Fray Stop
 

While doing some raw edge applique on a panel where the edges were going to be left uncovered for a little rough and worn look, some of the fabric was fraying just a bit too much.

I used a product called Hi Tack Fray Stopper. It says permanent, washable and dries clear so I tried it. Seemed ok at first - it dried clear, but when it came to washing (cold water rinse) to remove marking lines and general grubbiness due to handling the Hi Tack turned white! It eventually dried clear but it doesn't seem to be doing the job at preventing fraying as it did before washing. The Hi Tack was fully dried and heat set before washing.

Can anyone recommend another product that might work better in the future. Believe me there were lots of tears and swearing when I saw that white, sticky mess. It doesn't show now but I would like to avoid this situation again.

Many thanks

HettyB

i use fray check...clear...don't know if its available where you are.

Apply Fray Check sparingly. It tends to dry stiff, but it does seem to do the job.

The bottle says that the excess can be removed with nail polish remover.

As usual - it is always a good idea to do a test on a scrap or in an inconspicuous place.

I wonder if the product you have is actually water proof. The fact that it turned white when water was applied makes me think that it's not. Here in the US, Fray Check is like clear nail polish (nail lacquer ?). It is water proof, but dries stiff & hard, so use very sparingly. Don't know that I would use it on applique unless it's a wall hanging.

I suspect it isn't as waterproof as the label would lead one to believe. I wonder if it is just a PVA formulation - white glue. As it is a wall hanging panel, it won't be washed often. The claim "remains flexible" influenced my decision to use it.

My Fray Check doesn't dry hard. It used to dry hard but not anymore. I use it a lot on my machine embroidery if I am concerned about the stitching may pull out.

Fray Block is one you might want to try. It dries soft, whereas Fray Check dries hard. Fray Block comes in two forms -- tube or brush-on (like nail polish). Here is a link to the brush on type on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/June-Tailor-JT...rds=fray+block

I've used both Fray Block & Fray Check. They both do the trick & launder well. That last time I bought Fray Check was close to 2 years ago, though, so it may have been reformulated since then to not be as stiff. But it used to be the case that Fray Check did make the edges a bit stiffer.

When doing raw edge appliqué, I use either steam a seam or bondaweb on my cut pieces before I attach and have never had a problem with fraying.

I purchased some from Amazon and it worked great for a wall hanging not sure about a quilt with more washing.