According to www.apparelsearch.com, a twill weave is “…a type of fabric woven with a pattern of diagonal parallel ribs. It is made by passing the weft threads over one warp thread, and then under two or more warp threads. Examples of twill fabric are gabardine, tweed, and serge.”
Merriam-Webster says twill weave is “a textile weave in which the filling threads pass over one and under two or more warp threads to give an appearance of diagonal lines”.
Interestingly, the most common form of twill weave fabrics that almost all people are familiar with is denim. Yep, denim blue jeans are a twill weave fabric. And the word “denim” is derived from “serge de Nimes” – a region in France where the textile serge was produced. Cool, huh? I love learning more about the origin and meaning of words!
Twill is one dang sturdy weave. Have you ever seen or worn a wool gabardine suit? Long-wearing, huh? Denim – built to last. When you think about fabrics with a nice draping quality, skip right on past twill weaves. They do not hang in soft folds from the bias. They stand up in the corner by themselves!
Denim is one of my all-time favorite fabrics, and if I can ever FINALLY FINISH my latest jeans I will even post a picture of them. Soon. I promise!
Happy sewing!
Maris Olsen