# I messed up...



## deenashoemaker (Nov 9, 2014)

I forgot to hem stitch at the beginning of a table runner I'm making. How do I fix this? Can I scroll in the opposite direction ?


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## msgran (Feb 12, 2011)

I’ve done the same. You can only scroll back as far as the heddle will allow. In other words, if you’ve only gone a couple of inches, yes, but if you’ve woven more than the space between where you want to hemstitch and the heddle, hmmm, there won’t be any tension there. You may have to wait until you’ve finished weaving, unwind it from the front beam to the place where you want to hemstitch and somehow weight the work so there’s some tension on it so you can hemstitch the beginning. Bless you and I hope you can figure something out. Maybe some one else can offer a better solution.


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## kaypriest (Jun 25, 2017)

I can't offer a solution, still learning the weaving skills myself, but on Saturday I went to a local fiber show. Of course stopped by the booth of a weaver, rigid heddle looms, and my friend noticed her woven kitchen towels. The weaver explained how she finished them with a hem and I asked if she hemstitched them. She said no, just took off loom and used sewing machine instead before cutting away the fringe and turning up for hemming the towels. I'm not sure how she prevented the fabric from unraveling - maybe the cotton is more clinging. I wanted to ask more, but other customers showed up. 

I'm only mentioning because it may be that missing the hemstitching is okay, especially if you are hemming rather than fringing. This woman was obviously an experienced weaver with advanced skills.


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## deenashoemaker (Nov 9, 2014)

Thank you both. I think I'll wind the back pen on a rolling pin and have my husband hold tension for me. Boy, bet I don't do that again!


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## gardenpoet (Jun 24, 2016)

You can hemstitch it when you take it off the loom! Be sure to leave at least 6 inches of warp and then hemstitch it laid out flat on a table with weights to hold it slightly taut. I've done this several times when I decided to hemstitch after the fact.


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## hilarymercer51 (9 mo ago)

Like gardenpoet, I have done this successfully, as she describes, a number of times.


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