Thread: Silk Fans fraying-Help!

I purchased my first set of silk fans recently and notice that the ends are fraying badly. I'm afraid this will continue and wonder if anyone has had this happen to their set. I don't want to hem them (too heavy) and don't have a serger. Any suggestions?

I have silk veil fans that have behaved well during lots of use. But, assuming that the silk had been ripped properly, and not cut across the weaving (somebody who knows the right terms help me out!!!!) <*>, I would very carefully apply a very little bit of fray check (from the notions wall at JoAnn). Don't go overboard, though, to avoid creating a too heavy and stiff end.

<*> When I purchase fabric at JoAnn, they cut, and often the cut is crooked and does not follow the thread. When I purchase fabric at the high end store, they make a small cut and then rip along the thread. In home ec, I learned to cut with scisors along the thread. With silk, that technique is supposed to lead to minimal fraying.

HI,
We make a lot of silk fans. We try to serge all of them but sometimes some get away without having their edges finished.

They will stay pretty stable, even if they were cut across the grain. I would just trim the ends little hairs so they are nice and neat.

You can fray check them too....

Silk doesn't generally continue unravelling even with loose threads!


hope that helps!
Meagan

Thanks Ladies!

depending on where you get your silk fans from..

I use the same type of habotai silk that I use for veils, I have been selling unhemmed veils for ten years and they don't unravel.

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I bought a pair from another vendor and they left the silk strings just hanging there. It looked sloppy and totally unprofessional.

I don't serge or hem the edges when I make silk fan veils, I feel (as a dancer who uses them constantly) that especially with shorter silk veil pieces , any type of hem or serging or rolled hem will create weight on the edges. And the beauty of silk fans is having a really fluttery piece of silk ..it is perhaps a personal bias but I've been a snob about how my silk moves since I started dancing with silk about 15 years ago.

You don't NEED a hem on silk fan veils but if you purchased from someone who cuts the silk the wrong way or leaves the long pieces dangling it could be a problem.

Fray check may help your problem but it will make the silk appear darker where the fray check is applied. Try using a tiny paintbrush if you are patient enough to sit and paint the ends ...but really, a professional product should be ready to dance with..it should not be something you have to alter or trim up. And again I'm a snob about hems..I like them for charmeuse silk and clothing but dancers who use silk veils, in my opinion, should teach themselves to manipulate silk without relying on finding hemlines.

I teach at the local fitness club now and I insist all my ladies dance with unhemmed silk ..g.: