reasons the sword is polished!

Taking a closer look to the scenery, we may asked ourselves, if it isn't actually her little helper rabbit, enabling her to succeed that great!

Warping Tutorial

• Before you can start weaving you may prepare the warping and set up your loom! Watch the tutorial Warping a Karbi Loin Loom by Samili Ingtipi!