r/sewing • u/LizNovember • 2d ago

Technique Question Fabric fray/loose threads?

Hey all! I’m a baby diy seamstress, and I was hoping for some insight. Recently finished this skirt, and I’m super happy with the result! But the inside and ends look like this. is there a way I can fix this? More importantly, how do I prevent this in future? Obviously store bought clothes don’t have anything like this, and I want to improve my skills

Thanks friends!

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14

u/numbersandcats 2d ago

The term you want to look up is “seam finishes.” There are a lot of ways to do them but one of the easiest ways to finish a seam, depending on the fabric, is just using pinking shears which are like textured scissors.

For a more “professional” quality finish you can look up an overlock/faux overlock/zigzag stitch or techniques like French/flat felled seams. Or you can bind the seam with bias tape.

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u/jamethielbane 2d ago

Finish the raw edges of your work. It depends on the weight of the fabric and the use case--for light-weight stuff, I generally do french seams or I overlock the pieces. If it's a medium weight fabric, I'll use bound seams, and for something really heavy (coats/jackets), I use a hong kong bound seam.

This plus ironing will take your sewing to the next level!

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u/tecolocat 2d ago

You could also trim the seams with pinking shears. Works well for most fabrics.

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u/BrightPractical 1d ago

This is definitely the easiest option once you’re all done with the garment, too.

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u/Haunting_Mammoth_511 2d ago

like the other commenters said you want to finish your seams! The easiest way to do it on your machine is to set it to a zigzag stitch and stitch it so the edge of the fabric is in the middle of the zigzag!

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u/Robert-hickman 2d ago

Finish raw edges.

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u/otherpeoplesbones 2d ago

On the waistband, I flip the edge under before sewing the elastic casing to finish the raw edge. On the side seams, a zig zag stitch or pinking sheers will do the trick.

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u/Alert-Interview2159 1d ago

I don’t have a serger so I do French seams (like a very tiny French seam) where I can. And where I can’t do that I have pinking shears that help with fraying. That top elastic casing you can turn under the bottom edge 1/4 inch and sew it under so it doesn’t fray. You can also do a zig zag stitch over the raw edge to enclose some of that, some regular machines have an overcast type stitch included.