10-25-2010, 06:19 PM
I agree with all Matt says here. The luck pushing ends when the edges that unravel meet the stitching. They will make a kind of a "bump" along the seam sometimes. Then, if they continue to unravel (this happened to mine before I frowned, gritted my teeth, grumped a little, then got needle and thread and finished the seams like you see in the picture). The linen was loosely woven, and heavier weight than needed for a typical tunic, so maybe that was my fault. It wears like iron, though, now that the edges are overkilled.
Selvage (from Self + Edge) is the part of the cloth that's the left and right edge when it's woven. Because the weft (ancient past tense of "weave" = woven) thread turns back and makes the next row, it can't unravel. I've used it often for top and bottom edges of tunics. For me, a 58"-60" width of cloth us just perfect for a standard tunic. 45" is a little short, but might work fine for a Greek chiton.
Short: selvages won't unravel, and unless there's some strange color or appearance to the selvage on your cloth, it makes a fine, simple-to-do and very serviceable neck hole and hem.
Selvage (from Self + Edge) is the part of the cloth that's the left and right edge when it's woven. Because the weft (ancient past tense of "weave" = woven) thread turns back and makes the next row, it can't unravel. I've used it often for top and bottom edges of tunics. For me, a 58"-60" width of cloth us just perfect for a standard tunic. 45" is a little short, but might work fine for a Greek chiton.
Short: selvages won't unravel, and unless there's some strange color or appearance to the selvage on your cloth, it makes a fine, simple-to-do and very serviceable neck hole and hem.
M. Demetrius Abicio
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.
(David Wills)
Saepe veritas est dura.