> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.tempoweave.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.tempoweave.com/help-by-menu-tabs/design-menu/design-repeats.md).

# Design Repeats

### What It Does

Design Repeats duplicates your threading and/or treadling patterns to extend your draft. Whether you need to repeat a small motif across a wide warp or tile a treadling sequence down a long piece, this tool handles the expansion while preserving colors and yarn thickness.

The dialog offers two approaches: **Quick Repeat** for simple duplication of your entire pattern, and **Advanced Repeat** for selective, controlled repeats with optional shaft/treadle shifting.

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### Opening Design Repeats

* **Ribbon**: Design tab > Repeats group > Design Repeats button

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### The Dialog

The dialog has two tabs: Quick Repeat and Advanced Repeat.

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### Quick Repeat

Quick Repeat is the simplest way to extend your draft — specify how many additional copies you want, and the entire pattern is duplicated.

#### Warp Section

**Repeat Warp** — Check this to repeat the warp threading.

**Times** — How many additional copies to add (1–9,999). A value of 1 doubles your warp; a value of 2 triples it, and so on.

**Include Colors** — When checked, warp thread colors are repeated along with the threading. When unchecked, only shaft assignments are copied (new threads get the default color).

**Include Thickness** — When checked, yarn thickness values are repeated. When unchecked, new threads get the default thickness.

The dialog shows the calculated result — total thread count and the resulting width in inches or centimeters based on your sett.

#### Weft Section

**Repeat Weft** — Check this to repeat the weft treadling.

**Times** — How many additional copies (1–9,999).

**Include Colors** — Repeat pick colors.

**Include Thickness** — Repeat pick thickness values.

Shows the calculated pick count and length based on your beat.

#### Using Quick Repeat

You can repeat warp and weft independently or together. Check whichever you need, set the repeat counts, and click **Apply**. The pattern extends immediately. After applying, the checkboxes are unchecked to prevent accidental double-application.

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### Advanced Repeat

Advanced Repeat gives you fine-grained control over what gets repeated, where it goes, and how the shaft or treadle assignments change with each repetition.

#### Warp or Weft

Choose whether to repeat the **warp threading** or the **weft treadling**.

#### Source Range

**From / To** — The starting and ending thread (or pick) numbers that define the pattern to repeat. This lets you select any portion of your existing draft as the source — you don't have to repeat everything.

**Shafts / Treadles from / to** (weft, liftplan and multi-treadle drafts only) — Limits the repeat to a run of columns in the liftplan grid. Only those shafts (or treadles) are written; every other column is left exactly as it is. Leave both fields blank to repeat every column. When you open the dialog with a block selected in the liftplan, the picks and the shafts are filled in from the selection.

#### Destination

**Start At** — The thread or pick number where the first repeat begins.

**Repeats** — How many copies to place (0–9,999).

**Repeat to the end of the draft** — Instead of typing a count, fill from the start thread or pick through the last one in the draft. The dialog works out how many repeats that takes, and the final repeat is cut off at the last thread or pick so the draft does not grow.

**Start At** defaults to the thread or pick right after the To value and follows it as you type; once you set Start yourself it stays put.

The dialog shows a preview: "Repeats will end at thread: X" along with the resulting measurement.

#### Repeat Modes

Three modes control how the pattern changes with each repetition:

**Regular**

Copies the source pattern unchanged to each position. Every repeat is identical to the original. This is the standard "tile" behavior.

**Advancing**

Shifts shaft (or treadle) assignments forward by a step value with each successive repeat. The first repeat shifts by the step amount, the second by twice the step, and so on. Assignments that exceed the available shafts wrap around to the beginning.

For example, with a source threading of shafts 1-2-3 and a step of 1:

* Original: 1-2-3
* Repeat 1: 2-3-4
* Repeat 2: 3-4-5
* Repeat 3: 4-5-6 (wrapping if needed)

This creates gradually shifting patterns — useful for advancing twills, gradual transitions, and decorative effects.

**Decreasing**

The opposite of Advancing — shifts shaft assignments backward by the step value with each repeat. Assignments that go below shaft 1 wrap around to the highest shaft.

