luvstoquilt

I have used homespun without problems . I use a lot of Bestpress and my quilts have not fallen apart. I did use short stitches but usually do. I have had more fraying with Northcott and Moda recently. I have yet to make a rag quilt.

Snooze2978

I find when I get a fabric that seems to fray a lot I'll cut it with my pinking blade rotary cutter instead of a straight blade. Helps a bit plus I starch all my fabrics beforehand too. When I piece a backing I'll pink the seams there too then use Elmer's glue to tack the seams down so they don't fluff up while advancing the quilt. I wash all my quilts before I give them to the recipent so using glue isn't a problem. Love my Elmer's Glue.

klswift

I agree with prewashing it (and I rarely prewash!). I would cut it out using a pinking rotary blade. Plan on the 'valley' of the pink to be the 1/4". Pinking shears are thick and when the fabric lifts it could be difficult to keep an accurate and true 1/4". If you use shears, I would consider making wider seams.

greensleeves

My sister left me several fat quarter packs very similar to what you showed. I did nothing special to them-pressed, rotary cut and sewed as I would with any quilt fabric. I had enough to do 5 different scrappy quilts and have had no issues with them coming apart and they have been used a lot. Go for it.

meyert

Thanks everyone!! Sometimes I worry too much

Cabin flower

I used homespun with old blue jeans for my father in law as a comforter for his bed in the nursing home. He used it constantly and the denim blocks gave out first and it lasted about 5 years with heavy use. The homespun blocks never frayed out on that comforter. When the first one wore out I made another just like the first. I'd do the same thing again with no worries. I didn't treat the seams any different than anything else I've made.

JB

Honchey

There are pinking blades for rotary cutting , I've used them and they cut very nicely.

sewbizgirl

I've used them before in quilts with recycled shirts. No big deal. I treated them like any other fabric and didn't have any excessive fraying problems. I did prewash the fabric tho, as I prewash most all of my quilting fabrics. I don't like that "sizing" smell the new fabric has and wash to get rid of it.

quiltingshorttimer

did a non-rag quilt with homespuns--no problem. I did prewash (I ususally don't) and pressed with Best Press. I didn't do any pinking--especially not with a rotary cutter as it chews up the mat. Once you get it on the bat and backing and quilt, it should be fine. You don't want to make up the top and then let it sit around for years, being shifted from one pile to another--then it will fray!

nellie

maybe you can use a light weight interfacing ironed on the back before cutting fabric to control fraying, and they do sell a fray spray for fabrics that you apply to fabrics