I've got some lovely fabric to make a dress but it's fraying like billyo, has anyone ever used one of the glue/solution type anti fray products successfully? I'm a bit afraid of trying to do the edges on a machine.
yup, fraycheck works well but its only temporary so far as clothing goes. It will wash/dry clean out or just wear out of the fabric again. Use the fraycheck to stabilise the edges of the fabric while you finish it properly, even if the finish is only zigzag stitch.
Ive never tried the sticky stuff, but for a garment which frays as badly as that, I'd be tempted to use a French seam or a double machined seam, to enclose the raw edge.
I made a dress for an exam at school a hundred years ago, and it was a glossy synthetic fabric, beautiful pattern, and it frayed like crazy. I had to do the whole thing with French seams, it was a pig :-(
I don't know what fabric it is, it's very light and floaty (definitely synthetic), maybe a closer knit chiffon if that makes sense. It was only £3 a metre so it wouldn't be disastrous if I ballsed it up, but I love it :)
To be honest, it's a play on the pillow case dress but strapless, I'm starting with easy stuff til I get my confidence up, so french seaming 4 edges shouldn't be too much of a hardship (she says, lol)
I wouldn't say I was very good, but I did it to A level - I thought at one point that I might have been a needlework teacher, but now I'm glad I didn't pursue that career option...!
I've just had another look on the council website and one course looks promising (£100 for 10 weeks) and it's not too far from me, I'll give them a ring in the morning.
There are some fabric glue that are wash proof, you can try some of those. Just a piece of advice it would be much better if you sew the edges on the machine. You can find some fabric glue at http://www.calicolaine.co.uk