LENO OR GAUZE FABRICS Features of the Leno or Gauze Fabric: Leno or gauze is a weave in which the warp yarns do not lie parallel to each other. Warp yarns work in groups, usually pairs of two; one yarn of each pair is crossed over the other before the filling yarn is inserted, When looking at a leno fabric, one might think that the yarns were twisted fully around each other, but this is not true. Careful examination shows that they are crossed and that one yarn of the pair is always above the other. ara qT Leno weave: Diagram (Left) and Fabric (Right) The gauze weave must not be confused with the weave used in manufacturing gauze bandages or cheese cloth; these materials are made with the plain weave. The true nd with an open-mesh gauze weave construction produces a fabric very light in weigh effect. Curtain materials and some shirting and dress goods are woven with this weave rovided by the plain weave Such light-weight fabrics have a strength that could not be In the gauze weave, strength is gained by the manner in which the yarns are inter- twisted: each weft yarn is encircled by two warp yarns twisted about each other. The gauze weave is sometimes referred to as the leno weave because it is made on a leno re we foom, but the true leno weave is a variation of the On the leno loom, the action of one warp yarn is similar to the action of the warp in the plain weave. The doup attachment, a hairpin-like device at the heddle, alternately pulls the second warp yarn up or down to the right or left with each pick passage. This causes the pair of warps to be twisted, in effect, around each weft yarn.278 Gauge weave (left) and Leno weave (right) The leno is sometimes used in combination with the plain weave to produce a stripe or figure on a plain back ground. Generally, the term ‘leno’ is used synonymously with ‘gauze’. Fabrics made with the gauze weave are manifestly sheer. Yet, their weights vary depending upon the thickness of the yarns, which could be of spun, filament, or ‘combinations of these yarns. ‘Weaving Principle: Leno is made with a doup attachment, (It is the device used on looms to create the leno weave, in which warp yarns cross over each other to create an open, stable woven structure.) which may be used with a plain or a dobby loom. The attachment consists of a thin needle supported by two heddies. One yarn of each pair is threaded through an eye at the upper end of the needle, and the other yarn is drawn between the two eddies. Both yarns are threaded through the same dent in the reed. During weaving, when one of the two heddles is raised, the yarn that is threaded through the needle is drawn across to the left. When the other heddie is raised, the same yarn is drawn across to the right. End Uses: Fabrics made by leno weave inciude marquisette (It is a sheer, light weight, leno weave fabric, usually made of filament yarns), mosquito netting, agritextiles to shade delicate plants, and some bags for laundry, fruit, and vegetables. Polyester marquisettes are widely used for sheer curtains. Casement draperies (Casement cloth is a general term for any open-weave fabric used for drapery or curtain fabrics. It is usually sheer.) are frequently made with lena-weave and novelty yarns. Thermal blankets are sometimes made of leno weave. All these fabrics are characterized by sheerness or open spaces between the yarns. The crossed-yarn arrangement gives279 greater firmness and strength than plain-weave fabrics for a similar low count and minimizes yarn slippage. Snagging may be a problem in used and care, however es ~ bat! art gees *7e01 Figured Marquisette Leno fabric with bouclé yarns Fabric of acetate random slub yarns