Finishing Tips & Techniques

Have you ever woven a cloth that has a significant difference in draw-in between the Plain Weave hem versus the weave structure that is the primary focus of your piece? A great example of this is Waffle Weave. The pockets that make the final piece so squishy and absorbent can have a significant draw-in rate that makes managing a Plain Weave hem challenging. In this blog post, Kristina Nichols offers tips, tricks, and a step-by-step tutorial of how to accommodate for this differential to achieve a beautifully finished piece.

Looking for an alternative to hemstitching? Twining provides a stable, narrow edge that can be either nearly invisible or highly decorative, depending on your technique and color choices. It’s also quick and simple to create! In this article, Jennifer Leigh covers several applications of the technique, and also provide a gallery of decorative edging effects using different colors and multiple twining rows.

Some handwovens are too bulky to be hemmed, and some others, a simple knotted fringe doesn't feel quite polished enough. In such situations, a Damascus or Half-Damascus edge is a great option to have in your finishing technique toolkit. In this blog post, Karen G. Krueger offers a tutorial of how to create clean, secure edges using these techniques. 

Framing a woven tapestry presents a unique challenge with seemingly infinite possibilities. To start you on your framing journey, weaver Olga Owczarek has provided a collection of tips, tricks, and a few ideas to consider before diving into weaving.

So you’ve woven a lovely new wearable piece with a luxury yarn, such as Ode Alpaca, Sero Silk Noil, or a nice wool such as Array, but you’re nervous about wearing caring for it. Fear not, dear weaver! This post will walk you through caring for each of these fibers so you can wear with confidence.