ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Textile manufacturing by pre-industrial methods

Before big machines existed, people used to make clothes and fabrics by hand. They did this by using things like wool or cotton, which they would turn into thread. People used to spin the thread on spinning wheels, which looked kind of like a bicycle wheel, but smaller. They would then take the thread and weave it together into fabric, using a loom.

The loom was like a structure made of wood or metal, with threads stretched across it. People would then use different coloured threads to create patterns and designs, making beautiful fabrics that people would wear or use to decorate their homes.

Textile manufacturing was hard work, and people would often have to work long hours to make enough cloth or clothing. They would have to shear sheep for wool, pick cotton from plants, and then clean and prepare them before spinning them into thread.

Before the machines were invented, textile manufacturing was done by small groups of people, often families or groups of friends, who would work together to make the fabric. They would work hard, but also have fun while doing it, chatting and laughing as they sewed and weaved.

Overall, textile manufacturing by pre-industrial methods was a long and complicated process, but it also allowed people to create beautiful, handmade fabrics in a way that brought them together and made them feel like a community.