I hope other people can give you better suggestions, but there are products like Fray Stop or Seam Sealer that can be a help if the fabric is raveling. Then most likely you would need to go over the edges with a machine zig zag stitch to keep everything held down or a hand buttonhole or similar stitch. Sometimes it is easier to do by hand, even if that is my usual last choice. You can go neutral or even clear nylon thread -- watch for heat stability/ironing instructions if going clear.
Sometimes our projects just do not go as planned or visualized. Sometimes what seem like huge faults to us go un-noticed by the recipients, or sometimes they point out things we didn't even see... bah humbug to those!