Lengthwise Grain of Fabric
by Shari
(Australia)
What makes the lengthwise grain of the fabric stronger than the crosswise grain?
ANSWER:That's an excellent question! There's a few reasons why the lengthwise grain is stronger than the crosswise grain. They are:
- The lengthwise threads (warp threads) are the first ones attached to the loom. They are stretched across the loom and firmly secured at both ends. The tightness of the threads gives them more stability.
- Next, threads are woven through the lengthwise threads, in a perpendicular direction. These are called crosswise threads, or weft threads. This makes the lengthwise grain even stronger.
- Finally, the strength of the lengthwise grain comes from the fact that there are usually more lengthwise threads than crosswise threads (per square inch).
