Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 1999. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 264-282).

Thesis--Indiana University. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 177-184).

Significant proportion of composite industry is currently produced using prepregs, cured in autoclave which is very expensive and time consuming process. Dry textile preforms in conjunction with liquid molding techniques can lead to significant reductions in material costs, manufacturing costs and cycle times. These dry preforms are typically 2D woven or braided fabrics which also required lay-up and have low interlaminar properties. Through thickness reinforcement provides solution for this problem as it gives better interlaminar properties as well as near net shape performing. Various 3D performing methods are discussed and reviewed in this research where 3D weaving comes out as ideal process to develop near net shape preforms with more efficiency and better material performance. This research highlights the advantages and limitations of conventional 3D weaving processes. A number of approaches for improving the flexibility of 3D weaving process have been presented including changing fiber architecture in different sections of the preform, tapering in the width and thickness directions and finally to change the fiber orientation. It is concluded that multi step and taper fabrics can be produced on conventional weaving by some modifications. Furthermore, a novel 3D weaving machine is designed and developed after reviewing various patents and weaving methods to overcome limitations of conventional weaving machine. Key criterions from limitations of conventional weaving processes are considered and modified such as multiple weft insertion, limited warp stuffer movement, linear take-up to develop 3D weaving machine. In order to achieve isotropic material, two textile technologies are combined to get final requirements. 3D weaving can provide us fibres in 0° and 90° direction with through thickness reinforcement, whereas braiding can satisfy the requirement of bias direction fibres. Near net shape preforms such as taper and multistep are produced and laminated. Preliminary testing is performed on these laminates to evaluate fibre architectures. Further work is required in terms of machine modification which can provide weave design flexibility to explore various multilayer weave architectures. Thorough testing is required to evaluate and define structure performance and effect of fibre damage during weaving process.

This work is aimed for the most common stereotypical behaviour of horses - cribbing and weaving. It deals not only with the description of their expression but also with detailed analysis of their duration and frequency during the day. It compares their occurrence in regard to different age, sex, breed and also type of stabling. 8 horses from 5 different places were chosen for the observation. The monitoring was performed by the direct observation and by 24-hours video recordings.

This thesis focuses on the production and display of weavings made by a small number of Musqueam women, who in the 1980s began weaving in the tradition of their ancestors. It addresses the way in which these weavings, positioned throughout Vancouver and worn in public settings, build a visual presence to counter the exclusion of Coast Salish cultural representations from the public construction of history in Vancouver and the discourse of Northwest Coast art. The Vancouver International Airport and the Museum of Anthropology at the University o f British Columbia both share with Musqueam a history of place. A distinct relationship fostered between Museum staff and members of the Musqueam community has yielded several exhibits since the first, Hands of Our Ancestors: The Revival of Weaving at Musqueam, opened in 1986. The presence of Musqueam material at the Museum is part of an extensive history of interaction and negotiation between Canadian museums and the cultural communities whose histories, traditions and material culture are represented - a history which encompasses issues of representation, authorship and authority. The Vancouver International Airport is also situated on Musqueam traditional territory. Designed by representatives from the Musqueam Cultural Committee and the Airport project team, the international arrivals area features works of contemporary Musqueam artists which are intended to create a sense of place with an emphasis on the distinctiveness of its location. Travelers cross several thresholds in the terminal - the sequence o f these crossings carefully choreographed so that deplaning passengers pass from the non-space of international transience to a culturally specific space marked by Musqueam's cultural representations, and then past Customs into Canada. Certain incidents at these sites indicate that visibility and self-representation do not in themselves answer the problems of power and history. When the Museum of Anthropology hosted a meeting for leaders of the Asia Pacific Economic Community in 1997, a newly implemented protocol agreement between Musqueam and the Museum was broken; and in a number of instances, achievements at the Airport have also been impaired. Despite these limits, weavings are not examples of token native inclusion as some critics argue. Rather, they are cultural representations strategically deployed by the Musqueam community. Enlarged from traditional blankets to monumental hangings, these weavings participate with other more recognized monumental Northwest Coast forms. They are visual, public signifiers of Musqueam identity which, without violating boundaries between public and private knowledge, carry messages from the community to a broader audience - messages intended to mark Musqueam's precedence in Vancouver's past as well as to claim visibility in the present. / Arts, Faculty of / Art History, Visual Art and Theory, Department of / Graduate

