How to Take Care of a Fabric Ravel

Bias tape can bind a fabric's raw edge to prevent raveling.

A garment with frayed seam edges needs a seam finish to keep the fibers from raveling. Machine-stitching with a zigzag stitch can finish the seam edge hidden on the inside of a garment. Pinking shears can also make the seam edge less likely to ravel. If the garment developed a hole, patching that hole may help reinforce the frayed area. If the edge of a garment or woven item has frayed, applying a bias tape can offer a durable and decorative finish.

Things You'll Need

• Scissors
• Hand-sewing needle
• Thread
• Iron
• Pinking shears
• Patch
• Straight pins
• Bias tape, single fold

Instructions

Seam Finishes

1. Trim the frayed threads or fibers with scissors to produce a clean edge along the seam allowance.

2. Place the raw seam allowance edge on a sewing machine's needle plate. Select a zigzag stitch from the machine's pattern selector.

3. Machine stitch the edge by feeding the fabric's raw edge under the needle. The zigzag stitches should show clearly. Knot the threads and trim to approximately a quarter of an inch.

4. Trim off the excess fabric at the raw edge.

Pinking a Seam Allowance

1. Press the garment's raveling seam allowance.

2. Hold the pinking shears in one hand and the fabric in the other hand.

3. Cut only a very few inches of this fabric between the blades at a time. Feeding too much fabric between the blades can cause the blades to jam. The resulting zigzag cut should help prevent the fabric's edge from raveling.

Patching

1. Trim the frayed edges of the hole or opening in the fabric.

2. Place a patch over the hole. The patch needs to be large enough to cover the hole. Pin the patch in place.

3. Thread a hand-sewing needle with a 12-inch length of thread. Knot one end of the thread.

4. Bring the needle up through the underside of the fabric. Whip stitch by bringing the needle down through the patch. Continue hand sewing around the edge of the patch.

5. Finish by knotting the thread on the underside of the fabric so the knot does not show on the outside. Trim the thread.

Binding with Bias Tape

1. Place the raw edge of the fabric against the long, center fold in the bias tape. This raw edge will look hidden or encased.

2. Pin the tape every few inches to prevent the fabric from slipping out.

3. Place the fabric and bias tape over the sewing machine's needle plate. Select a straight stitch on the machine's pattern selector.

4. Machine stitch through the bias tape and fabric. Remove every pin before the fabric feeds through the needle.

5. Check both sides of the fabric to ensure the stitching penetrated all the layers. Knot and trim the threads.

Tips & Warnings

• Tip for pinking: You can place the fabric on a flat surface or hold it in your hand when ready to cut with pinking shears.

• Tip for bias tape: Tucking under one tape end by approximately a quarter or half inch can make a neat, overlapped finish if the stitching ends at the beginning stitch, such as an armhole opening.

References

• Sewing and Craft Alliance: Seam Finishes, 11.115
• Such Treasures: Applying Bias Tape as Binding at Neckline and Armhole Curves