'Card' or 'tablet' weaving was the method of producing braid in the Middle
Ages. It is a weaving technique where tablets or cards are used to create the
shed through which the weft is passed. The yarn would be threaded through wooden
or bone tablets then used to thread through the warp to create a corded effect.
The technique is limited to narrow work such as belts, straps, or garment trim.
This braid was popularily used for trimming around hems or for appliqué
decoration.
The origins of this technique go back at least to the early Iron age. Tablet-woven
bands are commonly found in Iron age graves and are presumed to be standard
trim for garments among various peoples, including the Vikings.