A Nice Trick for Fraying Seams

This is a great trick I learned from my mother.  I originally was having issues with this skirt fraying at the seams after I made it.

Photo taken by IJ Dee-Vo at Archon 2011.

The material didn't start fraying immediately, but over time after regular wear and tear the seams started fraying.  I always do stay stitching on my seams.  I don't have a serger, but I will still do stay stitching using a zigzag stitch on my sewing machine.  I was originally planning on just lining the skirt to help protect the seams, and happened to mention this to my mother.  She told me about this trick that I'm about to share with you.  It is cheap, easy, and quick to do for any garment.

 

This is all you will need; extra wide double fold bias tape.

This is the satin brocade tunic that I have been working on.  As you can see the satin brocade frays quite a bit, so I did this while making the garment this time around instead of after it was already made.  This photo was taken after I did the zigzag stay stitching.  Yes, I know there are anti fray or seam guard sprays out on the market.  I haven't tried them, but I know this as a tried and true method of fixing the issue that will last.  I'm not so certain that a spray on chemical will last through the life of a garment.  This includes wear and tear as well as washing and drying.  People seem to forget about the heat and chemicals that come into play while washing and drying a garment.

This is what the bias tape will look like.

First you open up the folded edge of the bias tape.

You may need to trim off all of the frayed ends on the seam as I have here, and then place the seam into the fold of the bias tape.

Pin the tape so that it is on both sides of the seam, and sew it onto the seam.  When I do this I place the seam for the bias tape between the fabric seam and the edge of the fabric.  This way it doesn't alter my seam allowance.

This is what it will look like once you are done.  I used this on all of the seam on my satin brocade tunic.  (Pictures will come soon for that.)  I also used this technique on the horizontal weight bearing seams on my velvet coat.  Velvet doesn't really fray.  Yet, I used to own a tiered velvet skirt.  The upper tiers couldn't bear the weight of the fabric and would rip and tear at the seams.  I had to mend the seams every time I wore the skirt.  It got to the point that I just couldn't keep mending it, and I eventually had to get rid of the skirt.  I didn't want that to happen to my coat, so I used this trick to help bear some of the weight.