A woven fabric for use in papermaking machines and particularly with through air drying machines. The fabric comprises a paper support surface having spaced diagonal rows pockets which are effective to create diagonal rows of uncompressed paper forming fibers over the surface of paper formed on the papermaking machine. The rows of pockets are separated by diagonal strips of support surface arranged along substantially a single plane. The diagonal strips provide support areas over the width of the paper forming fibers which firmly secure the fiber sheet with the papermaking fabric during paper forming. The strips also produce diagonal rows of compressed paper forming fibers which provide for a more stable paper product.