When I first started sewing I used a lot polycottons, but now that most of my work is quilting and art, I try to stay in the pure cotton. I am astonished at the variation in the amount of fraying or stretch. Is it a trait comman to specific maufacturers or is it sporatic across the board. The stretch I can work with but I'm sometimes frustrated by the amount of fray in what I consider good quilting fabric. Is this a case where you get what you pay for? I'm sure we're all looking for inexpensive anymore but does that automatically add to the frustation level.
Mary Katherine

unless you are cutting on the bias you should not be getting alot of stretch from even-weave cotton fabrics...
if you are not cutting on grain there is always alot of stretch regardless of fiber content.

what or when is the fraying happening? on the cut edge before sewing? your seams? pre=washing?
you always get some fraying when you pre=wash but once you trim up the edges you should not be getting alot of fraying..
except home-spuns and flannels which have a looser weave and fray easier.
the tighter the weave the less fraying of cut edges.

I have noticed excessive fraying even in some of the more expensive fabrics. It doesn't seem to be directly related to cost, but in some cases to weave. The Kaufman Kona black fabric I bought, for example, is a good quality of fabric but frays much more than I like.

For at least some applications, starching fabric will prevent the stretch problem. I always heavily starch backing fabrics before layering. I also sometimes starch fabrics before cutting to piece. Flannel stretches terribly; heavily starching it before cutting makes it much easier to accurately piece.

I have just unpicked one block (points didn't match) and noticed a lot of fraying on one fabric only. Thanks for the tip. Will definately try it in future.

starch starch this really helps.