Toiletings

TOILET CLOTHS, TOILETINGS

Terms applied to a number of fabrics such as bed quilts or counterpanes, dressing-table covers, and connote a distinctive type of fabric, the chief feature of which is a face cloth in the plain weave, stitched down according to a prearranged design by means of a tightly-woven binding warp. This causes the figure to stand out in relief, and this feature is enhanced when wadding weft is used. Many qualities are made, including loose-backs, e.g., those in which the tight figuring threads float at the back when not forming figure; half-fast backs in which the figuring threads are partly bound by interlacing with some back picks; and fast backs, in which there is a back pick for every card so that the figuring ends are well bound at the back, usually in the plain weave. The cloths are known as 2-pick, 3-pick, 4-pick, 5-pick and 6-pick toilets according to the number of picks inserted at each figuring shed.