How to Keep Material From Fraying When Sewing
Some of the most beautiful and delicate fabrics have a bad habit of starting to fray the moment they're cut. Taking the time to go around the cut pieces of a garment in the construction phase to make sure that they will stay whole and clean is well worth it to make sewing easier and extend the life of the garment once it's finished.
Things You'll Need
- Fabric
- Pinking shears
- Sewing machine
- Thread
- Fray stabilizer
- Scrap paper
Instructions
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Trim around cut fabric pieces with pinking shears to create a fray-resistant edge. Only use pinking shears to cut away the outer 1/4 to 1/8 inch around an already-cut piece, if you try to cut out pattern pieces with pinking shears it can distort the fabric. This works best with closely-woven fabrics such as cotton calico and polyester satin.
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Stitch around the outside of the pieces using a zigzag stitch on a sewing machine. The stitches should catch just to the outside of the cut edge, enclosing the fabric. Use a long stitch setting and go carefully around curves. This method works best on heavier and hard-wearing fabrics.
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Paint the cut edges with a liquid fray stabilizer such as Fray Check or Fray Block. For very thin fabrics, slip a piece of paper or cardboard under the edge of the fabric as you work so that the stabilizer doesn't seep through to your work surface. Allow the stabilizer to dry for 20 or 30 minutes before stitching. This method works best with very fine, loose-weave fabrics such as chiffon and organdy.
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Tips & Warnings
If you don't have fray stabilizer, clear nail polish can seal cut fabric ends in a pinch but it dries stiff and can darken on the fabric.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