**Step** — The amount to shift per repeat (visible only for Advancing and Decreasing modes).

#### Options

**Include Colors** — Copy source colors to each repeat.

**Include Thickness** — Copy source thickness values to each repeat.

**Overlay** (weft only, off by default) — Draw the repeat on top of whatever is already in the destination picks instead of replacing them. A blank source pick leaves the destination pick as it was, and in a liftplan or multi-treadle draft the source lifts are added to the lifts already there. Use it to lay a tabby, a border, or a second motif over treadling you have already placed. Leave it off to get the usual behavior, where each repeat replaces the destination picks completely.

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#### Building a draft in sections (liftplan)

Many weavers lay out a liftplan in sections, each on its own group of shafts with its own repeat length: a main pattern on shafts 1–16, a border on 17–18, an outer motif on 19–26, tubular selvedges on 27–30. To repeat one section without disturbing the others:

1. Draw the section's motif in the liftplan for its shafts only, for one repeat of picks.
2. Drag-select that block in the liftplan grid: just those shaft columns, just those picks.
3. Right-click the selection and choose **Repeat…** (or open **Design Repeats** from the Design tab). The dialog lands on the Advanced tab with the picks and the shafts already filled in and Start At set to the next pick.
4. Set **Start At** to the pick after the motif, check **Repeat to the end of the draft**, and click **Apply**.

Only the selected shafts change. Repeat the steps for the next section on its own shafts. Turn on **Overlay** if the destination picks already carry lifts on those shafts that you want to keep.

### How to Use It

#### Quick Repeat

1. Set up your base pattern (threading and/or treadling)
2. Open **Design Repeats** from the Design tab
3. On the **Quick Repeat** tab, check Warp and/or Weft
4. Enter the number of additional copies
5. Click **Apply**

#### Advanced Repeat

1. Open **Design Repeats** and switch to the **Advanced Repeat** tab
2. Choose **Warp** or **Weft**
3. Set the source range (the portion of the pattern to repeat)
4. Set the destination start and repeat count
5. Choose a repeat mode (Regular, Advancing, or Decreasing)
6. If using Advancing or Decreasing, set the step value
7. Click **Apply**

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### Step-by-Step Example: Extending a Sampler

You've threaded a 4-shaft twill motif across 20 threads and want it to repeat 10 times for a sampler warp:

1. Open **Design Repeats** > Quick Repeat
2. Check **Repeat Warp**, set Times to 9 (9 additional copies = 10 total)
3. Check **Include Colors** and **Include Thickness**
4. Leave Weft unchecked (you'll set that up separately)
5. Click **Apply** — your 20-thread motif now spans 200 threads

### Step-by-Step Example: Creating an Advancing Twill

You want a threading that gradually shifts upward across the warp:

1. Thread a simple 4-shaft straight draw (1-2-3-4) in threads 1–4
2. Open **Design Repeats** > Advanced Repeat
3. Set Source: From 1, To 4
4. Set Destination: Start At 5, Repeats 8
5. Select **Advancing** mode with Step 1
6. Click **Apply**
7. The threading now progresses: 1-2-3-4, 2-3-4-5, 3-4-5-6, etc. (wrapping as needed)

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### Tips

* **Undo works** — Ctrl+Z reverts the entire repeat operation.
* **Check your measurements** — The dialog shows the resulting width or length based on your sett/beat. Use this to plan your warp or weaving length before applying.
* **Quick Repeat resets after apply** — Checkboxes uncheck automatically after applying to prevent accidental double-repeats.
* **Advanced for partial repeats** — Use the source range to repeat just part of your pattern (e.g., only the border motif, not the whole threading).
* **Advancing creates movement** — Advancing repeats are powerful for creating gradual pattern evolution across your draft — the same motif slowly shifting through the shafts.
* **Wrap is automatic** — In Advancing and Decreasing modes, shaft numbers that go beyond the available range wrap around seamlessly.

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### Quick Reference

| Tab             | What It Does                                                         |
| --------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Quick Repeat    | Duplicate entire warp and/or weft N times                            |
| Advanced Repeat | Repeat a selected range with Regular, Advancing, or Decreasing shift |

| Mode       | Behavior                                          |
| ---------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| Regular    | Each repeat is identical to the source            |
| Advancing  | Shafts/treadles shift forward by step per repeat  |
| Decreasing | Shafts/treadles shift backward by step per repeat |

| Option            | Effect                               |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| Include Colors    | Copy thread/pick colors with repeats |
| Include Thickness | Copy yarn thickness with repeats     |