extended tabby

textile

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June 26, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "tabby" has two primary meanings: one related to textiles and another to cats.

In textiles, "tabby" refers to the plain weave, the simplest and most common method of interlacing yarns to create fabric. This weave involves a warp yarn passing over and under alternate weft yarns. An "extended tabby" is a variation where multiple warps or wefts are interlaced as a unit, creating effects like basketry or ribs. Historically, "tabby" also described a type of silk taffeta with a wavy finish, named after the place in Baghdad where it was produced.12

The word "tabby" later became associated with cats due to the striped or mottled markings on their coats, eventually referring to the cats themselves.2

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textile
Plain weave
The term extended tabby describes any weave in which two or more warps or wefts, or both, are interlaced as a unit. The group includes fabrics with basketry effects and fabrics with ribs formed by groups of warps or wefts in each shed.
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The term extended tabby describes any weave in which two or more warps or wefts, or both, are interlaced as a unit. The group includes fabrics with basketry effects and fabrics with ribs formed by groups of warps or wefts in each shed.
Read More