The Best Ways to Keep Fabrics from Fraying

Raw fabric edges are prone to fraying.

Fraying is a frustrating problem for people working with fabrics. The woven fibers of a piece of fabric with unfinished edges separate from each other, giving the cloth an unwanted tattered look. Prevent frayed fabric by covering up exposed borders with a hem or a zigzag stitch. You can also cut along raw borders with pinking shears. Taking care of delicate material by gently washing it also reduces the risk of fraying.

Zigzag Stitches

Utilizing a sewing machine's zigzag stitch setting is a fast and simple way to correct fraying raw edges. Running unfinished fabric edges through a sewing machine using this special stitch creates a protective barrier that keeps the edges safe from damage. The back-and-forth composition of zigzag stitches prevents the fabric from separating past the stitches along the border. Because zigzag stitches are highly visible, they also add an aesthetically pleasing decorative touch.

Pinking Shears

Pinking shears are a special type of scissors that make cuts that are zigzagged, scalloped or a different pattern that are not merely straight lines. Using pinking shears to cut evenly across raw fabric edges gives the fabric a finished appearance and deters fraying without the necessity of sewing seams. Pinking shears prevent serious fraying damage by creating very short edges out of the patterns they cut. If fraying does occur, it only happens to the small section of fabric cut by the shears and does not spread to the rest of the fabric.

Hemming

Sewing a hem along the raw edges of your fabrics not only keep the edges from fraying, it also gives the fabric a neat, finished look. Fold a raw edge inward by 1/4 inch and use a needle and thread or a sewing machine to sew a straight line across the fold. Then fold the edge inward by another 1/4 inch and sew a straight line across the second fold to secure it in place. The raw edge is then concealed under a layer of fabric and cannot be frayed or damaged.

Gentle Washing

Using care when washing fabrics that are susceptible to fraying helps prevent them from incurring further damage. Gently wash your fabrics one at a time by hand with soap and a bowl of water. This way, other clothing articles won't be agitated against your delicate fabric and the washing machine's jostling cycles won't expose the fabric to risk of damage. Alternatively, place your fabric inside a lingerie bag before setting your washing machine to a gentle cycle. Allow you fabrics to air dry or tumble dry them on a low heat setting.

References

• Sew a Quilt: Prevent Fraying Fabric?
• Prudent Baby; Keep Raw Fabric Edges From Fraying; February 2011
• Pinking Shears: How to Find the Best Pinking Shears For Your Decorative Edging Needs
• "Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Needlework"; 1979