Help needed with fabric raveling
 

So frustrated. It seems like when I finish a quilt I spend a lot of time trimming because of the raveling. I have tried different options to stop the raveling. I have washed the fabric and starched it before cutting. I have not starched and sprayed with Best Press before cutting. I always use a new rotary blade when starting a new project.

I was thinking of buying the Olfa pinking replacement blade. Has anyone used it?

Any suggestions would will be greatly appreciated

Thanks
Carmen

I've never used the pinking blade yet. However, it may be the fabric you're using. I've found that the more expensive fabrics do not fray as much. Some of my fabric that I've gotten from donation stores have done that too. Handle it as little as possible and the fraying wont be as bad. Do you know when the fabric was made? Is it an issue of it being older? That's my best guess.

I rarely have fabric that ravels enough to be trimming all the time. I would suggest backing the fabric with a featherlight stabilizer before cutting. I have the pinking blade and I find it slow to use.

I have used the pinking blade--before wetting and drying my fabric. It does cut down on the raveling at that point. But I think it would be more like using charm squares if you used it while cutting your quilt pieces. You would lose accuracy.

From personal experience, I feel that being perfectly 'on the grain' is not always your best idea. Many of the newer looser weaves will ravel horrendously if cut that way. Kona cottons are some of the worst. I have deliberately cut pieces slightly off the grain in certain circumstances.

The only time I have any raveling at all is if I have a quilt top hanging around a long time before I quilt it and handle it a lot (show and tell, trying to decide quilting pattern etc.). But normally I have almost no raveling. Do you handle your blocks a lot, for instance sew in the dining room and put everything away every day? All I can think of is get a container that will hold your finished blocks. As you make the blocks put them in the container and don't touch them until you are ready to join them. I am careful to cut on the straight of grain, which will reduce fraying. Most of my fabrics are from quilt shops, but I also use some from JoAnns and WM. I'm curious to see what others say. I hate piecing with pinked fabrics, as I can never figure out my seam allowance.

I just finished a Falling Charm quilt when I noticed that the new Robert Kaufman Kona fabric off the bolt at my LQS was raveling much more than usual. I am not sure that the pinking blade will fit the standard Olfa cutter. I find it more difficult to sew a straight seam with a pinked edge.

I love the pinking blade and use it a lot in my apparel sewing. Also I'll pink my seams when I have to use 44" fabrics together for a backing. Then I'll pink the edges after I've sewn them together and then tack them down with Elmer's Glue so I know they won't bunch up while advancing them during the quilting process. I wash all my quilts before I give them to the recipent anyway.

I have had problems as well with Moda, Northcott and Robert Kaufman Kona. I am using a lot of Best Press and it seems to help.

just an FYI...yes, it does fit the standard 45mm cutter despite Olfa's attempt to steer folks to buy the ergonomic one for the specialty blades. They all fit and cut smoothly in the plain old straight yellow handled Olfa cutters.

This is reason I bought project boxes. Usually used for scrapbooking. They're 14" x 14". I wait for them to go on sale. I have 8 right now. I put the pattern and pieces in these and the name of the pattern on the outside, labeled. They're 2 1/2" deep and I get the clear see through. I also save those silica packets from medicine bottles to help absorb any moisture. Usually Michaels has them on sale often for 3/$10.00. The only thing I don't put in the boxes is the batting but there is room for it. I just need to get more batting.