A Flying Shuttle

According to Wikipedia, the fly shuttle had great influence on the Industrial Revolution. Prior to this invention, if a weaving width was greater than arm's length, two people were required to weave the cloth. When John Kay invented the fly shuttle back in the 1700's, it greatly increased the efficiency and speed of weaving and allowed one person to perform the task. In order to keep pace with weaving, improvements in spinning were sought, and powered spinning equipment was developed.

 

Fast forward to the year 2011, and we have all sorts of technology and tools that save time in designing and weaving. Leslie Pearson has come up with a unique way to make her shuttle fly. Although weavers haven't yet achieved the speed depicted here by Leslie, this fun little video may cause some modern day weavers to think "if only."