Let’s talk selvedge loops. When they’re unintentional, they can be oh, so frustrating. (I know I’ve spent countless minutes hunched over my weaving, tapestry needle in hand, gently pulling any errant loops into the fabric.) Intentional weft loops, on the other hand add not only visual interest to your weaving, but they can also be used to quickly and easily join panels together without sewing.
In her video, instructor Sara Bixler shows you how to weave looped selvedges on a rigid-heddle loom and then demonstrates how to use them to join panels for a really lovely, lacy effect. What I appreciate about Sara’s method is that it allows you to easily create selvedge loops that are both evenly spaced and all the same length. Her technique is super-simple, too—once your loom is warped, it’s as easy as weaving any other plain-weave piece.
Level Up Your Loops
Naturally, I’m already thinking of all the different ways to build on the looped selvedge technique. Here are just a few ideas I’ve had that I’d love to try out:
- Using a different colored weft for the loops vs. the rest of the fabric—this could be really fun if the loops are a different texture, too.
- Weaving log cabin or a similar color-and-weave with selvedge loops so you end up with alternating colors of loops.
- Clasping the weft so all the loops on one side are one color, and all the loops on the opposite side are a different color.
- Playing with the placement of your loops so you have loops on only one side.
More Project Ideas
Jane Grogan’s Lilas Au Printemps shawl uses crochet to join panels of plain-weave hexagons. A similar effect could be achieved using Sara Bixler’s no-sew weft-loop join and rigid-heddle woven panels. Photo by Matt Graves
When it comes to the weft-loop joining technique, I have so many ideas for how it could be used. One project that immediately came to mind was the Lilas Au Printemps shawl from Spring 2022. While this is a pin-loom shawl, the join that designer Jane Grogan used feels very similar to Sara’s join. I imagined a similar scarf or shawl, woven on a rigid-heddle loom and joined with selvedge loops. I just love how the lace between rows of weaving takes a simple plain-weave shawl and elevates it to something so much more.
Marilyn Murphy’s tubular top from Handwoven January/February 2012 could easily be made using the weft-loop join technique. Photo by Joe Coca
Then I started thinking about using the technique to make clothing. My first thought was a poncho—how easy would it be to leave a space without loops in the middle which could later serve as a neck hole? Then I saw a photo of this “tubular top” made by Marilyn Murphy in an old copy of Handwoven January/February 2002 and started thinking about of how easily it could be made using the looped join.
Now I’m also picturing vests, bog jackets, cocoons, and all kinds of no-sew clothing options. It would take a little planning—and you’d have to stabilize the final loop join in a different manner if you don’t have fringe to tie it to—but the time saved sewing would make up for any extra effort.
Baby Blanket Project
If you want to try this technique out for yourself but want a blueprint to follow, we’ve got you covered. As an exclusive for our All Access subscribers, we’ve got a PDF download of the project instructions to weave the purple no-sew baby blanket Sara shows in the video. (Not an All Access Subscriber yet? Find out more about the different subscription levels and their benefits here.) The project can be made on either a rigid-heddle or a multi-shaft loom, and the instructions carefully explain each step so you can weave and join with confidence.
Sara Bixler’s No-Sew Baby Blanket. Photo courtesy of Long Thread Media
Take a look at the project at a glance here and then download your copy of the project today!