Weaving

General
Traditionally, women were the weavers in Beduin society. They wove almost everything that they needed, including their own house. They made rugs, cushion covers, saddlebags and other animal gear. Wide pieces such as tent walls, rugs, and some bags, were made in strips that were sewn together. There is still weaving of this kind being made in the Middle East.
However, the nomadic lifestyle has declined,and the need for these objects has decreased greatly.

The Loom
The loom is made up of two end beams of wood or metal staked into the ground. Warp yarns stretched between them form the framework of the weave. A rod holds yarn loops called heddles. They hold half of the yarns, enabling the weaver to separate the upper and lower sets of warps. The weaver pushes the unheddled yarns up and down and inserts the weft, crosswise yarn, in the opening. As she weaves, she sits on the completed part of the weaving.

Weavings
This weaving method allows the weaver to make pieces such as tent walls and roofs, which are sometimes over 25 feet long. The width is achieved by sewing together these long, narrow strips. Saddlebags and rugs are likewise made on a long warp with spaces left between sections for cutting.
Pieces such as tent walls, saddlebags, and rugs start as narrow strips which are sewn together. Tent roofs and side walls are made of many such strips. Narrow bands are sewn at right angles to roof pieces, which rest on tent poles. The ends of the bands are attached to hardware holding tensioning ropes. They provide lateral support to the lengthwise roof pieces. When pieces wear out, they are recycled to parts of the tent which get less wear. When they are too worn to be used on the tent, they can be made into storage bags or used for patching. Sometimes they are left in the desert when they are no longer of use.