Ask Madelyn: How do you use a temple on doubleweave?

Hi Madelyn!

I’m looking at the “Double Down Eco Friendly Blanket,” from the January/February 2018 issue of Handwoven, pp. 38–40. It calls for using a temple to avoid draw-in. It’s my first doublewide project and my question is about how to use the temple. Do I embed the stabby ends into both layers of fabric? Or just the top layer?

Thanks!

—Sharon

Hi Sharon!

I love your reference to the “stabby” ends of the temple—most of us have been stabbed by them at least once! The answer to your question is: Yes, you need to place the teeth in both layers. Photo a below, left, doesn’t quite show the teeth going through the top (blue) layer of the doubleweave fabric, but they do. You have to place the teeth carefully in the top layer first, then in the bottom layer, as close to the outside warp end in each layer as possible (the teeth have to be inserted practically at a right angle to the cloth edge to do this).

a. Place the temple as close to the edge as possible in both layers; b. If the temple is placed too far inside the edge, it will leave a gap.

Placing the teeth close to the edge is really important. If they are inserted inside the edge, they will push warp ends apart where they are inserted, and the gap is likely to remain in the finished cloth as shown in photo b above. The temple will not leave any spaces or holes if it’s placed close to the edge and if the weft turns firmly against the outside thread (see Photos c–e below).

c. Temple inserted; d. View from underneath; e. Edge with temple removed. Place the temple teeth one or two warp ends inside the edge and about 1/4" – 3/8" below the fell. When the temple is removed, no gaps should show in the cloth.

The temple must also be placed far enough from the fell of the cloth (usually between 1/4" and 3/8" below it) so that the beater doesn’t hit the temple. And, maybe most important of all: The temple must be moved often enough to be doing its job of spreading the warp at the fell. The rule of thumb I follow for most weaving is: Move the temple every 1-1/4", and advance the warp every 2-1/2".

—Madelyn