A Hem...

[McClef]

You will tend to find a hem on a Welsh Cilt, possibly because the art of selvedge was never known in Wales.

[Barb T]

A selvedge is a natural consequence of weaving. It forms when the shuttle goes back across the web for the next shot. The thread in the shuttle is continuous, so it just goes back and forth, looping around the last thread on each side. So, old fashioned looms could not help but make what we think of now as a perfect selvedge. So it can't be that a selvedge was never known in Wales.

[unixken]

Here's a pretty good demonstration of how different types of looms drive the weft threads across the weave.



The key take-away from this is that a "natural" selvedge can only be produced by a loom that takes the thread "out... and back", across the width of the fabric (like a shuttle loom.) Any system such as a rapier, or air/water jet system, that feeds a weft thread from only one direction, is going to leave each pass with a cut thread at the far edge of the fabric. Whether those threads are then folded back and glued, tucked back in, or otherwise dealt with to capture the last warp thread and contain/control all the loose weft threads, fails to produce the smooth, natural selvedge so desirable in a traditional kilt.

[Mel1721L]

My Welsh cilt is hemmed. It is quite light weight, but I don't think that is the reason. It's 14oz but only 5 yards. It is perfect for the Spanish summer.