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Brocade describes a type of woven fabric that features a multi-coloured pattern created using a discontinuous supplementary weft structure. Brocade is easily identified by the long floats on the backside of the fabric, which occur when the colourful weft yarns are not in use on the surface design. These floats make the fabric slightly thicker than other multi-coloured fabrics, such as tapestry. Brocade fabric can have a variety of ground fabrics, including twill, plain weave, leno, and satin. Brocade is woven on a complex loom (called a “drawloom”) that is operated by two weavers: one on the top of the loom (“drawboy”) and a second craftsperson operating the lower section.

Related Definitions:

Fiber: Natural (plant or animal) or synthetic material formed into a thread that is longer than it is wide.

Warp: lengthwise yarn that runs from the top to the bottom of the fabric. This yarn is typically held stationary during weaving.

Weft (or Fill or Filling Yarns): crosswise yarn that runs selvedge to selvedge, under and over the warp yarns in varying patterns to create different weave structures.

Yarn: A continuous length of interlocked fibers, which may or may not be twisted.

Plain Weave (or Tabby Weave): the most basic weave structure that consists of one warp and one weft thread intersecting at a right angle. The front and backside of the resulting fabric are the same.

Satin Weave: Four or more weft yarns intersecting with a warp yarn, or vice versa. The resulting floats, which are sections of the yarn that do not intersect, appear on the face of the fabric, producing a very glossy, smooth, and flat appearance.

Twill Weave: one weft thread passing over one or more warp threads and then under two or more warp threads creating diagonal ridges, which are the identifying feature of the resulting fabric.

Leno: A type of gauze fabric in which two or more warp yarns (up to four) are twisted around a weft yarn to produce a strong but fine, loose, and open fabric.