Tape Looms

Key Terms:

Warp - The threads wrapped around the spool wheel

Weft - The thread that you weave back and forth over and under the warp. (weft - think left and right)

Shuttle - what the weft thread is wrapped around.

Shed - the open area created between the warp threads when you raise or lower the warp.

Used to make a narrow woven piece of material (or tape). Tape was use to hold up petticoats of women and girls clothing.  It could be used to hold up your stockings as garters.  It could be used as a ribbon to trim hats and clothes.  It could also be used to tie bags closed.  Think of the tape as an 18th century equivalent of rubber bands and twist ties.

The threads strung on the loom and wrapped around the spool are the warp threads.  The weft thread is wrapped around a shuttle.  The shuttle and the weft thread are then woven through the warp threads.

 All weaving is basically going over and under the warp threads with a weft thread.  The tape loom is a simple machine that separates the warp threads making for a more efficient manner of weaving.  Notice that the warp in the small holes never changes but that the warp through the slits can be moved up or down to create a space to allow the shuttle to pass and the cloth woven. This open area between the warp threads is called the “shed.”