As I said in my last post, using "non-cotton" fabric can add a lot of interest to an art quilt. I have learned a few tricks for using these fabrics and I'm going to pass on a few here:
- Organza fraying - the best way to stop the fraying is to "melt" the edge of the organza just a tiny bit. I light a votive candle and hold the fabric about 1/4" from it for just a moment. The edge is sealed by that heat, but is not burned. You need to practice this to figure out how close to hold it and for how long.
- Flimsy fabric that is not sheer - I back this fabric with either a fusible or fusible interfacing. If I use interfacing I make it light weight. It adds just enough body without making it stiff.
- Fraying on fabric other than a sheer - You can finish the edge in some way to address this. If that is not what you want to do, then I recommend a combination of fusing the back and using Fray Block. I also don't stitch too close to the edge of the fabric if it is not tightly woven.
Those three techniques go a long way with more exotic fabrics. I hope you give them a try.
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