Talk Back Thursday

Thank you so much to Karin, Stitchywitch, Julie, BConky, Annaminiac, Meredith, Gwen, CarlaF, Mary, Lois, Debbie, Faye, Claire, Patsijean, Summerset, Cindy and Rosa-draconum for talking back to my confession last Friday! I asked about Fray Check - I use it sometimes, but I don't love it.

Almost everyone who replied (14 out of 17) use Fray Check at least once in a while - although no one called out really loving it. The alternatives that were proposed included finishing seams with either a zig-zag stitch or an overlock machine and using either June Tailor's Fray Block or, from Claire in Canada, H.A. Kidd & Company's Fray Stop 2.

In fact, four people called out Fray Block, and said that it is thinner and doesn't dry as stiffly as Fray Check.

There was strong agreement that you should never try to apply Fray Check directly from the bottle (oops, guilty) - instead, drop a couple of drops onto a flat surface and use a toothpick or pin to apply it very carefully and sparingly! And Summerset said that you can sometimes get it off with rubbing alcohol.

As for when to use it, there was also a lot of agreement on using it along the inside of buttonholes and to secure machine-attached buttons.

Several people also pointed out that it is useful whenever you have to slash fabric close to a seam, such as when setting in a godet or at the slash for a sleeve placket. Along those lines, Rosa-draconum uses it in her historical costuming along the edges of the decorative cuts that she adds to the fabric.

Patsijean uses it on the rolled hems of dinner napkins and Lois uses it to stop runners in panty hose. And Annaminiac used it along the bottom of the organza overlay of her wedding dress, instead of sewing a hem.

As always, I learn so much from you guys! Thanks again to everyone! :)