I read a tip on line about how to wash fabric to keep from fraying.

So I saved all my new purchases for about two months (as we all know that can be a lot for a quilter) and took the fabric and cut both sides with a pinking rotary blade in my rotary cutter and wa-la no fraying.
Really NONE.

You just cut the two sides not the selvedge. It realy works. I am in heaven! Try it.

I have pinking scissors but originally tried them on fat quarters. Took to long and I tended to cut to close in order to save fabric. You can use them but the blade is really quick and easy!

F.Y.I. The pinking blade was I think Friskers brand, they have wavy and more. I just bought the one that looked like a pinking blade. It actually read decoration blade. I am just so tickled now that I can't think but wanted to share this with you all! :D

that's a great tip! olfa also makes a pinking blade (and a scallop and a wave!).

Thats good to know because I like Olfa blades the best. They seem to last forever! :-)

Thanks!! I hate the fraying. I'll get one of those blades!

Thanks I hate the fraying too so the next batch get your tip!!

I just did that on my last "batch". It is so much faster with the pinking blade. I got the Olfa but after about 60 pieces the blade cut almost straight it was so dull. I have a back up but I've got three more piles to cut and all.

Did you clean,oil and reverse the blade. Then again it is a different blade. I was wondering how long they last. But isn't it great?!

I was buying fabric yesterday and commented that I was headed home to wash all of it and the ladies all looked at me like I was crazy! They said they never wash it because it will fray and possibly shrink. I bought fat quarters? Am I the only one who washes before cutting? These fabrics have a lot of dark colors and I worry about the fabric bleeding.

I wash most of the time but sometimes not.
I figure quilting fabric companies would loose business if they made fabric that bled. So far I have not had a problem.

I always wash mine because I usualy don't know what I will be using it for and if I want to do a project that requires washing I don't want to have to wait to get the fabri washed. I usualy want to start right on it. I too use the color sheet catchers, haveing learned the hard way that the fabric will indeed bleed sometimes. It only happened once but that is all it takes! :wink: