 Fabric weaving: laces of history
Added: 10/11/2005 |
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Since the very application of first simple knotting methods of making clothes fabric weaving has been significantly improved. A great number of different materials were developed. At early times of fabric making such materials as velvet were rare, because most textile was made of cheap fibers using a simple flat woven technique. So, the material and weaving technique made velvet a piece de resistance.
The history of fabric weaving is very long and interesting. In pre-historic times people used animal fell to cover their caves and to make the clothes for protection in winter. But pretty soon they discovered a new way of making clothes - they started to use fibers from different plants to form a new sort of covering.
That was the beginning of fabric weaving. First fabrics were pretty simple. In most cases, it was a sort of a knitting technique far from that known today. But as time passed by, the new methods of fabric weaving were developed and people started to use new materials. Such things as flat woven textiles became wide-spread.
The latest archeological discoveries show that 3000 years ago pretty complicated methods of fabric weaving were already known. These discoveries show that the technology of fabric weaving was not located in a single region, but was spread all over the globe. The fabrics and techniques differed from each other depending on the region.
It was not until much later that people learned to use animal fur for making fabrics. That improved weaving technology to a great extent. The further development of fabric weaving was oriented not only to making clothes and coverings to protect from bad weather, but for interior decoration too. Different sorts of rich fabrics were honored and in vogue at that time.
In Middle Ages extravagant and sumptuous textiles like velvet sprang into being. It is still unclear where these textiles came from into Europe, but they were very popular with royal families. The name "velvet" at that time was used for a whole family of different pile woven fabrics with slight variations in weaving techniques. In fact, this line of fabrics was rather extensive and included all sorts of textiles ranging from very delicate and lightweight fabrics to quite durable and strong materials used for coverings.
It is believed that the most skilled and professional velvet weavers lived and worked in Greece and Cyprus. And, it is thought that these countries were the first in Europe to produce velvet, which later came into fashion and became an object of desire in other European countries such as England and France. According to historical documents, such rich and luxurious materials as velvet textiles were first mentioned in the English literature in 1220, while in eastern countries it was known even earlier - back in 800 AD.
And at those times velvet making was a pretty hard technique of fabric weaving and all things made of it were among dear rarities. The articles of velvet fabrics that were made for Asian Caliphs are extremely expensive these days, costing the earth. There are many firms and collectors who are devoted to finding different masterpieces of early fabric weaving. And they look not only for textile fabrics decorated with gold and silver, but also for pretty simple ones. A galore of such firms are represented and easily found on the Internet, so you can also see and even buy these wonderful textiles with a click.
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