# Measuring and Centering your Piece

This step takes so little time, but it's very important not to skip it. If you don't center your work you may end up with broken warp ends, because some warp ends will have more tension on them than others while you work.

If you are using a pattern, there should be a published "width in the reed", or it may say "width in the heddle".  

If you are not following a published pattern, you can plan the width you want to use for your project.   It's important to realize that there will be some draw-in and perhaps shrinkage, so the width of your final product will not be as wide as when you are weaving the cloth under tension.  Draw-in happens when you weave and the weft yarn pulls in at the sides; draw-in should be kept at 1-inch or less when weaving.

Once you decide on the width in the reed, find the center of your heddle, and mark the starting point to start threading your reed; the staring point need to be (width in the reed / 2) inches to the right of the center point.

Some people like to mark the center of their heddle, if the manufacturer doesn't have a center mark:

<figure><img src="/files/l14VK6Sy19l0gFmUCgrd" alt="" width="320"><figcaption><p>Center Mark</p></figcaption></figure>

I like to tie a little string around the heddle through the slot close to the starting point.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/V2PslNAghseklWlqAQUR" alt="" width="320"><figcaption><p>String to Mark Starting Position</p></figcaption></figure>


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