The textile production is possibly the oldest expertise man learnt. The textile production was the most widespread craft as clothes were produced for domestic consumption in all regions of the world. The requirement of clothing for wearing was different in all parts of the world as it depended upon the climate of the regions and accordingly diverse kinds of clothes were produced. In the medieval period woollen clothes of Europe were famous for their quality, the Chinese were known for their silk, India and some other regions of Asia and Africa excelled in the production of cotton textiles. Though cotton textiles were also produced in various other regions, but India was the largest producer of cotton textiles and more than hundred types of fabrics were produced here.
Indian clothes were famous for their durable bright colours. Colouring of clothes was done by two methods: batik and patola. In the former method wax was used to keep the design intact before dipping the fabric into the dye bath, in the later method the yarn was dyed before weaving and weaving was done as per the requirements of the design. Extensive trade in textiles contributed in the increase in quantities produced.
Egypt, Senegal and other regions of Africa also had quite advanced weaving industry. In fact, the Egypt was on of the earliest regions of the world to develop the skill of the trade. The Central Asia and parts of Arabia were known for their outstanding carpet weaving. In Arab world cotton was carded through a kind of bow and weaving was done on a loom and for weaving wool the combing method was used. But, the carpet weaving was the noteworthy craft of the Arab world as well as the Central Asian and Islamic region. The children in large number were employed in the making of carpets. While children worked at great speed, a veteran supervisor monitored them and provided guidance to get the desired design.
In China, production of silk was quite labour-intensive work and craftsmen were involved in various stages of sericulture. However, the work of spinning and weaving were done by the women generally. In the medieval period the silk production reached its zenith with large demand in Europe and other parts of world. The Chinese contact with Iran led to numerous changes in woven patterns and designs. For instance, Sassanid motifs like pearl entrusting medallions appeared in the T’ang patterns woven on the weft. Later, brocaded silk designed with threads made of gold were produced during Sung dynasty.
The woollen textiles manufactured in Europe were known for their high quality and sheep were reared in many parts of the continent. Though woollen textiles were produced in every region as people everywhere required them, but big production centres were located in England and Italy. The manufacturing process consisted of many stages and each of them underwent vast technological changes with time.
The best wool came from shearing the mature sheep. After shearing came cleaning, the wool was put into large tubs containing hot alkaline water. 15-25% of the weight of the wool was removed by this process, as dirt and oils were washed away. The wool was next rinsed in cool water and then set in the sun to dry. After drying, the wool was put on tables and beaten with sticks to separate the fibres and remove any remaining dirt. The fine short-haired fibres destined for cloth-making were then oiled or greased. This served to protect them from any damage which might occur during the later harsher stages of production.
Combing and carding processes were done by women at home. The carding and combing was to remove imperfect fibers and dirt, and also to straighten the threads. Combing is the older process, used for all types of wool fibres. Carding was introduced later for the shorter fibres.
Spinning was the process of making long threads or yarns out of the combed or carded wool. Several methods existed over time, but they all involved separating out fibres, twisting them together to make a long thread, and winding the thread onto a spindle or bobbin. The process of spinning was eased by the introduction of the spinning wheel to Europe in the 13th century. The process of weaving required a lot of strength to maneuver some of the looms. In families making cloth for their own use, women typically did the spinning and men the weaving.
Fulling was an important stage as it improved the density of the material by shrinking loose fibres and causing them to twist together, and it removed any remaining oils that might be present. The process had several steps. First the cloth was scoured in water with a cleaning agent. The cloth was beaten and walked on to aid the cleaning process. It was then rinsed in cool water and burling was done to remove any knots. Now the cloth was again put into hot water and walked upon, in order to remove wrinkles and untwist the fibres. At the end of fulling, the fibres were more closely wound together, making for a stronger fabric. After another round of washing, the still wet cloth was stretched to dry on tenters in fields. Tenters were wood frames with hooks on the ends. The loose threads of the cloth were cut. As the cloth dried, it shrank. The cloth was not to be stretched too far on the tenters lest it weakened.
The dyeing of cloths was a specialized process in which Kermes was used to give red dye. This mineral was imported from Asia Minor, Spain and Portugal. For blue dye, indigo was imported from India.Finally, the material was brushed and folded. Any loose threads were then cut off by the shearer. The shearer was a specialist who took proper care to ensure the look and feel of the final product
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