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Cloth Making Menu
An Introduction
Who Did What?
Clothier
Woolstapler
Dyer
Willower
Scribbler
Blender
Carder
Slubbing
Spinner
Quilley Winder
Warper
Weaver
Finishing
• Burler
• Scourer
• Mender
• Fuller
• Tentering
• Raiser
• Shearer
• Presser
• Factor

Raiser – Raising the Nap

In the cloth dresser’s workshop, the piece of cloth was hung over a perch (bar). The surface of the cloth was brushed using handles of teasels thus raising the nap of the cloth. A handle was a wooden, cross shaped hand tool which held several fullers’ teasels (Dipsacus fullonum). Cleaning and repairing the handles was done by the preemer, usually a boy. One cloth would be raised and sheared several times.

A mechanised teasel gig was developed and introduced into this area by 1770. There is a splendid model of a teasel gig designed by Hadens, on display in Trowbridge Museum alongside a genuine machine.