Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

One of our favorite ways to finish hand woven fabric is with a hemstitch. It’s simple, secure and very beautiful! Here’s how to do it…

When you begin to weave your project, be sure to leave a tail of weft yarn about 3 times the width of the warp. This will really come in handy when it’s time to hemstitch the beginning edge!

Once you’ve finished weaving, cut the weft yarn to about 3 times the width of the fabric, and thread the tail onto a tapestry needle.

Before you begin, decide how you’d like to divide the warp ends, in groups of 3, 4, 5, or even 6. In this example, there are 154 warp ends, and so, the warp is divided by 4, with two groups of 5 at the end.

Bring the needle under the first group of warp ends. Depending on how you warped the loom, you may need to go over the first end (and under the rest of the group) in order to secure it in the bundle.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Now bring the yarn back over the bundle, to the right.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

And wrapping the yarn under the entire bundle, bring the needle out the front of the fabric 4 ends to the left and 3 picks (i.e. rows) down.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Repeat this process, bringing the needle under the next 4 warp ends…

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

…wrapping it around the top and back under the bundle…

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

…and bringing the needle out the front of the fabric 4 ends and 3 picks away.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

When you get to the end of the warp, instead of bringing the needle up through the fabric, bring it up through the loop of yarn created by wrapping.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Secure the tail with one more knot.

 

Cut the tail and weave it into the fabric.

Here’s what hemstitch looks like!

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Now decide how long you’d like your fringe and cut the fabric off the loom at the point.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Unroll the finished fabric back to the beginning and repeat the hemstitch at that end. In this case, you can see that it’s not necessary to go over the first stitch to secure it. Instead, just bring the needle under the first 4 ends.

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

And here’s how the beginning looks all neatly hemstitched:

Finishing with Hemstitch | Purl Soho

Cut the fabric off the loom and you’re all finished!

PS: The project shown here is our Woven Scarf. Get all the how-to’s right here!