5 Ways to Stop Your Doll Clothes From Fraying
When you're sewing doll clothes, one thing that's never talked about enough is what to do with the raw edges. More specifically, how to stop the fabric from fraying. Working on such tiny clothes can be frustrating because a small rip in a fabric can ruin your work, let alone a fabric that frays. But have no fear, because I found 5 ways to prevent your doll's clothes from fraying for good.
But first, why does fabric fray?
A fabric frays when the fibers in the fabric become loose. This happens when the fabric is cut, torn, or worn over time; the constant fabric manipulation causes the fibers to loosen and come apart. And once it starts to unravel, your clothes will fall apart, no matter how clean your stitches are, so it's always important to seal your raw edges.
1. Choosing the Fabric
When selecting fabrics for your doll's clothes, it's important to choose fabric that is tightly woven and has a smooth texture, like cotton or polyester. These fabrics are less likely to fray than the more delicate ones, like silk or chiffon.
2. Overlock Stitch
Of course there will be instances where we do want to work on fabrics that fray; it's inevitable. And for that, what we can do is finish the edges with overlock stitches. You can use a serger or do a zigzag stitch using a sewing machine. But if you don't have any of those fancy machines, you can always sew it by hand. Below is a YouTube video I made showing how to sew an overlock stitch by hand.
Stitching the edges like this not only makes the doll clothes durable and long-lasting, but it also makes them clean and professional-looking. Something to keep in mind if you ever want to sell your doll's clothes.