I read that if you use pinking shears to "trim" a fabric before you wash it that it will not fray too much. I tested this yesterday and it worked! Usually I have a mass of knots if I wash more than a few fabs. I washed a lot that I trimmed with the shears and there was just a slight fraying on a few fabs. The rest were almost perfect! Plus-you have the added benefit of knowing which fabrics have been washed already!