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What do you do to prevent fray in your sewing projects? #SewingChat #SewingVocabulary

The text on this image includes the word "fray" in all capital letters with the following statement of explanation: "this term is defined and discussed at ChellyWood.com. Come join the sewing chat!" The image shows the many ways fabric and ribbon and threads can fray. It includes frayed denim, zigzag cut fabric, and the rough edges of a blunt cut ribbon, along with the frayed end of yellow yarn.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable sewing patterns for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

DEFINITION: Fray is when the threads or weave of a fabric or ribbon, or the braiding or twisting of string or yarn begins to unravel.

This is my own definition, but you can find the Merriam-Webster definition here as well.

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A vintage swatch of white fabric is trimmed with sewn-on rickrack along one of its longest edges. Black text points with arrows to the "fraying cut ends," the rickrack edging, and the "fraying gathered edge" (opposite the rickrack). There's also text flipped on its side that reads, "If you zoom in, you can see that the fabric is somewhat transparent."
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

DISCUSSION QUESTION: What do you do to prevent fray?

Personally, I don’t use Fray Check a lot, but I do use it at the ends of ribbons (see image below) and at the edges of my MayDay personalized labels. Fray Check is handy to have on hand, but since I line a lot of my doll clothes, and I use a double-fold hem most of the time, I don’t have to worry about fray as much as I would, if I were sewing doll clothes without a lining or with a single-fold hem.

With ribbons, to prevent fraying, you can just tie a knot at the end. It will suffice if you don’t have any Fray Check, but over time, those tips of the pink ribbon below will definitely continue to fray.

A woman's hand holds up a half-inch wide, bright pink ribbon. Both ends of the ribbon are tied to prevent the ribbon from fraying.
Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making doll clothes to fit dolls of many shapes and all different sizes.

My mother used to cut easy-to-fray fabrics like satin with pinking shears, because she believed it prevented the fabric from fraying. With doll clothes, pinking shears feel kind of clunky to me, and I’m not sure it really helps to use them, even with easy-to-fray fabrics. But a lot of people swear by this method.

How about you? Please add your advice/suggestions/ideas in the comments section below! Let’s have a doll clothes “sewing chat,” so we can all learn from each other!

Come back to this blog post at the end of next week, so you can see what comments other people left!

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Chelly Wood and the ChellyWood.com website are not affiliated with any of the doll or toy companies mentioned in this blog post, but Chelly enjoys designing her doll clothes to fit a variety of dolls. To learn more about the doll companies mentioned in today’s post, please visit the doll or toy company’s website.

2 thoughts on “What do you do to prevent fray in your sewing projects? #SewingChat #SewingVocabulary”

  1. I always double fold hem and edge stitch, whether by hand or machine. I hate it when I receive pre-made doll clothes that do not have edge stitching. I go through and edge stitch and tack down every loose end.

    Reply

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