Repeat -- Hemstitching 101 - Ann's Version

I like to hemstitch the edges of scarves. This is the edge of this woven shibori crackle experiment. I like the little holes I get. I am weaving with 10/2 Tencel, 24 epi.

Here is my version of hemstitching.

I do the same on both edges. The only difference is that on the ending edge, I will go into the fringe area first, then the web. Here I will show you the beginning edge. I start in the web, up two rows, around three threads, then down two rows (into the fringe area) around three.

When I start , I will leave a tail 4 times the width of the warp.

I will take the needle behind, two rows into the web, around three threads.

Now I will always keep my needle on the top of the warp. I will go below the fell line and go around three.

I now go up two rows, around three threads. I am always going in the same direction.

Back to below the fell line, around three. I am always pulling tight to get a small hole.

When I get to the other side, I will weave the tail into the web and clip it off.

This is what the back side looks like.

Hemstitching

Ta Da!  Hemstitching being performed on a loom near you.

I call this my 2 X 4 hemstitching. I go in two rows and around four ends.  

Crackle - Black Bamboo Wouldn't You?

I am going with the black weft. I like how the black is interacting with the fuchsia/gray. Good advice from everyone, including DH. Thanks!

I have hemstitched the edge and will twist the fringe when I get this off the loom. I have used a different tie-up than was with this Griswold draft. I am trying a tie-up that I learned from Susan Wilson when I took her "Crackle" workshop at Midwest Weavers Conf. 2013.  She showed us 'the' three different tie-ups when weaving on eight shafts. That info is in her book too!

Weaving ..Side Street

As you know, fellow weavers, we always have more than one project going at at time. And if you own more than one loom, well.............................

I put a summer and winter threading on the Macomber and did a fast plain weave scarf. Here I am working on the hemstitching. I did do a little pattern work on this one edge, about six inches worth, to give it a little punch. Beads may be called upon to finish this edge.

The warp is gold Bambu and the weft is variegated Bambu. (I can't find the color names but got both from Cotton Clouds a year or so ago.)    



I just love the close-ups this camera does!

When I did this pattern work, I used the same weft as the tabby pick and used tie down order 1-1-1-1 and tabby a-b-a-b. 

Push Play

Now, back to the bookmarks. I am going to try to explain how I do my hemstitching.

Leaving a length of your thread at least three times the width of your bookmark, start weaving from the right side and weave four or five picks in plain weave. Now, take the lenght of thread and thread it with a blunt end needle. I take the thread into the web area around three threads and in two rows.

Then then I take the needle into the fringe area, under three.

Then back into the web area, under three. (You are sharing the hole from when your needle was there last.)

I continue in this way. I am hemstitching over two rows and around three ends. When I get to the end, I weave the tail into the web.

Try to think of the unwoven and woven areas you have on the loom as the whole body of a teddy bear. The fringe as the leg area and the woven area as her head.  When starting I will go into the head area two rows deep and go around three ends, then I will go to the legs area and go around three ends, then back to the head and around three ends.

On one side will be a twill line, the other will be littel circles. And sometimes a little hole will even show up to add to the effect. Depends on the fibers I am using on if the holes show.


Hemstitch front showing twill line











Hemstitching on back showing the little circles and if you click to enlarge you can see the small holes.