How to prevent fabric from fraying?

When you're just starting out in sewing and want to have lasting pieces, you need to prevent the fabric from fraying. There are several techniques for this that will help preserve the edges of your fabrics. By taking care to prevent your fabrics from fraying, you'll be able to progress in your creative hobbies with better-quality finishes.

Non-stretch, woven fabrics are easy to cut and sew without a serger. However, these fabrics, especially thin ones, fray easily. You can cut with straight-edged scissors and sometimes even tear your fabric. Cutting with straight-edged scissors will give you a clean result at first glance, but it won't necessarily be straight. The fabric won't be stable and will fray.

Whether your fabric is stretchy or not, cutting it with pinking shears will stabilize it more permanently than with straight-edged scissors. However, you will still need to overcast before sewing. Some fabrics can be cut with a simple pinking shear. However, they will fray with washing and wear.

You don't need a serger, or even an overlock stitch on your sewing machine, to prevent fabric from fraying. With a simple beginner's sewing machine, you can create a zigzag stitch that easily replaces the overlock stitch. On fabric that frays moderately, you should create a simple zigzag. If your fabric frays a lot, you can create a multi-stitch zigzag stitch, which is much more durable.

Start by testing on a piece of scrap fabric. This will help you calibrate your stitch and ensure it fits within your seam allowance. The zigzag stitch is made as close to the edge as possible. If your seam allowance is large enough, you can make your zigzag stitch a little further from the edge and then reduce the seam allowance. You can then use straight blades or pinking shears, which will complement the anti-fraying properties of the zigzag stitch.

Once your fabric is cut, select a piece with a single thickness of fabric. Therefore, you will probably need to choose thinner needles than for assembly. In the case of the poplin in our demonstration, we use an 80 needle for assembly. For overcasting, a 70 needle will be more suitable.

To help you, you can mark your seam allowance. Zigzag stitch as close as possible to the raw edge of your fabric. Reduce your seam allowance if necessary, and you're ready to move on to assembly.

If you don't want to overlock or serge your fabric, you can braid it. Braiding allows you to enclose the raw edge of a fabric. This prevents it from rubbing and the fabric from fraying. This process is used especially for sheer or very thick fabrics. An unlined jacket will have a flawless underside with braided seams.

Prepare your pattern piece, trim any threads that are sticking out of the raw edges. Take a thin bias tape and open it up. Align one edge of the bias tape with the raw edge of the fabric. Sew a straight stitch along the fold. Fold the bias tape over the raw edge. Sew a stitch over the one you already sewed. The binding is therefore done before assembly.

If you're using ribbon, you can run it through the bias binding tool to give it a shape that's easier to sew. You can also simply run an iron over it to fold it in half. The principle is the same as for applying bias binding. The advantage of binding with ribbon is that you have one less layer. Binding with ribbon is therefore a way to prevent thick fabrics from fraying.

This technique allows you to enclose the seams. However, they require enlarging the seam allowances.

Begin your assemblies with the wrong sides together. Pin your seam and pass it under the presser foot for a first straight stitch assembly. You can shift your needle position to the right to further reduce your seam allowance during this first pass. Press your seam and fold both seam allowances to the same side. Fold your fabric right sides together. You can stabilize your seam with a quick pass of the iron. Pin your seam allowance. Check that your seam allowance is not visible between your pins. Straight stitch your seam. Fold the hem with an iron. Topstitch to flatten everything if you want to make your project reversible.

Your seams are crisp. Your assembly is solid. And your sewing is reversible, even without lining.

Even simpler to prevent the fabric from fraying: glue the edges .

1. Clean up the raw edges of any excess threads with straight-edged scissors.
2. Place a few drops of BOHIN anti-fray glue on the edges.
3. Wait for it to dry.

The raw edge of your fabric no longer frays!