From one of my LQS, I purchased some dark batik fabrics at $8.95 a yard. I'm making one of myDGS a quilt for graduation and he loves purple. The problem I am having is that the fabric unravels everytime I touch the edge of it and cutting it makes it worse. When sewing it the unraveling threads get caught in the seams. I have been snipping a lot to keep it ravel free. I have used batiks before from WM and JoAnn and have not had this problem to this degree. So is it the nature of batiks to do this or is it just poor quality fabric? I love batiks and would like to use them again. Thanks for your help.

I have never had cotton fabrics, especially batiks, unravel like that. I am not sure what to tell you :(

Gee, I have never had that problem...And another quilter who using strips of Batik to wrap around cord and makes baskets uses it because it does not unravel...I think it might be the quality...I'd tell the LQS maybe they will make good or at least give a discount on something else

me either- perhaps you could ask the shop you bought it from? Maybe it came off a bad bolt.

I would spray starch the edges or the entire piece before cutting. if it was just a few places I would recommend frachek but that would take too much. Does it happen as you cut or after it is cut. if after, then could brush with a weakened down starch solution.

If I had that problem I would take it back to the shop. That's a lot of money for the problems you're having.

I am in the midst of making two batik quilts, and have a number (oh yeah...!)of different types, from several different places. None of them ravels like you've described. I agree with Cyn, you should take it back to the LQS and ask them about it.
Please let us know what you decide & do, it will help us all! Good luck!

Could the batik fabric be rayon instead of cotton? I have seen a few places selling rayon batiks and rayon can really fray. If the store won't do anything about your problem; or, if you love the fabric colours and really want to use it, my advice is starch, starch, starch. Also, if you can, make your seams a little more than 1/4". Possibly, you may have to zig-zag them if you plan to wash the quilt. Lastly, I would quilt the finished project very closely. Hope things work out.

The one fabric I could pretty much count on to NOT ravel are Batiks. I think you got a bad batch.

I use batiks all the time. It is my favorite, and I have never had it unravel or fray. I would bring it back.

Take it back..it is apparently NOT a batik...or not cotton..
batiks are generally made a very tightly woven greige good and then the washing/boiling tightens them even further...I have never seen one ravel! except for one that was not cotton, but a blend!

I've never heard of a batik unraveling. I've used them a bit and have never had that problem. I would atleast bring it back to the shop and show them, they might give you something to replace it and they might not even realize it's doing it either. :)

I have never used batiks and have very recently purchased a great lot of them. After hearing all of this, I am afraid to use it. Hope you solve your problem and hope I don't inherit it. Good luck. Marge

I use batiks all the time and especially in applique and do not experience this difficulty. Take it back to the shop and show them, the fabric may be defective.

One thought, are you rotary cutting it, and if so did you establish the straight of grain. Batiks are not always wound on the bolt straight because of the dye process. Try recutting on grain and see if that solves the problem.

Good luck

Sounds like it's rayon. Are your sure it's cotton?

One of our LQS has a separate section of Rayon batiks. Is it possible this batik you bought is Rayon and not Cotton? I have never had a good cooton QS batik fray like that. I would definitely call the shop you purchased from and maybe take the fabric back to show them the problem you are having. Good luck with your quilt!!

Thanks so much for you advice. It is supposed to be 100 percent cotton so I will probably talk to them at the quilt shop. Thanks again.

call the shop and ask the fiber content of the fabric you purchased

I woud go back to the quilt store and talk to the owner/manager about the situation . They may not be aware of the problem and do the right thing in letting you exchange it for another fabric. Also, it may be a new supplier so they need to know the product is not up to standard.

I have to agree with everyone else, I have never had a batik fray and unravel as you describe. In fact batiks unravel less then any other cotton fabric I have worked with.

Once I was working with a gold lame on a christmas quilt. It was rayon I think and man that frayed exactly as you describe and was really slippery to work with. I swore off lame with that quilt. Luckily it was just a star embelishment on a log cabin christmas tree. It drove me to fits. I could only get it to cooperate by putting on fusible interface.

Back to the shop you go. It sounds defective.

Don't be afraid! I use them very often and have never had any kind of problem with them at all. They are usually easier to work with than the other LQS fabrics since it is a bit stiffer and sturdier, thanks to the wax used in the batik process.

The batik you are using must be a low grade. Batiks are my favorite fabric, every chance I get I use batik and never have had a problem like that. I'm so sorry. It makes for a frustrating project when your fabric is not good.

It sounds like it is the fabric. I use almost exclusively Hofman batiks and it almost does not ravel at all. That's one of the reasons it is so suited for applique.

I would return it, too. Most batiks hardly unravel at all. Hope you can find a new piece that will work!

Cotton batik shouldn't ravel very much at all. The wax used in the batiking process helps hold the cotton fibers in place. It sounds like you might have a rayon batik.

Wow I have Never had batiks unravel. they are so tightly woven it must be very old and not (NoOffense) high quality fabric,

I've had one that has. When it was unraveling, I noticed the threads were very fine. I just tried to handle it as little as possible until it was sewn. No problems with it, and it seems of good quality.

Oh no, sounds like you're using rayon batik fabric (which can unravel) not cotton batik. I've sewn with rayon batik fabric for years and it definitely unravels but has a very nice drape for clothing! Cotton batik fabric ends up with threads tight together because of the process used to batik the fabric.

I bet this is the answer and it is not 100% cotton!

I does rayon melt like polyester when doing the flame test? That would be a sure fire way to tell but I don't know if it works with rayon like it does with blends and polys. It could be the LQS accidently put a bolt of rayon batik in with the cottons.

I have used a lot of batiks in different sewing situations, ie paper piecing & regular rotary cut blocks & have never had them ravel. I would take the fabric back to the store.

Must be a bad quality fabric, or you got a rayon or blend type batik for clothing. ? I've used cotton quilting batiks for 15 yrs now and never had one ravel. Batiks normally have the highest thread counts of any quilting fabrics ...

Rayon

I've never had this happen with batiks. Let your LQS know about this, they may want to investigate further to see it they should be carrying it. Maybe they'll reimburse you or give you a credit for different fabric.

STARCH it. That should help.

I have bought and used a LOT of batiks and have never had this
happen. I did get some "batik" strips in a swap that were printed and not real batiks. They were cheesy - thin (almost sheer) and a puff of air would ravel them. Please go back to the LQS.

One of the advantages of batiks is that their high thread count makes them
much less likely to unravel. I would return to the quilt shop and ask them what
the problem is.
It may be that it is not cotton as Paper Princess suggests, but that is unusual.
-Judy

It probably is not a true batik then. I forgot to mention that a good friend just purchased dark blue from Moda from a LQS and it bled so bad that she returned it. So even expensive fabrics can have problems.

This is exactly my thought.