When I pulled the exchange tea towels off the loom, did a quick machine zigzag and tossed them in the washer and dryer. I made myself a lovely cappuccino, OK it was instant, but really, really good; and sat down to hand hem.
Again, best laid plans and all that … I couldn’t get my pins through the hems because there was too much texture to keep the hems in line.
It was difficult to get a photo showing the texture, but the pattern didn’t line up flat, it humped and bumped all over the place.My only recourse was to haul out ‘McSteamy’ and give it a pre-press! I really love my Singer Steam Press and it does make pretty easy work of pressing.
I take my item; from a napkin to a table cloth I do the same thing. I make small accordion folds in the fabric.
And tuck it into the space between the raised presser arm and the bottom plate. Then I simply press as much as fits on the plate, and move it forward incrementally. If it’s wide like a table cloth I move laterally along the length before pulling it forward.
I really hate buying a commercial table linen only to find that after the first washing it’s no longer square….so I take a few extra minutes and make sure that I’m starting out straight and square. I just find some line in my weaving – whether it’s a pattern line or a colour line and make sure it’s spot on before I press.
I can’t believe how much the texture flattened out. It sure made hemming much easier, but of course after it’s washed a time or two the texture will pop back up, which is exactly what I want in a tea towel, nice and thirsty!
Now I’m done, done, done! Pretty as a picture, don’t ya think?
8 comments:
Great colors and pattern. They made great towels. I know they will be treasured.
Wow, you're already finished, and I haven't even pulled my warp yet - I'll be doing that after Christmas. Love your towels!
Beautiful colors and are you ever quick about weaving and hemming!
Really pretty!
Lovely towels and you've made them so quick. I have a question about the hemming; why haven't you woven a hem of plain weave? I just want to learn so that's why I ask.
Have a nice day.
your towels look nice and professionel!!
Good question about using plain weave as the hem.
Plain weave is great for hemming if the structure of the end piece is plain weave or based on plain weave like summer and winter or overshot, but if it's a twill as in this case, plain weave doesn't work well.
Plain weave interlaces with every warp thread while twill interlaces with only some of the warp threads, some of the time, for example in this weave I have 3 up to 1 down each pick; or a 3/1 twill, so plain weave would weave up substantially wider than the rest of the fabric and would frill in the hem.
I feel it's always best and frankly prettiest if you use the same structure in your hem as in your finished piece if you're weaving twills.
Very, very pretty!!!!
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