I’m So Glad The Fabric Frayed

It’s called an Overcast stitch.

I was going to use a zigzag stitch to keep the edges of the fabric from fraying, but when I looked in the instruction book that came with my sewing machine, there it was with an explanation of what the Overcast does and a little drawing, that matches the little drawing on my sewing machine, so I could easily find the right button to push.

I never used this kind of fabric before, so I had no idea that even once I stitched it, it would continue fraying till it separated from the fabric it was sewn too.

I removed the backing from the Crane Pillow and the bottom piece of fabric that had ripped when I stuffed the pillow.  Then I used the Overcast to reinforce each seam on the pillow that had the fraying fabric.

I sewed a new piece of fabric on the bottom and sewed the backing back on.

As I pushed the stuffing into the pillow, for the second time, I was grateful that the seam had ripped.  What if it hadn’t and I sold the pillow only for the seams to slowly come apart.  What if I made a whole bunch more pillows and sold them too.  Or even if I used the fabric in a quilt.

Although some of my work is more fragile than others because of the fabric I use,   I do what I can so it can endure.  And this fabric isn’t vintage, it’s just that I didn’t know how to properly use it.

I’m so glad the fabric frayed, so I could learn how to use it without fraying.

When I finished stuffing and sewing the Crane Pillow, I Overcast all the seams on the Coy Pillow.  (I still have to back and stuff that one.)

When I make the next pillow I’m going to use another stitch on my machine.  It’s called Seam/Overcast and it sews the seam and overcasts the edge at the same time.

I’m so glad the fabric frayed, because I learned so much about the fabric, my sewing machine and overcasting.