treadling

Treadling is the act of operating a loom’s treadles, the foot-operated pedals that control the movement of the loom’s heddles or shafts. By pressing a treadle, the weaver lifts a selected set of warp threads, creating a shed through which the weft can be passed. The sequence of pressed treadles and the resulting shed constitute the treadling pattern, or draft, that works in concert with the warp and weft to determine the final weave.

On looms with multiple shafts, each treadle is connected to one or more shafts by cords or bars. The loom’s treadle tie-up assigns which shafts rise when a given treadle is pressed. A draft specifies the order in which treadles are used from one pick to the next, producing weave structures such as plain weave, twill, or satin. The complexity of the treadling pattern increases with the number of treadles and the variety of ties between treadles and shafts.

Treadling arrangements vary by loom type. Traditional floor looms use treadles and a tie-up to control which shafts are lifted, enabling a wide range of weave structures. Other loom systems, such as dobby or jacquard, can control shedding electronically or with more autonomous mechanisms, reducing or eliminating the need for manual treadling in the weaving process. In weaving literature, treadling, together with the threading of the warp and the pick sequence, forms a fundamental part of the weaving draft and pattern development.