Melin Tregwynt Work Experience
In July 2023 I undertook a couple of days work experience to gain industrial experience within the traditional weaving industry at a mill in Pembrokeshire, Wales.
During my time at the mill, I was able to immerse myself in all production processes including warping, beaming off, weaving, quality control, cutting and sewing.
The first process I experienced was warping in which the creel was loaded with the yarn and placed in a specific order based on the pattern of the cloth. Once loaded the ends are wound onto the warping wheel in sections of pattern - this is repeated a number of times to create the total width of the cloth.
Once the warp ends are on the warping wheel they are then taken off through beaming off. This process involves taking the warp and loading the beam which is fixed onto the back of the loom.
The next step is the weaving process, the main process in creating the cloth by using a loom. Before the process of sending the weft through the warp ends the warp yarns are tied through a process called threading up where the new warp is tied to the old warp. Once the new warp has reached the loom it is lifted by the shafts to then send the weft through the shed. The pattern is created as the shafts are lifted in a particular sequence which is controlled by a punch-card chain. As the pieces of cloth made are large, the weft yarns are carried from the cone to the left-hand rapier which then meets the right hand rapier in the centre of the loom, this is an efficient method. Throughout the process the cloth is rolled onto a beam ready to be sent to quality control.
Quality control is the process where cloth is checked for any faults and fixes are made if possible. After watching this process a few times I was then able to try mending samples of fabric by weaving thread to amend any issues.
The cloth is then cut to size depending on the product eg. blanket, throw, cushion or gift. I had the opportunity to cut a number of products myself which would eventually be sold.
The last step is sewing where cloth is sewn together and/or hemmed using industrial sewing machines. I was able to hem a pram blanket as well as a lavender star. Once I had completed this I watched the sewing of a cushion as well as blanket stitch.
This experience was invaluable to see first-hand the manufacturing processes that have been highlighted during lectures and during research at university.
