double running stitches (pl. 8,b, c), never very carefully executed on the plain-weave specimens, fasten down all the patches, hems, and occasionally the edges of lapped seams in which one breadth is extended conspicuously over another. Specimen 16-1229 has such a seam with a six-inch overlap. When running stitches are small, they range from one-eighth to one-quarter inch in length with approximately the same distance between them. Many more are from one-quarter to one-half inch long, especially on the numerous patches (pl. 3,d), and the distances between the stitches may be even longer. When running stitches are used for the hems, the cloth edges, including selvages, are turned under twice, just as is our customary procedure. Double running stitches on a bag (4-3889c) are about a quarter-inch long.

Because of the variety of uses to which running stitches are put, they outnumber the other types two to one in the 16- lot, being often combined with the whipping and baseball techniques.

Needleknitting, a decorative stitch which occurs frequently on Cahuachi (Early Nazca) textiles[7] is the edge finish on four of the Chincha plain-weave cloths (pl. 5,c). From the side, the stitch resembles a whipping stitch except for its compactness and the fact that the lines of thread are upright, not slanting; from the edge, the stitch resembles a chain (pl. 8,f, g). The Chincha variety differs slightly from that on the Early Nazca textiles: stitches taken straight over the edge alternate with those linked together with the chain effect.

Patching and Mending

Any form of repair technique in Peruvian textiles is rare. Many of the materials show wear and occasionally coarse stitches are put through the cloth to draw the edges of a tear together; otherwise there is little to suggest concern with prolonging the life of a garment.

In a series of Chincha domestic cloths there are eleven patched specimens but not one trace of reweaving as in darning techniques. Apparently the unusual number of mended cloths interested the collectors in the field for, although a half dozen fragments appear to have been reduced to their present size, the patched portions have been carefully preserved. Fragmentary lengths of these textiles ranged from 14 to 28 inches; widths ranged from 13 to 30 inches.

Certain generalizations are pertinent to all the mended fragments. There is no evidence of the use of a cutting tool; the edges of the patching pieces were torn or snagged along a thread. If the selvages were somewhat worn, the seamstress did not remove them but made a deep turn to fold the worn part to the underside. Much of the patching material was perceptibly worn to begin with; three brown specimens were badly disintegrated. On specimen 16-1259 there are four overlapping layers of patching material in one spot. Generally, the worn spot covered by a patch or several patches is an area in which the weaving was poorly done.

The patched fabrics are in the medium- and coarse-texture groups with the exception of one fine cloth (16-1224). The repair materials fall within all three texture groups. A third of the patches (11 out of 31) were of striped materials, most of which are of better quality than the base fabric. Patches too small to cover the entire worn area are pieced out by overlapping them with a second piece of material. More than a third of the patches were taken from the edges of the breadths, as the stripes indicate.

Techniques used to fasten down the edges are hemming and whipping. The workmanship is fairly coarse, the lengths of the individual stitches approximately a quarter-inch long. Standards were much below those held by the weaver, but this difference is not surprising.

Threads employed for the patching suggest that the seamstress used odds and ends of weaving yarns. Two or more kinds ordinarily appear on a single patch, one of them usually a coarse white cotton thread of fairly loose twist. Some threads are used single in the needle, some double. Colors are browns, blues, orange, yellow, the last happening to be short lengths of wool. There is no evidence that the seamstress attempted to match the yarn to either the ground or the patch materials. Where we start a new length of thread with a knot made at the end, these Chincha threads begin with a half-hitch around the first stitch taken through the cloth (16-1238) or with a stitch through the cloth and a knot tied with the short and long sections of the thread (16-1261).

Plate 3,d shows one of the typical patched cloths. Four fabrics are represented: the base material, medium fine; and the three patching fabrics, the lower patch very fine and the upper right and left patches coarse. The most complicated arrangement of patches is found on a specimen (16-1240) composed of two breadths seamed together. The overall measurements of the torn rectangular fragment are 17 inches warpwise by 30 inches weftwise. Within this area are nine different pieces of cloth, seven of them covering worn spots or poorly woven areas.

PATTERN

The only colored decoration on the Chincha domestic cloths is in the form of stripes. This section presents an analysis of the types found on thirty-odd specimens.

Stripes in this sample group either border the edge of the cloth or make an allover pattern. With the exception of four cloths, the stripes are warpwise of the materials; these four have stripes both warpwise and weftwise, and thus may be classified as plaids. Edge stripes occur in combination with an allover strip pattern in specimen 16-1287 and in combination with plaid in specimen 4-3973d (pl. 6,f). There are no cloths crossbanded only with colored wefts.

Apparently there was no preference as to the texture most appropriate for patterning by stripes; both fine and coarse cloths are thus decorated. For example, specimen 16-1225 is very fine (thread count, 102 warps by 42 wefts per in.) and specimen 16-1234 is medium coarse (count, 36 warps by 28 wefts per in.). Both cloths are allover striped. Edge stripes occur on a relatively fine cloth, specimen 16-1255a (count, 62 warps by 40 wefts per in.), and also on a coarse cloth (count, 28 warps by 24 wefts per in.).

Five cloths in the Chincha lot are allover striped. One (16-1252) has solid blue and brown stripes at irregular intervals. The arrangement contrasts with the regularity of the other allover-striped materials and of the symmetrical plaids. Other allover stripes (fig. 8, a; pl. 7,c) have units a quarter-inch wide, brown on a neutral ground. There is both color and texture interest in