With my rag quilts I cut every 1/4" of the exposed seam ... just not into the seam line.
I washed my quilts but took them to the laundromat and put them in the dryer without heat. They frayed beautifully. So much that I was continually removing large amounts of thread from the dryer. One little older Vietnamese lady was afraid I had "broken" my quilt as she had never seen this done. And ... let's face it, it is weird.
ali