Selvage
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The selvage is the finished edge of a piece of fabric. It will not fray or unravel.[1] While historically the term only applied to woven fabric, now selvage can also be applied to flat-knitted fabric. In woven fabric selvages are the edges that run parallel to the warp, and in knitted fabric selvages are the unfinished yet structurally sound edges that were neither cast on nor bound off.[2][3]
The term selvage, also rarely selvedge, derives from "self-edge", and has been in use since the 16th century.[4]
Selvage in the print industry refers to the excess area of a printed or perforated sheet of any material, such as the white border area of a sheet of stamps or the wide margins of an engraving etc..
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[edit] In woven cloth
In a woven fabric, the selvage (or selvedge) is the uncut edge of the fabric, which is on the right- and left-hand edges as it comes out of the loom. As such it is 'finished' and will not fray because the weft threads double back on themselves and are looped under and over the warp. In handweaving the selvage is generally the same thickness as the rest of the cloth, and the pattern may or may not continue all the way to the edge, thus the selvage may or may not be patterned. A plain weave selvage is the other option, where the last few threads on either side are woven in plain weave.
In industry the selvage is much thicker than the rest of the fabric, and is where the main weft threads are reinforced with a tight weft back binding to prevent fraying.[5] More simply, they "finish" the left and right-hand edges of fabric as it exits the loom, especially for the ubiquitous "criss-cross" simple or tabby weave, referred to in industry as taffeta weave.[6]
Selvages on machine-woven fabric often have little holes along their length, through the thick part, and can also have some fringe.[7] The type of selvedge depends on the weaving technique or loom used. A water-jet loom creates a fringed selvage that is the same weight as the rest of the cloth, for example; it does this by drawing the yarn across, using not a shuttle but a jet nozzle, which sends the weft threads through the shed with a pulse of water. The selvage is then created by a heat cutter which trims the thread at both ends close to the edge of the cloth, and then it is beaten into place. Thus it creates a firm selvage with the same thickness as the rest of the cloth.[8]
Very often fabric near the selvage is not usable, as it may have a different weave pattern, or may lack pile or prints that are present on the rest of the fabric, requiring that the selvage fabric be cut off or hidden in a hem. Being thicker than the rest of the fabric, the selvage reacts differently. It may shrink or pucker in the wash and cause the object made with it to also pucker. It is also more difficult to sew through, since it is thicker. Quilters especially tend to cut off the selvage right after washing the fabric and right before cutting it out and sewing it together.[1]
For garments, however, sometimes the selvage is used to advantage in that there is no need to turn under that edge to prevent fraying, if a selvage is used instead. Not only can that cut down on the amount of work the seamstress has to do, it can also be faster, less bulky and stitched entirely by machine.[9]
[edit] In knitted cloth
Applying the term selvage to a hand-knitted object is still relatively new. Most books on fabric define a selvage as the edge of a woven cloth, however the term is coming into usage for hand-knitted objects. The edges of machine-knitted fabric on the other hand are rarely if ever referred to as selvages.
Selvages in knitting can either bear a special pattern worked into the first and last stitches or simply be the edge of the fabric. The two most common selvage stitches are the chain-edge selvage and the slipped-garter edge, both of which produce a nice edge. The chain-edge selvage is made by alternating rows of slipping the first stitch knitwise and knitting the last stitch, with rows of slipping the first stitch purlwise and purling the last stitch.[2][10] The slipped garter edge is made by slipping the first stitch knitwise and knitting the last in every row.[2] Other selvages include a garter stitch border one stitch wide, or a combination of the above techniques.[10]
Knitting selvages makes the fabric easier to sew together than it would be otherwise. It also makes it easier to pick up stitches later,[2][10] and is a good basis for crocheting a further decorative edge onto.[10][11]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Ehrlich, Laura (2004). The complete idiot's guide to quilting illustrated. Alpha Books. p. 57. ISBN 1592572014. http://books.google.com/books?id=syAV3WZ08OIC&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Breiter, Barbara; Gail Diven (2003). The Complete Idiot's Guide to Knitting and Crocheting Illustrated. Alpha Books. pp. 168-169. ISBN 1592570895. http://books.google.com/books?id=4yr7vLUI5mkC&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ McCall's Sewing Book, Random House: 1968: 198, 224
- ^ "Selvage." The Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989.
- ^ http://www.silverbirches.com/weavingterms.shtml#P
- ^ Kate Heinz Watson, Textiles and Clothing American School of Home Economics, Chicago: 1907 [[1]]
- ^ Meyrich, Elissa K.; Dominic Harris (2008). Sew On. Macmillan. p. 22. ISBN 0312378920. http://books.google.com/books?id=B5YZs0THBp4C&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ Jenkins, John Geraint (1972). The Wool textile industry in Great Britain. Routledge. p. 150. ISBN 0710069790. http://books.google.com/books?id=No09AAAAIAAJ&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ The New Sewing Essentials. Creative Publishing international. 1998. p. 102. ISBN 0865733082. http://books.google.com/books?id=Bnfbypa3BswC&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ a b c d Eldershaw, Jane (2002). The Everything Knitting Book. Everything Books. pp. 60-61. ISBN 1580627277. http://books.google.com/books?id=U-zMRhRDDMgC&dq. Retrieved on July 9, 2009.
- ^ June Hemmons Hiatt (1988) The Principles of Knitting, Simon and Schuster, pp. 163-168. ISBN 0-671-55233-3
[edit] See also
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