Heat-sealing 1.1 ripstop

[lmoseley7]

I've found that hemming the ends is what keeps the whipping from sliding off. Especially with thin material like 1.1. YMMV HYOH.

[XTrekker]

I think hemming the hammock is a great place to practice your sewing skills and become more in-tune with your machine. I have hemmed over 9 hammocks and I still have alot to learn. I will admit though, my machine is giving me alot less grief nowadays.

[iRokk]

I didn't even think about it slipping off because of how thin it is! I've seen a bunch of posts and the warbonnet chart, but I should be fine with 1.1 at around 190#, right?

[zooshooter]

I didn't even think about it slipping off because of how thin it is! I've seen a bunch of posts and the warbonnet chart, but I should be fine with 1.1 at around 190#, right?

It's not really the thickness of the fabric by itself that allows a whipped end to slide off. What you want is the fabric at the ends to be thicker than the fabric in the main body of the hammock. It's like trying to pull a tapered peg through a hole instead of a straight peg. The straight peg (non-hemmed fabric) slides right through the hole because it's the same size all the way. The tapered peg (hemmed fabric) doesn't pull through the hole because it gets larger in circumference the further through it goes.

It's not a perfect analogy but that's roughly what is at work here. Best advice would be to hot-knife or heat treat the edges, then hem all edges to prevent fraying. It takes a bare minimum of time to ensure that your hammock won't experience any problems in the future.

[iRokk]

Guess I will be attempting hems on all 4 edges!