Fig. 82
Coming now a step further towards the damask or figure patterns, we have still great scope for variety, without much, if any, knowledge of drawing being required from the designer. This consists of spotting small geometrical figures over the cloth, the body or ground of which may be plain, twill, or any texture desired. [Fig. 83] is a pattern of this description with a plain ground. The figures are arranged in satinette or 4-end satin order. Of course, the ground might be a twill if desired, and the figures may be of any form that ingenuity can suggest. They may be solid, and a twilled texture used to bind them if the flushes of warp or weft are too great, and part of the figure might be warp flush and part weft flush; in fact any variety that the designer can arrange to produce a good effect on the cloth, which, if the warp and weft are of different colours, may be made very effective. Any arrangement for the figures may be used if suited to the size of the figure and the space they have to occupy to suit the repeat of the pattern. The 4-end satin gives two figures on one diagonal, and two on the other diagonal alternately; one figure on each diagonal may be used, and also three figures on each with equally good effect, subject, of course, to some extent to the size and form of the figures. Five and eight-thread satin arrangements are two of the best that can be used if a greater number of figures are required in each repeat of the pattern. To arrange a pattern in satin order, the usual way is to rule the repeat into as many squares in length and breadth as there are threads in the satin to be used. Thus, for a 5-thread satin, rule the repeat into five squares in length and the same in breadth, or twenty-five squares in all, then place one of the figures into each of five of these squares, the order being that of the 5-end satin twill. A draughtsman would either sketch these figures on the design paper, or sketch one of them on a piece of plain paper, trace it, and transfer it to the different positions it would occupy on the design paper, and then paint each of them independently. But a designer, without a knowledge of drawing, would mark out the spaces on the design paper for each figure, and, having made one of the figures the required shape on the checks or small squares, would copy the others from this. In [Fig. 83] let 2a be the first figure formed, it being started in the second square upwards and first row. Now, the second figure can be similarly begun in 4-thread satin order, which would bring it to square No. 2, and it is begun in the same position in this square that the first one was begun in square No. 2a. The third figure falls to the third square from 3a and 3, but as this figure is turned round for variety, the point for beginning it at figures 1 and 2 must be marked, and an imaginary square run round it, and it must be kept in its position in the square, or the centre of the figure may be found by counting the checks in either of the first or second figures and this figure wrought from the centre; or, again, as the figure is six checks greater in length than in breadth, it must be set three checks to one side, and the top point should rise three checks higher up above the large square of the design paper on which it should be started; but with a plain ground it is sometimes necessary to move the figures one check out of position to allow the plain to fall in regularly all round them. This figure is set one check down. [Fig. 4] is copied from [Fig. 3], and is in the same position. With a twilled ground or irregular figures, it will not matter if the ground does not fall in quite regularly round them.
Fig. 83
Fig. 84