[MR] Re: Loom Widths

[EXCMairi at aol.com]

In a message dated Thu, 21 Mar 2002  7:19:29 PM Eastern Standard Time, atlantia-request at atlantia.sca.org writes:

> Message: 5
> Reply-To: "Melanie Mallery" <mel3needles at earthlink.net>
> From: "Melanie Mallery" <mel3needles at earthlink.net>
> To: <atlantia at atlantia.sca.org>
> Date: Wed, 20 Mar 2002 19:45:00 -0500
> Subject: [MR] loom widths
> 
> dear fellow tavern folks
> i am seeking information re:  loom/cloth widths in early byzatine time =
> frame.see the 21 virgin martys of St applonaire mosiac.=20
> help!!
> many thanks
> melania

Loom widths for the early Byzantine period were actually sometimes very wide. Many extant Coptic tunics from the same time period (and interacting with the Byz. empire)were woven with the front hem as one selvedge side to the other hem as the other selvedge side, instead of the sides of the tunic being the selvedge sides - i.e., woven from sleeve end to sleeve end instead of from hem to hem. So if you undid the side seams and laid the tunic out flat, you were weaving a width that was from hem to hem, not from side to side. 

Is that clear, or did I just confuse you more? ; )

If you are interested in Early Byzantine-era clothing, write to me privately - it is one of my primary areas of research...

Mairi