Follow every warp beam, loom and fabric roll from yarn lot to graded, packed length.

A fabric mill sells length, width and weight. Behind them stand yarn counts, ends per inch, picks per inch, the warp beam on the loom and the roll that comes off it. Buyers ask for a construction, a weight in grams per square metre and a shade. Then they measure what arrives, roll by roll, against the order and against the sample they approved before the first metre was woven.

Much of the money is made or lost between the loom and the packing list. Rolls change hands between weaving, grey inspection, processing houses and finishing. A roll that loses its number cannot be sold with confidence.

Orders list quality, construction, width, finish and delivery. The planner works out yarn needed for warp and weft, issues cones to the warping section, and builds beams for sizing and drawing-in. Looms or knitting machines are loaded by quality, and operators record metres or kilograms produced per shift. Efficiency follows from stoppages.

Greige rolls reach the inspection table. Defects are counted per length and graded. Fabric goes to a processing house for bleaching, dyeing, printing or finishing, and returns with shrinkage and shade readings. Final inspection, lot matching and rolling follow. Packing lists carry roll numbers, lengths and weights for the order, and the buyer checks them on arrival at the cutting room. Remnants are sold as lots.