This essay examines what functions a forum on social media can have for people interested in weaving, and studies what similarities and differences exist between a digital forum for weavers and a physical weaving context. This is done by highlighting and exemplifying how members of the Swedish weaving forum Vävspolen (woven coil) based on Facebook, use the group in connection with their interest in the handicraft. The study is based on the responses from a survey study that was answered by members of the forum. The theory of this essey is based on previous research, the results of the survey study and the purpose of the essay. There where 335 resposes to the survey study. The result shows that the forum can be used as a source for inspiration and also as a place where people can share their own material with the aim of inspiring others, to get confirmation and to get feedback. It can also be used by its members as a place to exchange experiences and knowledge with each other. Similarities between a digital forum for weavers and a physical context for weavers are that the opportunity for inspiration and exchange of experiences and knowledge exists in both contexts. The possibility of contact with like-minded people is also a similarity. Differences between the two contexts are the absence of physical and tactile as well as the physically social in Vävspolen. However, Vävspolen is considered to have a wider range of knowledge.

Weaving and architecture, conceived simultaneously with cave paintings, are two ancient forms of craft used to enclose space and provide shelter harmoniously with nature. In its basic composition, a useable textile is the interlacing of two members, warp and weft, at right angles to create structure and surface respectively. Textile artist Anni Albers of the Bauhaus attributes the organization of weaving to the skills of an ancient goddess. Her understanding of prehistoric cultures further links women closer to the overall creation of structure, though perceived as a masculine endeavor. Consequently, early advancements in architecture, the structural organization of shelter, are a result of feminine inventions. Moreover, it has been the female who has been entrusted with emotional and sensual elements of shelter since prehistory. Through the creation of a home, woman’s mastery of the domestic realm strengthened and led to gender-defining ideologies. Suburban typologies of the post-war United States heightened the feminine domestic role through social and environmental isolation of the gender. The suburbs ironically conditioned an alternative sentiment of the built environment featuring ideals of tradition, sustenance, and continuity with nature. In the modern era, weaving and architecture have devolved to be similarly designed and chosen for aesthetic qualities only. Textiles are produced for an indoor existence with weaving traditions unchanged and innovation seen in synthetic fibers. Modern shelter is chosen and constructed using inefficient practices popularized in the 1950s, with advancements only in materiality. Both disciplines overlook their feminine link and mutual advantages of protection, flexibility, user connection, tactile engagement, and environmental impact. As a result of this disregard, the capacity of the planet suffers due to outdated and unsustainable residential building practices, while quality of life degrades due to the inabilities of built spaces to nurture and engage inhabitants effectively. Based on eco-maternalist philosophies within architecture and the structural, spatial, and tactile qualities of weaving, these crafts can again interlock into a modern, efficient construction of shelter. The time has come to rethink building design and the feminine integration of weaver and architect provides a foundation for the discovery of an appropriate assembly for the next generation.

I have used weaving as a method to investigate connections between this craft and architecture. The project can be divided into four parts: The first part is a research phase starting from the etymology of the word textile, which derives from the latin word texere which means - to weave, to join, to build, to construct etc. Following the spirit of Gotfried Semper and his ideas in his book “The four elements of architecture” I have built frames to learn the principles of weaving. The second part is a basic research of an attempt to create a prototype for a structural element that is based on previous studies. In part three I illustrate potential areas of use of the elements. In the final conclusive part I reflect upon my work and what I have learned during the project.

This work places itself within the field of hand woven textile design. The project presents three examples of an exploration on alternative expression and areas of application in hand woven rugs in relation to Christian symbolism and the church room. The idea takes ground from the church being both a historical and active place, that adapts and evolves together with society. By researching Christian color symbolism and symbols the frame of the work is decided, along with an evaluation of a technical pre-study. The project uses the warp as a design challenge in several ways; as a color design element, as a fringe and testing versatile possibilities of one warp creating different expressions. Dressing the church is a work that wants to contribute to widening the field of church textiles; adding expressive color, alternative materials and finishing.

Floats. In weaving, they serve as a base for fundamental bindings such as twill or satin; they can also be considered as an error. Although more experimental floating threads have been a subject of exploration for many creators, their use in interior-oriented textiles is still rare. Basing on the possibilities offered by the Jacquard weaving technology, this project aims to investigate the aesthetic properties of floats. It was done through a systematic development of near-field and far-field structures as well as colour and yarn research. The investigation resulted in a collection of five textile objects, displaying different visual expressions achieved by the use of floats. Furthermore, by placing the woven pieces in a spatial context, Floating in focus aims to challenge the prevailing perception of interior textiles. Shape exploration of the collection is an attempt to find new ways of integrating woven textiles in space, somewhere between architecture and archetypical interior textiles such as blankets, pillows or upholstery.